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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition suffered by children. Usually, the disorder is first diagnosed in childhood or teenage years, but it often continues into adulthood.
Generally, children who have ADHD may have trouble paying attention, sitting still, controlling impulsive behaviors, and may be overly active. The condition causes them to act without thinking about the consequences of their actions on themselves or others.
According to research findings, ADHD is a common mental disorder in children. However, boys are more likely to have it than girls.
Unfortunately, ADHD can’t be prevented, and there is no cure yet for it. However, if it is spotted early, it can be managed with a good treatment plan. Hence, a child or adult with ADHD can manage their symptoms.
True, the condition can also be diagnosed in adults. In some cases, the condition remains undiagnosed even into adulthood. The symptoms can become serious as the demands of adulthood increase. And this can lead to difficulty relating to people at work, at home, even in relationships. The symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may look different at older ages. For instance, hyperactivity in adults may appear as extreme restlessness.
Causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The causes of ADHD are still unknown. Scientists have been studying the condition for a while. A recent discovery in research shows that genetics plays an important role in the development of the condition in children.
This notwithstanding, there have been claims by some proponents that ADHD could arise from consuming too much sugar, watching too much television, bad parenting, abuse, and social and environmental factors such as poverty or instability in the family.
Ordinarily, some factors, including these, could worsen the symptoms of ADHD in people. However, there’s not enough evidence to conclude that they are the main causes of ADHD. These claims have all been debunked as they are not true and are not consistent with scientific research.
However, research has shown that any of the following factors can cause ADHD:
● Brain Chemicals: the chemicals in the brain of people with ADHD may be out of balance.
● Genes: ADHD tends to run in families. In other words, it can be inherited by children from their parents.
● Changes In The Brain: Research indicates that the brain of children with ADHD functions differently from that of children without the condition. For example, the areas of the brain that control attention and other cognitive behaviors are less active in children with ADHD.
● Toxins: Toxins such as lead may affect a child’s brain development.
● Poor Nutrition: Apart from poor feeding, other factors such as infections, smoking, drinking, and substance abuse during pregnancy may cause a child to develop the condition at birth. In essence, these factors can affect a baby’s brain development.
● Brain Injury: Damage to the front of the brain (frontal lobe), can lead to problems in controlling impulses and emotions.
In addition to genetics and the risk factors highlighted above, studies are ongoing to discover other possible causes and risk factors of ADHD. These include:
Exposure to environmental damages
Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy
Premature delivery
Low birth weight
Types And Symptoms
Based on the symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is categorized into three different types. The grouping is based on which symptoms are most dominant in the patient.
#1 Predominantly Inattentive
Here, the affected individual finds it hard to organize things, finish a task, pay attention to details, follow instructions, or stay attentive in any conversation. Their attention span is really short, so the person is easily distracted. They forget the details of daily routines like going shopping, taking out the trash, and so on. Other symptoms include:
● Daydreaming a lot
● Finding it hard to listen
● Making careless mistakes
● Squirming or fidgeting a lot
● Dislikes to do things that require sitting still
● Loses things quite often
#2 Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive
The individual fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long, even for a meal. They’re even more restless than the individuals in the first category. This symptom is way more pronounced in smaller children and teens than in adults.
They tend to claim, scamper, and run around everywhere all the time. Also, they are highly impulsive and tend to interrupt others a lot; they grab things from people and often speak at inappropriate times.
They hardly make intelligent decisions, and such persons do not know how to wait their turn or listen for directions. Unless you understand them and their condition, you’ll find it very hard relating to them.
Parents and guardians, or friends in case the person is an adult will have to be very alert around them. This is because such persons are very likely to have more accidents and injuries than others.
Combined: in other cases, the patient presents with symptoms of the above two types.
Symptoms In Adults
The symptoms discussed above are likely to change and get worse as a person gets older. They include:
● Often late and highly forgetful
● Suffers from anxiety and low self-esteem
● Problems relating to people at work
● Unable to control anger
● Can be highly irritating to others
● Finds it hard to resist temptation
● Have trouble staying organized
● They are easily frustrated
● Often bored and restless
● Trouble concentrating when reading
● Frequent mood swings
● Depression sets in at some point.
Treatment
The two major ways ADHD is managed are medication and therapy.
#1 Medication
Stimulants can help control hyperactive and impulsive behavior and improve the attention span of the patients. Example include Amphetamine (Adzenys XR ODT, Dyanavel), Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
Dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine)
But stimulants do not work for everyone with ADHD, especially for patients older than 6. They may take non-stimulant medications such as Atomoxetine (Strattera) and Clonidine (Kapvay).
#2 Therapy
Therapy focuses on changing the behavior of the individual.
Special education is often needed to help children with ADHD cope throughout the school. More often than not, they do not cope well in normal classroom settings.
The essence of behavioral modifications is to change old habits with new ones.
With psychotherapy counseling, a person with ADHD can learn better ways to handle their emotions and frustrations. Studies show that it could also help improve their self-esteem.
Family members, on the other hand, need counseling to better understand and handle a child or adult with ADHD.
Conclusion
There’s no cure yet for ADHD, but if properly managed, the patient can still have a normal childhood or adult life. You may also want to consider enrolling in a support group.
