ADD vs. ADHD Symptoms: 3 Types of Attention Deficit Disorder

16 Comments: ADD vs. ADHD Symptoms: 3 Types of Attention Deficit Disorder

1. Beulah,
   Thank you for your message of support. You stated my argument very well. In typical topic headings in an article or chapter in a book, the general topic is ADD. The subtopics underneath it are: Hyperactivity Type; Inattentive Type; Combined Type. This, I believe, is a more logical way to describe the ADD condition for each individual patient.

   Athelstan,
   Thank you again for your understanding and agreeing with me. This blog unfortunately does not allow retroactive edits. My last sentence in my reply to you two entries above should read “If we are going to assign labels to people they should be accurate, concise and devoid of any possible MISinterpretations.”

2. ADDsecret, I agree with you 100% regarding the blanket term ADHD, even though that is my sub-type. Yes, ADD and ADHD share some common symptoms, but the primary difference of inattentive and hyperactive are on totally different ends of the spectrum. A new term is needed that is simple and short to which can be added ADD or ADHD. Example: She has xyz/sub-type ADD or in my case ADHD. This article makes it very clear that ADD and ADHD are different, so why choose ADHD as the “disorder” designation. Choose a more generic term and add the sub-type to clarify the diagnosis for each individual. To say that my ADD sister and I should both be diagnosed as ADHD would both be wrong and confusing to those who know us. We are very opposite in the way this “disorder” presents itself in our actions (or lack of action). I have seen suggestions elsewhere on what ADHD should be replaced with, but frankly they sound like gibberish to me. Give me clarity that most of those who need to know will intuitively understand the term without having to look it up. OK that’s my hyperactive brain causing me to ramble. Enough said, but I’m with you on this ADDsecret!

3. I wish that the ADDitude blog could allow retroactive corrections and edits, so I am posting this more detailed update intended to supersede my posts above.

   Julie G and any others I may have offended: I owe and offer up a sincere apology to my posts above. I cannot un-ring a bell. I do not expect nor do I seek anyone’s forgiveness.

   As I mentioned earlier, ADD/ADHD is a terrible condition and for me personally it has been an unmitigated disaster in both my business and personal lives. Two of the symptoms of this disorder are the tendencies to blurt out ill-considered remarks and be quick to anger. I amply demonstrated that. I am sorry.

   Regarding corporal punishment in the schools, let me make it clear that I do NOT condone it. Back in 1958 or so I remember one particular boy in 4th Grade named Jimmy. Jimmy was constantly fidgeting and getting up and pacing the classroom.

   The teacher, whom I’ll call Mrs. Martinet, was a sixtyish woman and a harsh disciplinarian. She thought that all boys were incorrigible miscreants and she took an instant dislike of Jimmy. She frequently slapped (WHAP! WHAP!) his hands with a ruler and sent him to the principal’s office.

   One day she took classroom cruelty to an unbelievable level. She “deputized” Billy, the class bully to “supervise” Jimmy. Every Friday Billy had to get up in front of the class and deliver an oral “progress” report on Jimmy, a duty he relished.

   I felt sorry for Jimmy even back then. The school that was supposed to nurture him tortured him. If I had had hyperactivity I would have been joining him in the principal’s office. Soon after that we moved to a different state. I can only hope that Jimmy eventually survived his nightmarish existence.

   Athelstan: Thank you for your message of support. You correctly understand my sentiments. If we are going to assign labels to people, they should be accurate, concise and devoid of any possible interpretations.

   Thank you, Additude, for being in my corner.

   Peace be with you, all of you.

4. I completely agree with ADDsecret. The hyperactive element in ‘ADHD’ does not apply to those of us who are inattentive only, so ‘ADHD’ is an inadequate and misleading description.

   ADD and ADHD are not the same thing at all.

5. (Continuation of my remarks above). As you might have noticed, this ADD condition has NEVER been any kind of gift to me, only an embarrassment in both social and business settings and I have paid dearly for it. It still stings and I am still struggling to come to terms with it.

   I was in grade school in the late 1950s and I did personally witness physical abuse by a FEW teachers. At tat time ADD/ADHD was not known by any formal name but I remember one boy in particular boy who routinely got his hands slapped with a ruler and sent to the principal’s office for not being able to sit still.. Fortunately, that kind of conduct by teachers is now banned.

   I think that I still have a valid point in my first post above. Instead of calling it ‘ADHD without Hyperactivity’ why not just call it ADD? If Hyperactivity does apply, why not call it ‘ADD with Hyperactivity if Hyperactivity is present?

6. Sorry if I came across as snarky and rude.

7. Sorry if I came off as snarky and rude. I got a little, uh, carried away. As you might have noticed, this ADD condition has NEVER been any kind of gift to me, only an embarrassment in both social and business settings and I have paid dearly for it. It still stings and I am trying to come to terms with it.

