For those who say ADD doesn’t exist, treatment of this non existent condition really helps those that have it. This is from a US survey of parents of teens with ADD and a separate group of teens with ADD by The US based non profit National Mental Health Association.
Roughly two-thirds of these parents (66%) and teenagers (61%) report their teen/they currently receive treatment for ADHD. Both groups credit their treatment – in the form of medication, counselling and/or behavior therapy, and school services – with contributing to better grades in school, higher self-esteem, improved social relationships and enhanced participation in extracurricular activities.
Before the families sought help, ADHD posed a major barrier to learning, self-confidence and relationships with other teens and adults. Most teens (77%) and parents (86%) reported that it was much or somewhat more difficult for teens with ADHD to do their best in school. Nearly three quarters of both groups stated that it was somewhat to very difficult for teenagers to feel happy/feel good about himself or herself. In addition, a majority of parents (69%) and teens (64%) found that it was somewhat to very difficult for teens to make new friends.
ŇResearch shows that as many as 80 percent of children with ADHD exhibit persistent symptoms during adolescence, and 60 percent go on to display symptoms during adulthood,Ó said David Goodman, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University. ŇLeft untreated, many teenagers with ADHD experience academic impairment, driving-related incidents, and are at higher risk of substance abuse, encounters with law-enforcement, and consequent negative impact within the family.Ó
After receiving help, parents and teens experienced tremendous progress in their lives. Nearly six in ten (56%) teens saw their grades get better. A majority of both groups (81% parents, 73% teenagers) reported some to a great deal of improvement in their ability to feel good/feel happy. In addition, the ability to make and keep friendships dramatically improved; most parents and teens reported some to a great deal of improvement in making new friends.
This is another good argument for getting more people who might have ADD diagnosed. The treatments for it can improve you many areas in your life. But if the teenager is in denial or the parent is in denial “not my child!” the teenŐs life and the family life can get worse. Here, ignorance is not bliss.
I’d suggest one good reason for an adult who might have ADD and who has children to go for a diagnosis of it would be to help their children. It’s a genetically inherited condition. If the parent has ADD, there are extremely high odds of one or more of the children having it and vice versa.
So if the parent has the guts to admit they have ADD and deal with it, instead of living in fearful reactionary denial, the child who may have it is more likely to deal with it as well.
If say a male teenager has ADD and they know their dad has it (whether he admits it or not, its usually pretty obvious to those around him), and is not dealing with it, it just give him an excuse to do the same. I.e., why should I deal with it? Dad doesn’t think its a real condition or a problem, or that it’s important enough to do anything about it, why should I?