what causes ADHD?

There are too many people these days looking for a reason why their child does not listen or misbehaves and look to ADHD as a reason for the behavior problems in their child .
My son has problems also where he doesn't listen to anything we tell him and myself I have cried many nights wondering where I went wrong with him .
I believe their are children out there who actually have this disorder but doctor's are too quick to diagnose a child with this instead of trying to find the real reason's behind the child's attitude problems .
If you are really concerned that your child might have this problem you can find a lot of information on the interent . But it may very well just be a stage your child is going through . I have taken my son to a psychologist to try and find out about his attitude problems and have found out that it may be a result he took from a fall he had at school last year .
I understand where you are coming from because we always tend to feel we have done something wrong either by heredity or just in the way we have raised our children but as long as you always let your child know that you love him and that you will always be there for him and keep enforcing any rules in your household then there is not much more as a parent you can do .
My best wishes for you and your son .

I think that some of it can be hereditary but I also believe in the hormonal imbalance. I also think its much more prevalent nowadays because we are so much more aware of it.

You aren't an aweful mother. It is really, really hard to deal with behavioural issues. We look at other peopl and their kids and think we MUST be doing something wrong. But we aren't - we just have very different kids.

We don't know what causes ADHD (or many other disorders). What is important though, is not where it came from, but how can it be helped. If you don't accept a diagnosis for fear of being to blame - you are turning your back on strategies and resources that coudl help you both.

You mentioned prayign with him. I don't usually mention my beliefs, but since you said you pray, let me say this...God gave us diagnoses and therapies as tools. Have you heard the joke about the guy in the flood who refuses the boat and the helicopter when they come to rescue him, saying God will provide? Then he dies, and asks God why he didn't provide, and God says - I did ... I sent a boat and a helicopter! I really feel that we need to use the tools available to us, because they are the answer to our prayers.

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is a biologically based disorder, which involves a pattern of decreased attention span interspersed with periods of hyperactivity and impulsivity. Both ADD and ADHD are similar conditions and are often difficult to distinguish in children. Children with ADD have a very short attention span, while those with ADHD are hyperactive and may not be able to sit in one place for long. Some children might naturally be more active than others but this does not amount to ADD.

There are three subcategories of ADD:

predominantly inattentive

predominantly hyperactive

combined type

The disorder is more common in males and is mostly observed in children. Though traits can be carried over to adulthood, the disease is eminently treatable in childhood, and the symptoms can be easily brought under control.

The exact cause of the disorder is not known. However, there may be certain risk factors that predispose a child to the disorder. Exposure to toxins before birth and premature birth are two such factors. Children with ADD usually have a family history of discord, bad performance in school and other related behavioural disorders. ADHD is also more common in children who have a close relative with the disorder. Sometimes, injury to the central nervous system may also lead to the condition.

Having a child with ADHD does not mean that you are an awful mother. If it did, I guess I must be really awful... I have two with ADHD and one with ADD. It isn't your fault. It isn't anything you did wrong. The best thing you can do for him is to accept his diagnosis and deal with it the best way you can. Another thing, I agree with you that prayer never hurts.