The Difference Between ADHD and ADD

Most people assume that the difference betweenprobably has ADHD. Ask your doctor for clarification
ADHD and ADD is that with Attention Deficit Disorder,because you have a right to know your child's exact
the child does not show the hyperactive behaviors thatdiagnosis, so you can get him the best treatment
are a feature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivitypossible.
Disorder. In fact, the labels for these two disordersThe other thing you should know about these
may be interchangeable since doctors can diagnose adisorders is that kids with the hyperactive component
child as having ADD with hyperactivity, although thisof ADD (or ADHD) appear to have more behavioral
term is not used as much as it used to be. Read onissues. Kids who have been diagnosed with inattentive
for more clarification.ADD (without the hyperactivity component) tend to
Both disorders are detailed in the DSM IV (Thehave more issues with anxiety and/or depression.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) which is used byAlthough it's important to know your child's diagnosis,
physicians, psychologists, social workers, therapists anddon't let it become a huge issue. Instead, focus on
other medical professionals to give a cluster ofgetting your child treatment. You can give your child
behaviors and symptoms a name that we can agreedrugs, but drugs don't work for every child and they
on. This makes it easier to treat the condition, talkcan have serious side effects which can worsen your
about it and to bill insurance for reimbursement ofchild's behavior. Some of the side effects are
medical costs. The term ADD with hyperactivity wasseemingly mild, like the inability to fall asleep and loss of
used more often in the DSM IIIR, which is the olderappetite, but can have a big impact on your child's
version of the diagnostic manual.development. Also, drugs only suppress symptoms:
There is also a form of ADD characterized as thethey do not cure the cause of this disorder. When
inattentive type which lacks hyperactivity, but it may beconsidering drugs, take a hard look at the short and
hard to see the difference between ADHD and ADDlong term implications.
when the symptoms include: being easily distracted,Concerned about the side effects of prescription
difficulty focusing attention, shifts from one activity todrugs, hundreds of thousands of parents are giving
the next without taking tasks to completion, troubletheir children natural remedies instead. A remedy
listening or following instructions, problems organizingdesigned to treat the symptoms of hyperactivity and
activities. You can see where behaviors like "easilyinattention can work as effectively as drugs without
distracted" and "going from one activity to the nextany of the side effects. Best of all, they actually get to
without completing tasks" could be seen asthe root cause of this disorder by giving the brain the
hyperactivity.nutrients it needs to function optimally. The ability to
The trick to knowing the difference between ADHDpay attention and curb impulses is a function of brain
and ADD is to ask your doctor if your child has beenhealth. If you're giving your child the nutrients that his
diagnosed with hyperactivity. If your doctor gives yourbrain needs to heal itself, then you no longer need to
child a diagnosis of ADD, either it is the inattentive typeworry about things like the difference between ADHD
(which is described in the paragraph above) or it hasand ADD because your child will be on his way to
the hyperactive component, which means your childgetting his life back to normal.