ADD vs. ADHD

What’s in a name, anyway?

Let’s take a little stroll through the history of naming the disorder we have come to know as ADHD, shall we?

So, ADHD is anything but new, but the term ADHD is on the new-ish side. Let me explain. First, according to this article, symptoms of ADHD were showing up in medical literature as early as 495 BC in the works of Hippocrates (!) So all the assumptions of it being a condition that has cropped up in the era of intense media and digital distractions are faulty, but that’s a story for another day.

Anyway, skipping ahead in time, like 1400+ years now, in the second version of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used in the US and much of the rest of the world) released in 1968, the name for what we now know as ADHD was “hyperkinetic reaction of childhood.” Huh. It’s not really a term that seems inclusive of the olds like me, nor those without hyperkinetic symptoms, but I suppose everything has to start somewhere.

In the next version of the DSM, released in 1980, the disorder was renamed “attention deficit disorder,” aka ADD with or without hyperactivity.

Interestingly, some people now seem to think ADD refers to the presentation of the disorder without hyperactivity, while the term ADHD refers to the disorder with hyperactivity as part of the presentation. This is incorrect!

In actuality, the term ADD was only in official use for seven years. In 1987, the term “Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder,” aka ADHD, replaced it altogether.

Now, you can probably guess what happened next… they came out with yet another version of the DSM!

In 1994, the DSM-IV made changes to the section on ADHD to include three subtypes: predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, and the combined type. Then in 2013, they added some bits that explained it wasn’t a children-only thing and that adult symptoms may present differently.

So, for the last 35 years, the term “ADHD” has been the official, correct medical term for the disorder.

I’m of the opinion that using “ADD” is fine if you like it. The 1980s created some fantastic things, myself included, so if using the term ADD feels right for you, go for it.

But for accuracy’s sake, and in my personal preference, the term ADHD is king. Maybe it’s my ADHD-related inflexibility talking, but using “ADD” today feels similar to using “hyperkinetic reaction of childhood,” despite it no longer being 1968.

Interestingly, a different (unofficial) name coined by Dr. Ned Hallowell and Dr. John R. Ratey is “VAST,” meaning “Variable Attention Stimulus Trait,” because they found the “deficit disorder” language to be pathologizing. I agree that “ADHD” leaves a lot out of the picture and could probably be improved, but I don’t have intense feelings in either direction.

What do you think? Is ADHD a reasonable description of the condition, in your opinion? What would be a better name?

Hi, I’m Megan!

I help adults with ADHD understand their unique brains and discover what’s holding them back so we can develop knowledge, tools, and strategies that support their success.