Many parents are now being diagnosed after their children have been identified. Other adults are looking for help after years of failed relationship, substance abuse, or learning disabilities. Today there's recognition of ADD, it not only hinders children in the classroom but it can also keep adults from accomplishing goals. The important thing is that ADD doesn't go away. In the older literature it says that as you get older, the disorder disappeared. What happens is that the hyperactivity decreases in adolescence but the ADD continues. 15 million Americans have ADD and experts believe probably 2/3 of those are adults. Adult ADD? ADD is one of the fastest growing diagnoses in the adult psychiatry today. European's probably report an incident 1/10 of what we report. They say we over diagnose ADD, John Rady and Ned Hallowell?(psychiatrists)don't believe that's true. They both have ADD. They believe that the true incidence in the US is 10 times greater than in Europe. Why? The gene pool is loaded for ADD. If you think of who colonized this country, and who continue to colonize this country, it was the people who couldn't sit still. It was the risk takers, the people who were willing to get in a boat. Back when sailing the ocean was like flying to the moon. And take the huge risk, risking everything to come to this country. They put a positive spin on ADD. They say the term misleads people. Attention isn't really deficit or missing, it's just inconsistent. Some people even over focus or hyper-focus on projects. Not all people with ADD are hyper some are quiet and dreamy. These psychiatrists don't like the term disorder which suggests problems they say the syndrome has a range of characteristics which can be both positive and negative. Some of the most creative minds in history are considered to have ADD. Mozart, Thomas Edison, Einstein, and Emily Dickinson. They were able to channel their energies into amazing productions.
