Adhd

ADHD

Jennifer Brinkley

HCA/240

March 30, 2014

Jessica Grippo

ADHD

ADHD is a form of mental illness that affects many people. ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is a disorder that affects many children. It appears more commonly in males prior to the age of 7 years (Zeiman, Tompary, & Raymond, 2010). ADHD is a problem of not being able to focus, being overactive, not being able control behavior, or a combination of these (U.S. National Library of Medicine - The World's Largest Medical Library, 2013).

The history of ADHD...the first person to describe ADD ADHD (attention deficit disorder) in its commonly accepted sense was Dr. Heinrich Hoffman. Contrary to popular belief, this work was not a recent occurrence, but happened way back in 1845. Dr. Hoffman was a physician at the time, who focused his attention on creating books about medicine and psychiatry ("Adult - Child - Add - Adhd", n.d.). It wasn't until 1902 that such characteristics were actually studied by the medical community, as was done by Sir George F. Still, who created, and published a series of lectures for the Royal College of Physicians in England ("Adult - Child - Add - Adhd", n.d.). There are many myths and misconceptions of ADHD. Myth #1: ADHD Is Not a Real Disorder (About.Com, 2009). ADHD is recognized as a disorder/disability by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the United States Congress, the Department of Education, the Office for Civil Rights, the American Medical Association, and every other major professional medical, psychiatric, psychological and educational association or organization (About.Com, 2009). Myth #2: ADHD Is Caused by Poor Parenting (About.Com, 2009). It is simply not true that poor parenting causes ADHD. What is true, however, is that positive parenting with clear and consistent expectations and consequences and a home environment with predictable routines can help manage symptoms of ADHD. Conversely, a...