MHM Magazine

10 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | Issue 1 | 2022 MHM I recently saw a teenager who has battled for years with anxiety and difficulty regulating his emotions. It became more challenging recently where it caused a lot of disruption at home. Eventually his father made him an appointment with me. He is an intelligent boy, with a good academic performance and no- one suspected ADHD. However, it became clear during our discussion that his inattentiveness, poor time management, and consequent anxiety, caused him to lash out and he struggles with his sense of self-worth. We’ve started treatment – and his life has changed. However, he was very concerned what his mother’s response would be to the diagnosis and treatment… I spent time sharing some thoughts of what her possible reactions or arguments could be, and he felt confident that he’d be able to manage it – with the support of his father. However, I didn’t expect the email accusations that followed: from me “labelling” her son with a diagnosis, to “treating him with dangerous schedule 6 medication”. This reminded me of a blog I wrote several years ago addressing the myths surrounding the diagnosis of ADHD and the treatment thereof. Stigma, misconceptions, and myths are usually caused by a lack of information and knowledge, or misinformation. MYTH 1: ADHD IS A NEW INVENTION OF MODERN SOCIETY The facts: “Mental Restlessness” was first described by Sir Alexander Crichton in 1798, while “Fidgety Philip” (a popular storybook character and now also an allegory for children with ADHD) was created by Heinrich Hoffmann in 1844. Sir George Still (in 1902) was the first to describe the symptoms of restlessness, inattention and impulsiveness in children - the starting point of the description ADHD as we know it. MYTH 2: ADHD IS NOT A REAL DISORDER The facts: Since the first descriptions of ADHD, more than 10 000 clinical and scientific publications have been published on ADHD with clear differences between children (and adults) with and without ADHD. ADHD has been recognised as a legitimate diagnosis by major international medical, psychological, and educational organisations. ADHD is best understood as a bio-psychosocial condition: It’s medical in origin but is affected and influenced by the environment, social and emotional aspects of the person and situation. Research shows that genetic (hereditary) and neurological factors (such as pregnancy and birth complications, brain damage, toxins and infections) are the main causes of ADHD rather than social factors (such as poor parenting and diet). ADHD is one of the most genetic conditions – it runs in families, Prof Renata Schoeman, psychiatrist (Co-founder of the Goldilocks and The Bear Foundation, Convenor of the SASOP Special Interest Group for ADHD, and Head: MBA in Healthcare Leadership, University of Stellenbosch Business School) ADHD MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS/SADAG THE DANGERS OF MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS