adhd

What is ADHD?

According to the National Attention Deficit Disorder Association, as many as two thirds of children with ADHD will continue to face major challenges caused by the disorder when they are adults. Follow-up studies of children with ADHD finds that about half will continue to have symptoms into adulthood. Many girls and women suffer the effects of ADHD and do not get the help they need.

Once diagnosed, many women recall painful or difficult childhood experiences in school that were likely caused by ADHD, but at the time were attributed to laziness or lack of ability. Low-self esteem is the outcome of chronic criticism and common among women with ADHD. ADHD, once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is the most common psychiatric condition among children. Two to three times more boys than girls are affected. In adults, the ratio of males to females with ADHD approaches one to one. On the average, at least one child in every classroom in the U.S. needs help for the disorder. ADHD can be mild, moderate or severe. An ADHD diagnosis is more difficult to identify in women and girls because they tend to be less hyperactive, less defiant and more compliant. The absence of disruptive behavior delays identification of ADHD in girls.

ADHD appears to be genetic. If one parent has ADHD, there is a 50 percent chance that the child will have it. If the child has ADHD, there is a 40 percent chance that one of the parents has it. The persistence of ADHD in the parent increases the likelihood that the child with ADHD will have persistent symptoms into adulthood.

Like other chronic medical conditions, there are no cures for ADHD. Many experts believe that the most significant, long-lasting gains occur when medication is combined with behavioral therapy, emotional counseling and practical support. Some studies suggest that the combination of medicine and therapy may be more effective than medications alone, especially when other coexisting psychiatric conditions occur (i.e. depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders or substance abuse).

Medication can help to control the core symptoms, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. But more often, there are other aspects of the problem that medication can’t touch. Even though ADHD primarily affects a person’s behavior and cognition, having the disorder has broad emotional repercussions.

Common Symptoms of ADHD Can Include:

  • Failing to give close attention to details or making careless mistakes
  • Difficulty sustaining attention to tasks
  • Appearing not to listen when spoken to directly
  • Failing to follow instructions carefully and completely
  • Losing or forgetting important things
  • Feeling restless or fidgeting
  • Talking excessively or blurting out answers before hearing the whole question.

At present, ADHD is a diagnosis made in people who demonstrate chronic, unchanging and persistent symptoms across a number of settings. Although people identify with some of these symptoms at different times in their lives, ADHD is a disorder starting in childhood that may persist into adulthood. Childhood onset is the cornerstone of the diagnosis. There is no such disorder as “adult-onset ADHD” .

Treatment Plans

An effective treatment plan will help you cope with ADHD, whether you or your child is the one with the diagnosis. For adults, the treatment plan may include medication along with practical and emotional support. For children and adolescents, it may include providing an appropriate classroom setting, as well as medication and helping parents understand and manage the child’s behavior. Treating ADHD can be done through medical or behavioral therapies, or a combination of the two.

A combination of medication and ADHD-focused counseling is generally the most successful ADHD treatment.

ADHD Treatment – An Introduction

A combination of medication and ADHD-focused counseling is generally the most successful treatment for ADHD. For decades, medications have been used to treat the symptoms of ADHD. Three medications in the class of medications known as psychostimulants seem to be the most effective in both children and adults. These are:

  • Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Metadate, Methylin and long-acting forms of methylphenidate, Concerta, Metadate CD, Ritalin LA and Focalin)
  • Dexedrine, Dextrostat, Adderall and the long-acting form of amphetamine salts, Adderall XR.
  • Pemoline (Cylert) This medication is rarely used because of its potential to cause liver damage.
  • Strattera (atomoxetine), the first non-stimulant medication to treat ADHD. Unlike stimulant medications, Strattera is classified as a “selective norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor” and works only on blocking receptors in the brain that increase norepinephrine. For many people these medicines dramatically reduce the hyperactivity and inability to focus, work and learn.

Other types of medications are sometimes used to treat the condition if stimulants don’t work or if the ADHD occurs with another disorder. As useful as these medications are, Ritalin and the other stimulants have sparked a great deal of controversy. Most health care providers feel the potential side effects, such as weight loss, slow growth, and addiction, should be carefully weighed against the benefits before prescribing the medications. However, side effects that do occur can often be handled by reducing the dosage.

