What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder that is marked by an ongoing behavioral pattern that interferes with the development and functioning of the brain. The person presents with inattention where he lacks focus and is disorganized, hyperactivity where one is extremely restless and seems to move about constantly and impulsivity, where the person makes hasty decisions without thinking about them and could bring harm to them.
At times the symptoms will be noticed at an early agenda most cases are diagnosed when a child is about 6 to 12 years old. The symptoms improve as the child grows, but can advance into adulthood.
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
There are two main ADHD symptoms, i.e. Inattention and hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
- Appears to forget or lose things such as keys, wallets, school books, cell phone.
- Have a short attention span and is easily distracted, especially in lengthy discussions and reading.
- Makes careless mistakes while in school, work or while doing other activities.
- Constantly changing the tasks that they are doing
- They are unable to stick to tasks that are time-consuming or tedious as they dislike them such as homework, reviewing lengthy papers.
- Unable to listen or carry out instructions so as to finish duties assigned to them
- Has a problem or difficulty in organizing activities and tasks, keeping them in order, hence tend to be messy, poor time managers and fail to meet deadlines.
Hyperactivity- impulsivity symptoms are:
- Constantly fidgeting in their seats and excessive physical movements
- Talks excessively.
- Act without thinking
- Interrupts conversations by blurting out an answer before completion of a question or speaks without waiting for their turn.
- Unable to sit still especially in quiet or calm places and they may be seen leaving their seats often.
- Unable to concentrate on tasks and unable to engage in hobbies quietly
- Have little or no sense of danger.
In adults, the above symptoms will be accompanied by depression, personality disorder and bipolar disorders.
If the symptoms are not treated, they can cause significant problems in the life of the child and lead to poor social interactions, problems with discipline and underachievement in school.
How to Treat ADHD?
There is no cure for ADHD, but the condition can be managed with proper medication and psychotherapy so as to help reduce symptoms and improve functioning.
1. Medication
This is used to reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and improve the ability to work, focus and learn and improve their physical coordination. One type of medication is taken stimulants which work by increasing the brain chemicals norepinephrine and dopamine, which help in thinking and paying attention. They are safe but can cause side effects such as increased heart rate if taken in excess or misused.
Nonstimulants are also given and they help in improving focus, impulsivity, and attention of the person.
2. Psychotherapy
This helps the person and their families cope with everyday problems. The therapies include behavioral therapy, which focuses on changing the person’s behavior, family and marital therapy where it focuses on family or spouses finding better ways to handle the disruptive behaviors improve interaction to the patient and encourage behavior change.
