Real Dangers

 of

 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Still Under Construction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (both ADD and ADHD) increase the statistical risk for a variety of very significant dangers.

Car Accidents, Speeding Tickets and Suspensions

 Substance Use

Criminality

Lower self esteem

Toddler Poisoning

Health and Injury

Risk with psychosexual functioning

Social Functioning

Poor Academics with High School and College Drop out

Substance Abuse

When ADHD is untreated the risk of substance abuse is about three times the normal rate. When treated consistently with stimulant medications, the risk is about the same as the normal rate.

Up until about age 15, the risk for substance abuse is about normal. After age 15, the rate of diagnosed substance abuse triples from about 15% to 47%.

Car Accidents and Violations

There is a much higher incidence of car accidents with adolescents with ADHD. They have 400% more accidents causing injury than do normal adolescents or adolescents who have ADHD, but regularly take their medication. They have 300% more motor vehicle violations than do normal adolescents.

3 times as many vehicle accidents
3 times as many associated injuries
4 times more likely to be at fault
5 times more speeding violations
7 times more likely to have license suspended

This last factor is amazing. Adolescents with ADHD really get nailed, and lose their license even more than they might deserve.  Why?  Perhaps because they forget the court date, speak disrespectfully, appear to be functioning poorly to the court or don't follow-through with requirements of the court.

Criminality

Many people with ADHD also have severe behavioral problems. When those with ADHD have comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder, there is an increased risk for legal problems of all sort. This is complicated by impulsivity, a high-risk life style, failure to learn from the past, and poor executive functions.

One long-term study in New York indicated that those with ADHD were more likely to be arrested.

Many experts believe that the prisons are filled with a very high proportion of people who have ADHD. One of the key aspects of people with ADHD is that they "don't learn from experience."

Low Self Esteem

People with ADHD and ADD have many failures in life. They frequently become discouraged. They have poor self confidence. This often leads to depression, sometimes severe. And thus they often suffer from low self esteem.

Imagine what it is like to be told as a child that your behavior is almost always wrong. Imagine failures in school, even when you try hard. Imagine studying hard, only that you do worse than if you don't study. Imagine failure after failure after failure. Imagine being told you are just lazy. Imagine being told that if only you should try harder. Imagine the feeling of never being organized. Imagine never being able to listen or concentrate for more than a few minutes. Imagine having few friends.

Not everyone with ADHD or ADD have all of those problems, but they likely have some of them. It is hard to feel good with ADHD.