   About me: I am in my late 60s and recently retired. I always knew I was different but way back then there was no DSM definition for it. Despite all of this I did manage to have a reasonably successful career as an engineer but I was never considered for a management position.

   I have been around the block and seen it all and I passionately want to share my perspective. Whenever I hear any suggestions about going public with ADD/ADHD I cringe. This is absolutely bad advice, especially in the workplace. An HR director once told me that he could fire anyone he wanted and make it all look legit. Believe me, I have seen it happen so many times.

   I was in grade school in the late 1950s and I did personally witness physical abuse from a FEW teachers. At that time ADD/ADHD was not known by any formal name but I remember one boy in particular who routinely got his hands slapped with a ruler and sent to the principal’s office for not being able to sit still. Fortunately, that kind of behavior by teachers is now banned.

   So I still think that I have a valid point in my first post above. Instead of calling it ‘ADHD without Hyperactivity’, why not just call it ADD? If Hyperactivity does apply, call it ‘ADD with Hyperactivity’ if Hyperactivity is present.

8. “ADDsecret,” your comments are offensive and horribly negative about people with ADHD of any type. Especially offensive is calling special-ed students “the troublemakers and the dumb-asses”! And I hope grade school teachers aren’t “slugging” or “slapping” any student! You can call your condition whatever you want, but no need to insult others.

9. I disagree with the comment that inattentive ADHD is an interest disorder and if they’re interested, they will focus. Totally not true of me! I have difficulty focusing on just about everything at some time or another. And I also procrastinate fun things as well as unpleasant things. It’s easier to focus on easy things.

10. This article unfortunately is outdated. The work of Robert Plomin amongst others show that you can’t box adhd into three categories. If you think rationally here like most things it’s genetic variables across thousands of genes and each gene affectation will be on a continuum that will be different to the next person who has ADHD. I see how simplifying it helps however as it will be very difficult to explain what’s going on mainly as we don’t know. The only way forward is to push the message that there is this thing called adhd. It affects people differently and how you live your life can ease negative symptoms and also you can use it to your advantage if you know how.

11. Read my post above. ADD should NOT be an outdated term. Adding in the ‘H’ where it does not apply is only because lazy psychologists and psychiatrists want a single catch-all label. I have always had ADD but no grade school teacher ever had to slug me or slap me because of being antsy and unable to sit still.

    Imagine a grade school kid transferring from one school to another. The new school gets a transcript and confidential record of said student with the ADHD classification. Suppose this kid is not a disruption in class but the new school does not believe it. Then he gets put into the special-ed class with the troublemakers and the dumb-asses.

    It’s bad enough that I have ADD but Goddammit don’t label me as ADHD!

12. ADD and ADHD are the same thing. ADD is an outdated term.

13. People with ADD are those I characterize as having a creative type ADHD. Their hyperactivity is in the brain due to excess adrenaline as a neurotransmitter. Characteristically, they are very intuitive about other people, have premonitions and deja vu experiences, and will notice that animals and small children are attracted to them.

    People with ADHD have excess adrenaline as a hormone, giving rise to their hyperactivity. And then there are the people who have both types – and these are often the most successful people there are, such as the heads of corporations like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs – who never finished college.

    Some day people will realize that ADHD is not a learning disorder, it is an interest disorder. If they are interested, they will focus. The most intelligent, creative, successful people have ADHD. By treating the cause, it can be eliminated in as little as 24 hours. By the way, the stimulants that are used to treat it are all drugs that increase adrenaline with the intent of numbing the mind. If a person does not have ADHD, the drugs will give it to them. This is why sudden death is one of the side effects.

    Questions?: [email protected]

14. I take strong exception to using the catch-all term ADHD when Hyperactivity does not apply. If an employer or potential employer should discover that the prospective hire has what is technically called ADHD what do you think is going to happen? Right! They will search the internet and assume that the person in question can’t sit still in an important customer-facing meeting.

    Call me an ADD sufferer but don’t add the ‘H’ where it doesn’t apply. This is like accusing me of a crime I didn’t commit and adds another level of insult to an already embarrassing affliction. And all because the psych industry wants to have an all-inclusive term.

15. I am 60 year old dude and was recently diagnosed with ADD. I’ve always known that I’ve had some sort of mental quirk/idiosyncracy but now I know the name of this sleeper cell agent that has been imbedded inside my very own brain all these years.

    I absolutely bristle at being classified as ADHD. I do not have nor ever have had HYPERACTIVITY. This adds another layer of insult to this already embarrassing disease and is like accusing me of a crime I did not commit. So, you psych experts, if you are going to assign labels at least get it right.

16. There’s no question I have combined presentation ADHD.