Studies published in 2002 seem to contradict many of the concerns about stimulant use. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported on a 10-year study by the National Institute of Mental Health found that while the brains of children and adolescents with ADHD are three to four percent smaller than those of children who don’t have the disorder, medication is not the cause. In fact, researchers suggest medication may actually help the brain mature.

There has also been concern that long-term use of stimulants might lead to substance abuse, with one study showing a small correlation. The other eleven studies conducted on this issue found the opposite to be true. They found ADHD children medicated with stimulants were less likely to engage in subsequent substance abuse. Two studies published in the January 2003 issue of Pediatrics, one that followed 146 children for 13 years, should put an end to the debate, with neither study finding any greater risk of substance abuse in children who used stimulant medication to treat their ADHD.

There has also been concern that stimulant medication affects children’s growth, with some studies showing a correlation. There has also been concern about tics occurring as a side effect of stimulant medication. However, a two-year follow-up of children and adolescents treated with Concerta (which is not a stimulant) found that tics improved in 20 percent of the participants, did not change in 80 percent and worsened in only 20 percent. This finding suggests that the presence of tics may not be a reason to withhold stimulant medication when indicated for ADHD.

Remember, medication doesn’t cure the disorder; they only control the symptoms while you’re taking it. Stimulants have only immediate benefit; once a dose wears off the symptoms immediately return. Interestingly enough, patients with ADHD who have an associated sleep disturbance may report improvement in sleep when taking stimulant medication. This may be true even if the stimulant is a once-daily preparation taken in the morning. Also, although the medications may help you pay better attention and complete your work, they can’t increase your knowledge or improve your (or your child’s) academic skills.

Medications alone cant make you feel better about yourself or cope with problems. These issues require other kinds of treatment and support and therapy by a therapist or psychologist who is familiar with ADHD. For lasting improvement, clinicians recommend that medications should be used along with treatments that aid in these other areas. Many experts believe that the most significant, long-lasting gains appear when medication is combined with behavioral therapy, emotional counseling and practical support.

Behavioral Therapy

Though ADHD primarily affects a person’s behavior, the disorder has broad emotional repercussions. Scolding is the only attention some people with ADHD ever get while growing up. They may have few positive experiences that build their sense of worth and competence. Facing the daily frustrations that can come with having ADHD can make people fear that they are strange, abnormal or stupid. In group counseling, for example, people learn that they are not alone and that others want to help. Sometimes, just the person with ADHD needs counseling support. But because the problem affects the family as well as the person with ADHD, the entire family may need help. A good therapist can help you find better ways to handle any disruptive behaviors and promote change.

  • Psychotherapy works to help people with ADHD like and accept themselves despite their disorder. In psychotherapy, patients talk with the therapist about upsetting thoughts and feelings, explore self-defeating patterns of behavior and learn alternative ways to handle their emotions. As they talk, the therapist tries to help them understand how they can change. However, people dealing with ADHD usually want to gain control of their symptomatic behaviors more directly. The following intervention can provide that help. Read “Self-esteem” for self-esteem issues.
  • Support groups connect people who have common concerns. Many adults with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD find it useful to join a local or national support group. Many groups deal with issues of children’s disorders, and even ADHD specifically.

Ineffective or Unproved Alternative Treatments

  • Allergy treatments
  • High doses of vitamins
  • Chiropractic adjustments
  • Yeast infection treatments (oral medications)
  • Eye training
  • Special colored glasses
  • EEG biofeedback

Find supportive friends. Many women with ADHD envy friends or neighbors whose houses are immaculate, whose children are always neat and well-behaved, and who make them feel terrible by comparison. Don’t put yourself in situations that lead you to impossible expectations and negative comparisons. You are who you are — an unique individual.

Amy - Teen's Health Expert

By Amy - Teen's Health Expert

Discover the dedicated author behind Teen Health Secrets, an experienced expert committed to providing in-depth knowledge and guidance on various aspects of teen health, ensuring young individuals lead healthy, informed lives.