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What is the difference
between ADHD and ADD? The
terms essentially mean the
same thing as long as you
are not a research
psychiatrist. If you want to
get technical, however, read
on.
Once upon a time,
inattentive children were
classified as suffering from
“minimal brain dysfunction,”
or MBD. Then in 1968, a
group of psychiatrists came
along and changed the name
to “Hyperkinetic reaction of
childhood (or adolescence).”
Later, that was changed to
“attention deficit
disorder,” or ADD. In 1980,
psychiatrists finally came
up with the most descriptive
terminology, according to
Dr. Cocores, author of
BrightFoods: “ADD with
hyperactivity” and “ADD
without hyperactivity.”
According to Dr. Cocores,
“In the past, many of us
knew that ADD often
continues into adulthood
with or without
hyperactivity, or as
depression, an anxiety
disorder, cyclothymic
disorder, or bipolar
disorder. This leads me to
believe that in many cases
ADD is actually a symptom of
childhood anxiety or
depression.” In 1987, The
American Psychiatric
Association changed the
terminology again to
“attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder,” or
ADHD, which eliminated the
common presentation of ADD
without hyperactivity, both
in children and adults. |
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