It was 1902 when a British doctor named George Still identified a cluster of symptoms found mostly in boys.  He called it minimal brain damage and that explanation made perfect sense at the time.  It was called by various names over the years including Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Hyperactivity of Childhood,  Hyperkinetic Reaction of childhood, ADD and now ADHD.   

It was thought that there may have been a number of causes of the disorder.  Perhaps the most logical “sounding” explanation is that ADHD  is caused by bad parenting.  This misconception is still believed by many people.   It’s not true.   Others suggested that it  could be that ADHD is just an explanation for a  defiant kid who wants his own way at home and at school.   Perhaps there is some moral deficit.   Poor diet, allergies, toxic exposure, traumatic brain injury and brain damage are other suggested causes.   None of these explanations over the last 100 years explains this very complex disorder.   

Since the publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV in 1994 by the American Psychiatric Association, ADHD has been thought of with two primary aspects of the disorder.    One set of symptoms is grouped around  aspects of being inattentive and distractible.   A second set of symptoms is grouped around aspects of hyperactivity and impulsivity.  Some people have characteristics of both groups of symptoms.

It has been assumed for years that many people “outgrow” it and that adults don’t have symptoms.  That’s simply not correct.   

ADHD is perhaps the most researched mental health disorder.   Current and future thinking and the explosion of research into brain function that is occurring will bring changes in the way we think about ADHD.  Some are suggesting future classifications of at least five and perhaps seven different disorders or sub types of the disorder.   

One new but controversial theory by a neuropsychiatrist from California named Daniel Amen has emerged

He says there are SIX types of ADHD, not the traditional two or three suggested by most mental health experts.  Dr. Amen has done SPECT scans on 15,000 patients over the last several years which measures blood flow in the brain.

Based on that research, he has clearly identified six different patterns of blood flow which emerge, and the results have been fascinating. Dr. Amen says that some traditionally prescribed and effective medications make some types of ADHD worse. Because that’s true, getting the correct diagnosis is critical.