When you were a child, didn't you run around all the time for no specific reason. Didn't you constantly turn your attention from one thing to the next. Didn't you have a hard time sitting still? Didn't you have a hard time focusing on one thing, for long periods of time? You were a child and you acted the way most children do. You didn't think about things, you just did them because at that age, there was no thought process. Most children go through this stage in their early life, but science has come along and told us that maybe this activity isn't so natural.

Attention Deficit Disorder, how do we define it? You would think with all the great minds in the world that someone would've came up with a definition that fits. But that's not the case, apparently ADD is a subjective description and not necessarily a disease. The naming of this disorder, has a history all by itself. In 1902 it was called, "Morbid Defect of Moral Control". In 1922 it became, "Post-encephalitic Behavior Disorders". 1960 gave us the term, "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" and then came 1968 with, "Hyperkinetic Reaction". It wasn't until the 1980s when the words Attention Deficit Disorder were spoken.

There is still confusion over who does and doesn't have ADD. Some members of the mental health industry had a need to classify anyone with ADD, as having a brain defect. Supposedly this was due to the fact that the first group of ADD patients that were studied, suffered from encephalitis; which is a swelling of the brain. But this criteria no longer exist, because over the years, people with no brain defects, have been added to the roll call of ADD.

At this time, there are two major types of ADD. ADD with hyperactivity and ADD without. Symptoms of ADD with hyperactivity are defined as, can't stay seated, fidgety, runs or climbs a lot, talks a lot, can't play quietly and having a hard time waiting in line or waiting their turn. Some symptoms of ADD without hyperactivity are, disorganized, having a hard time paying attention to tasks, easily distracted and doesn't seem to listen.

So, who has ADD? The numbers usually given are 3-5 percent of the population. But nobody knows. Because ADD is so subjective, it's obvious that many who are listed as ADD, may not even belong there.

There is still major discussion going on as to the validity of ADD. Is it real? Some people say that ADD isn't a disease, but a collection of behaviors and symptoms, that could be caused by any number of problems. And when you add in the fact that the experts in the field, can't even decide what exactly ADD is and who exactly has it; then this just gives more credence to those that doubt the existence of ADD. Of course there are many that believe ADD is real and not just some phase a person is going through. They believe people should be treated for their symptoms and not be expected to just grow out of them.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to ADD