In the field of mental health, the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) makes all things possible. It’s how clinicians identify and diagnose mental disorders. While invaluable, it’s not without its problems – too many to list here – and it’s been revised numerous times over the years.
In my very first graduate school course, I learned something that would change my life: ADD wasn’t a thing anymore. The DSM had done away with the term “Attention Deficit Disorder” in the early 1990s. Instead, “ADHD” became the umbrella term, encompassing all subtypes like ADHD-Inattentive and ADHD-Hyperactive/Impulsive. So I filed this away as: ADD=wrong, ADHD=right.
This was 2005. Almost 20 years later, people still call it ADD.
And it drives. Me. Insane.
When the average person says it, I can (usually) let it slide. But when I hear physicians, psychiatrists, or other professionals say ADD, my brain internally combusts. Does this nuance matter in the grand scheme of things? Of course not. But it’s wrong. And my very ADHD brain just can’t let it go.
My close friends and colleagues have endured my rants about this for years. Then a few years ago, I heard the DSM was getting a text revision. And with that revision came rumors: ADHD might be on the chopping block.
They were actually considering making it ADD again.
My world turned upside down. I had spent years raising awareness about the critical distinction between ADD and ADHD, only to face the possibility that this distinction might disappear altogether. Had my advocacy for this important issue been in vain?
Thankfully, no major changes were made to ADHD in the DSM. And people still continue to call it ADD to this day.
And yes, it still grinds my gears.
Measure Once, Cut Twice 