Why ADHD?
HSP is still not recognised by the vast majority of the Dutch population and is dismissed as hovering, while meanwhile 2 to 7 % of all children in the Netherlands have been labelled ADHD.
But what is really the difference?
An HSP (High Sensitive Person) is someone who is hypersensitive to stimuli (high sensitivity), which can get in the way of daily functioning quite a bit.
However, the existence of HSP cannot be proven through blood tests, scans, photographs or other medical tests.
High sensitivity or high sensitivity is determined using a questionnaire.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Attention Disorder) is considered a "congenital brain abnormality involving a biochemical imbalance between neurotransmitters" that causes a person to react hypersensitively to stimuli and be easily distracted as a result.
However, so far no scientist has been able to demonstrate such an imbalance. One does not even have a clue what a normal balance should look like at all!
ADHD is nothing more than a collection of behavioural symptoms and is diagnosed using a questionnaire.
So both ADHD and HSP cannot be scientifically proven. Yet so-called ADHD patients are provided with medication that acts on the brain precisely where no one has ever been able to prove that something is actually wrong here.
I wrote the book "Hoezo ADHD?" in 2010 in collaboration with psychiatry pharmacist Fernand Haesbrouck.
Besides my own experience as a parent and teaching assistant, he taught me all about how the brain works and how ADHD medication affects the brains of growing children.
The book is now out of print but may still be available for pre-order via the link below.
Here is the article on The link between ADHD and HSP which I wrote for Brainquest.
If you need more tips on how to better deal with AD(H)D behaviour in children, you may find the ADHD blog.
'Hoezo ADHD?' won the 2010 ParaVisie award for the most inspiring book in the national category.
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