Is ADHD Fake?

There’s been no shortages of books and articles lately claiming ADHD is a made-up, harmful diagnosis. As someone who has lived with ADHD for 40 years, I disagree.

Some people who think ADHD is fake or made-up say it is nothing but a ‘social construct.’

(Note that ADHD does indeed exist and get diagnosed in France and other countries. Worldwide prevalence is estimated at 4–5% of the population which is why it IS worrying that we have a diagnostic rate in the US at 11% or more.)

For further reading on causes and a developmental theory of ADHD go HERE and/or HERE.

Many of the books and articles that claim ADHD are fake are really concerned with the alarming rise in diagnostic rates in recent decades. It IS alarming. As a clinical diagnosis it is all too easy to mis-diagnose someone as ADHD when there may be much simpler explanations for their behavior. Mis-diagnosis and over-diagnosis are just as dangerous as under-diagnosis. Educate yourself before making any decisions.