Is there a difference between ADD and ADHD?

The answer is...nothing. ADD stands for attention-deficit disorder and is the older term for ADHD—attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is now the preferred medical term because it encompasses both ends of the spectrum of this disorder.

Individuals with ADHD might have difficulty with details of a task and be easily distracted (“attention-deficit”) OR have difficulty staying on topic and fidget excessively (“attention-hyperactivity”) OR they might have a mix of both. Either way, the key feature of ADHD is difficulty with attention.

ADHD is incredibly common. However, just because you have ADHD doesn’t mean that anything needs to be done about it. We do have medications that can help with symptoms, especially if those symptoms are causing problems in school, at home or at work. Yet many people are good at controlling symptoms and can oftentimes use their diagnosis to their advantage. (For example, someone with attention deficits may learn to be incredibly organized to help stay on track, while someone with attention hyperactivity may find physical activity to be a great outlet for restless tendencies.) For that reason, even if you are diagnosed in childhood with ADHD you probably won’t need medication treatment forever (if at all!).