ADHD Awareness Month- Royals Lesson!

Ciao lovelies! Today at the request of Nightsong, we are talking about ADHD Awareness Month, what is ADHD, myths about ADHD, and more.

First, what is ADHD Awareness Month?

According to adhdawarenessmonth.org, “The mission of ADHD Awareness Month is to educate the public about ADHD by disseminating reliable information based on the evidence of science and peer-reviewed research.” Basically, this means that ADHD Awareness Month was made to educate everyone about the truths of ADHD and dispel myths.

So what is ADHD?

According to the DSM 5, (which is the primary text used for diagnosing mental illness/disorders), ADHD is “A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development”.

Common Myths about ADHD:

MYTH- “Only Kids have ADHD!”

FACT- ADHD can affect adults as well, and it can even become activated later in life. Unfortunately, infantilizing language and myths are circulated about people with ADHD. Even the website for the CDC immediately assumes that all people with ADHD are children.

MYTH- “Only boys can have ADHD!”

FACT- Both males and females can have ADHD.

MYTH- “ADHD isn’t real, it’s just bad upbringing/a misbehaving person!”

FACT- ADHD is very much real. Someone with ADHD has a brain that is very different from a neurotypical brain:

MYTH- “Medication is the only cure for ADHD!”

FACT- Medication is not a cure-all for ADHD. For some, medication doesn’t even work.

MYTH- “ADHD and ADD are the same thing!”

FACT- ADHD and ADD are under the same umbrella in the DSM 5, but are two different things. They can coexist in someone’s brain but they are not the same.

MYTH- “Just stop eating sugar/drinking caffeine and you can focus just fine!”

FACT- While diet can help manage symptoms, sugar and caffeine are not the source of the symptoms of ADHD.

UNDERSTANDING LOVED ONES/FRIENDS WITH ADHD

Some ADHD traits are often misunderstood by neurotypicals as “annoying.” Please be kind to your friends/loved ones with ADHD.

Nightsong: “Sometimes those with ADHD might talk over people, talk loudly, info-dump….Please be kind to us as we’re trying our best.”

Now that you’ve learned about ADHD and ADHD awareness month, please let us know what you think in the comments. Did we do a good job covering the subject?

Thank you for reading, remember to love yourself, stay awesome, and I'll see you in my next post!