Myth #1: Medications only forcefully suppress a child’s behavior, treating the symptoms but not the cause. People with such a view have another misconception in the first place, which is that the symptoms of ADHD are purely caused by social factors, such as indulgence and pampering or family disharmony. Scientific evidence now shows that ADHD is primarily a genetic disorder in which the brain areas responsible for inhibition and attention are functionally deficient. Medications act directly on the neurotransmitters in the brain, thus altering the outward behavioral manifestations. In one way, medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is similar to insulin for diabetes. Just as diabetics need the help of insulin, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may also need long-term adherence to appropriate medication for treatment. Myth 2: My child is already quite excited and active, why should he be put on a central stimulant? Central stimulants act on brain areas that are primarily responsible for inhibiting behavior, maintaining undivided attention, and keeping energy focused. Or in other words, children with ADHD are hyperactive and impulsive because the braking system in their brain is not functioning adequately, and stimulants can increase the brain’s ability to brake behavior, which is probably why it works for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Myth #3: Taking central stimulant medication will make your child “high” and prone to addiction. Parents should understand that the most important risk factors that determine a child’s substance use or abuse during adolescence are: 1) early childhood conduct disorder or antisocial behavior 2) inadequate parental supervision of the child’s social goings-on 3) the child’s friendship with other adolescents who use or abuse illicit substances 4) the extent to which parents drink, smoke, or use illicit substances. Myth 4: Long-term use of drugs is not good, and it is okay to use them for a day or two when the child is in dire need of an exam. Taking drugs needs to be slowly increased from a small dose to the appropriate therapeutic dose, and then steadily take the appropriate therapeutic dose of drugs to achieve a stable treatment effect. As said before, similar to a diabetic taking insulin, or similar to a myopic child needing to wear myopic glasses to correct their vision. Therefore, taking medication intermittently and irregularly will not achieve a good and stable therapeutic effect, but will delay the child’s treatment.