ADD Problems
In the twenty-first century, it is becoming all too common to either know someone with a psychological disorder or to have one yourself. With that in mind, it is exceedingly difficult to understand how the stigma attached to many disorders has continued to exist. One commonly stigmatized disability is Attention Deficit Disorder. It is estimated that roughly 5% of the United State’s population has an ADD problem, yet it is a disability which is incredibly misunderstood in society.
Initially, psychologists and scientists believed that ADD problems were caused by minor injuries to the brain. Careful research has proven that the ADD problem are due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. The portion of the brain which controls impulse is, for some reason, less active in those with this disability.
Another misconception frequently attributed to those suffering from ADD problems is that the sufferer can control his/her behavior; many believe that those with the disability choose to act impulsively and irresponsibly. What most people fail to realize is that people with an ADD problem cannot control their genetic makeup. Most would prefer to control their behavior, but an anomaly in their cognitive functions prevent them from doing so.
A final mistaken belief is that environmental influences are to blame. A great number of people would like to attribute blame to bad parenting, poor teachers and schooling, or too much violent television programming. The child with an ADD problem is a child with a biologically inherited disability; to play the ‘blame game’ will only cause needless emotional strife for the child, their parents, and others who love him.
It is important to understand that the ADD problem is a biological one. It is a challenge which cannot be willed away; but it can be overcome with therapy and medication.
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