What is ADHD?
ADHD is a disorder that affects brain development. It causes people to have trouble organizing their lives and focusing on tasks.
Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. Severe symptoms result in marked impairment in social, school or work settings.
Signs and Symptoms of ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that often begins in childhood. However, it can continue throughout adolescence and adulthood.
Children with ADHD may act out in school and at home, disrupting their family’s lives and the ability to function normally. They can also struggle with relationships, antisocial behaviors, and job performance.
If your child shows any of the signs and symptoms of ADHD, it is important to seek a diagnosis. This will allow you to start treatment that can help manage ADHD.
Inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are the most common symptoms of ADHD in young children. They are typically noticed around the age of 3.
Adolescents with ADHD may exhibit a mixture of symptoms, including restlessness, fidgeting, and impulsive behavior. These can persist into adulthood and can affect their work, relationships, and overall quality of life.
Symptoms of ADHD can be subtle, making them difficult to recognize. They include things like missing a date or putting off a task until the last minute, and splurging on something when you should save it for later.
Types of ADHD
Using diagnostic techniques and non-invasive brain scans, neuroscientist Daniel Amen has discovered that there are multiple types of ADHD. And each type of ADHD has its own brain function issues and treatment protocols.
The first type of ADHD is called predominantly inattentive ADHD (formerly known as attention-deficit disorder or ADD). This is the most common type of the condition and is most likely diagnosed in children.
This type of ADHD is characterized by problems with attention, concentration, and task completion. These symptoms are often very noticeable in school.
People with this form of ADHD may also be easily distracted by other activities or external stimuli, and they may frequently lose things.
They are also more likely to misunderstand people’s comments and have trouble shifting their focus.
If someone has hyperactive-impulsive type ADHD, they are impulsive and act “as if driven by a motor.” They move and talk quickly and sometimes interrupt others.
This type of ADHD is most likely to be diagnosed in children, but it can occur in adults as well. It typically occurs in boys more than girls, and it is more recognizable than the other types of ADHD.
Causes of ADHD
ADHD is caused by a problem with how the brain works. It affects the frontal lobe, which is responsible for planning and thinking. It’s also responsible for understanding cause and effect, learning from mistakes, and changing habits.
ADHD symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Under the DSM-5, professionals diagnose ADHD by how many symptoms the person has, where those symptoms are most severe and how those symptoms affect social, school or work life.
People with ADHD may be able to control their symptoms. They can manage their symptoms through medication, therapy and other strategies.
A combination of both behavioral treatment and medicine can help children with ADHD improve their attention, concentration, memory and other abilities. This approach is called behavioral intervention.
Parents who are concerned about their child’s symptoms should speak with a doctor. The doctor can order a health check to make sure another health or learning issue isn’t causing their child’s symptoms.
Family stress and poor parenting can make ADHD symptoms worse. However, the exact causes of ADHD have not been fully understood. Some researchers believe that environmental factors may play a role in the development of ADHD. This includes exposure to toxins in the environment, such as lead. Others believe that alcohol or nicotine exposure during pregnancy can increase a child’s risk for developing ADHD.
How is ADHD Diagnosed?
A doctor or mental health care professional diagnoses ADHD using a set of criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, your child must have 6 or more of the 9 symptoms described in DSM-5.
Your doctor may also do a physical exam and neurological assessment, screenings of vision and hearing, and other tests to make sure another problem isn’t causing your child’s symptoms. You and your child may be referred to a specialist, such as a child psychologist or psychiatrist, if the diagnosis isn’t clear.
Often, the diagnosis is made by a combination of a mental health professional’s judgment and a variety of behavioral checklists that ask you to fill out information about your child’s behavior and family history. A mental health care professional can also use psychological testing, which measures memory and other cognitive abilities that are not always easy to evaluate.
Symptoms of ADHD can be very hard to understand, and even harder to treat. It is important for your child’s mental and physical health to be diagnosed early. Getting an accurate diagnosis helps ensure that your child receives appropriate treatment and can live a fulfilling life.
Treatsments for ADHD
Treatment for ADHD can be a combination of medicines, counseling, skills training and education. Medicines work by boosting and balancing levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Stimulants such as methylphenidate and amphetamine are typically the first medications prescribed.
