ADHD 101: A History of ADHD
Most people think that ADHD is a new condition that only emerged at the end of the 20th century.
However, the history of ADHD is a lot older than you think.
Only over the last two decades have thousands of children everywhere been diagnosed with this disorder, for various reasons: the advertising efforts of pharmaceutical companies, the proliferation of junk food, and the changing lifestyles of children.
But there have been cases of ADHD since the turn of the last century.
The only difference is that back then, doctors had a very limited understanding of the phenomenon and how it should be treated.
The first documented case of ADHD occurred in 1902.
A British doctor named Dr.
Still coined the term "Defect of Moral Control" to describe impulsive behaviors in children and adults.
He believed that a person with this disorder had a behavioral condition that was well beyond his or her control.
The next documented case occurred 20 years later, in 1922, but the name was changed to "Post-Encephalitic Behavior Disorder.
" Medical papers that used this diagnosis were actually describing children who had problems controlling their impulses, behavior, and attention.
In 1937, a physician named Dr.
Charles Bradley started using stimulants to try to treat the "brain damaged" behavior of children.
It seems a little strange to give stimulants to children who are already hyperactive to begin with, and it is not known how Dr.
Bradley came to decide on this treatment.
Nevertheless, Ritalin became the treatment of choice some 20 years later in 1956.
In the 1960s, doctors renamed the disorder "Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood" and became clearer about its definitions.
Two doctors, Laufer and Denhoff, first used the term "hyperactivity" to describe the disorder, and this definition became accepted by the medical community.
In fact, the Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood eventually had its own entry in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) by the end of the decade.
Although the term hyperactivity was valid for a number of cases, it still excluded the children who had attention problems with no symptoms of hyperactivity.
It soon became clear that doctors needed to do further investigation about what to call these behaviors.
By the 1970s, there were over 2,000 studies on hyperactivity in medical journals.
According to these studies, the defining features of the condition included over-activity, short attention span, aggression, and impulsivity.
Psychiatrists believed that these symptoms would disappear after puberty.
Further research showed that while the hyperactivity component does diminish during puberty, the inattention and impulsivity symptoms persisted.
The next edition of the DSM acknowledged these new findings and re-categorized the disorder into two types: attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity, and attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity.
In 1987, the name was finally changed to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, classified as a medical condition, not just a purely psychological one.
As investigations into the disorder progressed, so did various medical treatments for the symptoms.
In 1996, the FDA approved Adderall as a treatment for ADHD; it seemed to work better than Ritalin because its effects lasted longer.
Just three years later, two new ADHD drugs were approved: Focalin and Concerta.
However, awareness about the damaging side effects of ADHD medications was also growing as concerned and grieving parents lamented the drug-related deaths of their children.
As a response, the first non-stimulant ADHD medication was released in 2003.
This new drug, called Strattera, also increased neurotransmitter production, but without the harmful stimulant effects of other ADHD medications.
Throughout the history of ADHD, a number of natural treatments have also emerged, such as the use of chiropractic and brain retraining methods.
Although they are not as widely used and documented as ADHD medications, these natural ADHD treatments do not cause harmful side effects and can help a child overcome the disorder for good.
However, the history of ADHD is a lot older than you think.
Only over the last two decades have thousands of children everywhere been diagnosed with this disorder, for various reasons: the advertising efforts of pharmaceutical companies, the proliferation of junk food, and the changing lifestyles of children.
But there have been cases of ADHD since the turn of the last century.
The only difference is that back then, doctors had a very limited understanding of the phenomenon and how it should be treated.
The first documented case of ADHD occurred in 1902.
A British doctor named Dr.
Still coined the term "Defect of Moral Control" to describe impulsive behaviors in children and adults.
He believed that a person with this disorder had a behavioral condition that was well beyond his or her control.
The next documented case occurred 20 years later, in 1922, but the name was changed to "Post-Encephalitic Behavior Disorder.
" Medical papers that used this diagnosis were actually describing children who had problems controlling their impulses, behavior, and attention.
In 1937, a physician named Dr.
Charles Bradley started using stimulants to try to treat the "brain damaged" behavior of children.
It seems a little strange to give stimulants to children who are already hyperactive to begin with, and it is not known how Dr.
Bradley came to decide on this treatment.
Nevertheless, Ritalin became the treatment of choice some 20 years later in 1956.
In the 1960s, doctors renamed the disorder "Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood" and became clearer about its definitions.
Two doctors, Laufer and Denhoff, first used the term "hyperactivity" to describe the disorder, and this definition became accepted by the medical community.
In fact, the Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood eventually had its own entry in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) by the end of the decade.
Although the term hyperactivity was valid for a number of cases, it still excluded the children who had attention problems with no symptoms of hyperactivity.
It soon became clear that doctors needed to do further investigation about what to call these behaviors.
By the 1970s, there were over 2,000 studies on hyperactivity in medical journals.
According to these studies, the defining features of the condition included over-activity, short attention span, aggression, and impulsivity.
Psychiatrists believed that these symptoms would disappear after puberty.
Further research showed that while the hyperactivity component does diminish during puberty, the inattention and impulsivity symptoms persisted.
The next edition of the DSM acknowledged these new findings and re-categorized the disorder into two types: attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity, and attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity.
In 1987, the name was finally changed to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, classified as a medical condition, not just a purely psychological one.
As investigations into the disorder progressed, so did various medical treatments for the symptoms.
In 1996, the FDA approved Adderall as a treatment for ADHD; it seemed to work better than Ritalin because its effects lasted longer.
Just three years later, two new ADHD drugs were approved: Focalin and Concerta.
However, awareness about the damaging side effects of ADHD medications was also growing as concerned and grieving parents lamented the drug-related deaths of their children.
As a response, the first non-stimulant ADHD medication was released in 2003.
This new drug, called Strattera, also increased neurotransmitter production, but without the harmful stimulant effects of other ADHD medications.
Throughout the history of ADHD, a number of natural treatments have also emerged, such as the use of chiropractic and brain retraining methods.
Although they are not as widely used and documented as ADHD medications, these natural ADHD treatments do not cause harmful side effects and can help a child overcome the disorder for good.
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