ADHD is Bull!?! The History Of ADHD!

So, I am a little upset this morning. There are so many people out there, in fact a man posted on Child ADHD Info's Facebook page saying that ADHD is bull****! This made me very angry. So, I am posting about it.

There are so many people out there that will insist that ADHD is a new recent made up diagnosis used as an excuse for children and adults who are misbehaved or are not parented well and need more discipline. Obviously these people have never had to struggle with their ADHD child, trying to help his/her learning disabilities, or held them while they cried because the other kids treat them different just because they think different, and they haven't had to watch their child struggle with themselves trying to gain the control of his/her actions. It just breaks my heart that these uneducated people judge these children and parents when they are actually ignorant on ADHD and have never even tried to learn and understand it. 

To start I want to first point out that we as people are not to judge on another, who really has the right to judge others? No One.

Dr. Sir George F. Still 1902

History of ADHD

Next, I would like to point out that ADHD is NOT new! It is in no way a new or recent diagnosis. ADHD was first recognized as a disorder all the way back  in  1902. There was a British doctor by the name of Dr. Still who had documented cases of impulsivity and he gave this disorder is first name, "Defect of Moral Control". However, it wasn't until 1922 when ADHD symptoms were actually noted and diagnosed which was named "Post-Encephalitic Behavior Disorder". Though at this time is was mainly hyperactivity as the symptoms along with some impulsivity.

Dr. Charles Bradley 1937

Stimulants were first introduced and used back in 1937 to treat children with ADHD symptoms, by Dr. Charles Bradley. Ritalin came and was used for ADHD in 1956. Throughout the 1960's hyperactivity was treated increasingly by stimulant medications and the name of the diagnosis changed twice again. In the early 1960's the term used was "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" but, was changed later in the 60's to "Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood".


Throughout the 1970's doctors and researchers were recognizing more symptoms to go with the hyperactivity in ADHD children including impulsiveness, daydreaming, and lack of focus/concentration. They also divided Impulsiveness into three subtypes at this time which were, verbal, cognitive and motor impulsiveness. The American Psychiatric Association gave the disorder the name we all know "Attention Deficit Disorder" or ADD in 1980 and then in 1987 the name was revised to what it is now called "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder" or ADHD.

In the most current studies in the 2000's EEG's, MRI's and CT scans show is the difference in brain size and activity in ADHD children versus children without ADHD.So, I just don't see how people can ignore the scientific facts and evidence showing and proving the validity of ADHD and say that it is a made up diagnosis or an excuse for misbehaved children.

My point in this article is that ADHD is in no way new or "made up" it is very real. In fact, the American Medical Association stated in 1998 that ADHD was one of the most researched disorders!! We may not know exactly what causes ADHD, but we do know it has been researched sine the early 1900's and is a very real disorder and without treatment can affect the child's entire life! And there has been documentation of ADHD symptoms as far back as 1798 by a Scottish physician by the name of Sir Alexander Crichton that I will also be writing about soon. 

So, the next time you have someone saying that your child's ADHD is "bull****" you can show them the history and research of ADHD has been extensive and continues to be today. In my opinion that's like saying depression or anxiety are bull, because we are not quite sure what causes them but we do know that it is dangerous to leave it untreated!!


If you want to be heard on this subject and have something to say feel free to comment, you can also comment on my Facebook page for Child ADHD Info. 




References: American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, Hellolife.net