A doctor will give you a medicine to take by mouth for a few weeks, then check to see how it affects you. Some people have to try several different medicines before they find the right one.
Side effects of medications can include trouble sleeping, dizziness, fatigue, sweating, changes in sex drive and other issues. It is important to report any side effects as soon as you notice them so your doctor can change the dose or stop the medication if needed.
Behavioral treatments for ADHD can improve a child’s behavior and increase their self-control. These may include changes in a child’s environment and teaching them to use token reward systems or timeouts when they are having problems.
Children who have ADHD often need extra help at school. This can mean extra attention during class, a “resource” room for special needs students or more time after school to complete their homework.
Counseling for adults with ADHD can focus on improving communication skills, resolving conflict and solving problems. It can also improve the patient’s relationships with co-workers, family members or partners.
ADHD in Adults
ADHD is a common disorder that affects people of all ages. While some adults who have ADHD experience fewer symptoms as they age, others continue to have major problems that interfere with their daily lives.
Many people with ADHD have a difficult time staying focused on tasks, even simple ones. They may forget important dates, misplace their keys or leave out an important detail in a work project.
Adults who have ADHD often feel restless or fidgety, and they tend to have impulsive behavior such as talking too much or interrupting others. They can also have mood swings and outbursts of anger or frustration.
The problem with this is that it makes relationships difficult, particularly those of family and friends. In addition, it can lead to relationship problems and misunderstandings between people.
As with children, diagnosis of ADHD in adults begins with a detailed discussion between a doctor and the individual about his or her symptoms. The doctor will look at the person’s history of childhood behavior and school experiences, and he or she will do psychological tests to look at working memory, executive function (the ability to plan and make decisions), and visual and spatial thinking skills.
ADHD Medication
If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, a GP or specialist will talk to you about what medication may work for them. They’ll discuss how to use it and watch for side effects.
Stimulants are the most common medicines used to treat ADHD. They work for 70-80% of children and adolescents with ADHD.
They can help improve focus and attention, and reduce hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors like talking, running, and fidgeting. However, they are often not effective in treating other symptoms of ADHD and can cause side effects.
Non-stimulants are also used in some cases for people with ADHD. They are not as fast-acting as stimulants, but they can help.
The only nonstimulant that is FDA-approved for ADHD treatment is atomoxetine (brand name: Strattera). It works by increasing the levels of norepinephrine, a different brain chemical than dopamine.
It’s also more expensive than other medications. It is usually taken once or twice a day in capsule form.
If your child takes a stimulant medicine, they should not take it on weekends or during school vacations. They should also stop taking it if they start to have unwanted side effects.
Medications for ADHD can be an effective treatment when combined with behavioral therapy. This is because they can improve certain symptoms of ADHD, such as concentration, impulse control, and planning.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder remains the most prevalent psychiatric disorder. Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder include a sense of unease, dread or foreboding along with excessive, unrealistic worry. Other common complaints of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder include the feeling of muscle tension, impaired concentration, insomnia and restlessness.
Complicating the diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder are irritability, sweating, trembling, headache and gastrointestinal issues. Many individuals seek care for these non-specific somatic symptoms rather than their unrecognized anxiety issues. As a result, they may undergo medical evaluation and receive therapy for their presenting complaints rather than the true underlying causative psychiatric condition.
Further compounding the problem with diagnosis, most of those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder also suffer with a number of other psychiatric maladies ranging from panic attacks to depression and social anxiety disorder. The presence of somatic issues and other psychiatric disorders complicates timely diagnosis and appropriate therapy.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder attacks women twice as frequently as men. Symptoms tend to begin in men in their early 20s while the onset tends to be delayed in women until their late 20s. Another smaller peak occurs in older individuals. African Americans appear more likely to suffer from depression when compared to Caucasians.
Treatment may include cognitive behavioral therapy or more customarily an SSRI or SNRI. While the benzodiazepines effectively mute symptoms, these drugs including Xanax, Ativan and Klonipin currently are out of favor with the government and professional organizations. In spite of this patients and doctors alike often favor drugs commonly referred to as “benzos.”
