National ADHD Awareness Month

I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an adult, but I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have them. Back in the 1960s, when I was growing up, my symptoms didn’t have a name, and you didn’t go to the doctor to find out

Howie Mandel

ADHD as a disorder isn’t always understood and can be either misdiagnosed as another disorder or overdiagnosed in cases of misunderstanding. As a multifaceted disorder, it can control someone’s life if it isn’t treated. As a common disorder among people, ADHD is persistent. That’s why National ADHD Awareness Month exists to help educate people about the disorder and what to do if you believe you have issues focusing, being hyperactive and impulse impatience.

History of National ADHD Awareness Month

National ADHD Awareness Month began as a collaboration of multiple organizations such as CHADD, ACO, and the ADDitude magazine back in 2004. From there, the U.S Senate instated ADHD Awareness Day as a national holiday and has since increased the time from a day to a month, giving people various opportunities to learn about ADHD and find resources on how to manage it. Before this holiday existed, ADHD wasn’t known to have existed, and many people that experienced these symptoms did not know what was causing them and how they could control it.

According to the National ADHD Awareness Month main website, when ADHD is undiagnosed and mistreated, it can lead to multiple problems including problems succeeding in school, problems managing relationships, work productivity, and with the law. That’s why National ADHD Awareness Month operated by the coalition members aims to give resources such as informative websites, ADHD stories to read, downloads, videos, and recordings about why people should pay attention to ADHD. With over 17 million people in the United States experiencing these symptoms, treatment is optional and encouraged.

How to celebrate National ADHD Awareness Month

If you believe that you or a friend of yours may have ADHD, lead them to the National ADHD Awareness Month website for resources that could potentially help diagnose and treat a disorder that changes people’s lives consistently. Head on over to one of the coalition member’s websites for more resources and listen to stories about people with ADHD. Share this holiday on social media using the hashtag #adhdawarenessmonth to help spread the word about what ADHD is and what people can do to treat it.