Disorders

Is Attention Deficit Disorder a Myth?

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Many people do not know if Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a myth. Some feel it is the creation of the modern day mind. After all everybody sees attention, so how could there possibly an attention deficit disorder? Nearly everybody wants more attention!

ADD is a case of hyperactivity. Kids with ADD are said to behave hyperactively. But kids are by nature hyperactive. So what’s the problem? Does it mean that all hyperactive kids have ADD? Doesn’t it suggest that now parents will actually start viewing hyperactivity not as a sign of smartness, but as a sign of ADD?

Hyperactivity in kids may be due to various reasons. Bored kids want excitement. When they see what they like, the get hyperactive. With television sets doubling up into video game monitors for console and Internet based games, kids are often influenced by characters in the video games.

Many critics of ADD feel that tests for diagnosing ADD has plenty of chinks in it. In other words, the detection of ADD in people itself if imperfect. And then, there is no clear answer to how ADD came about. Is it inherited? Is it stimulated by social circumstances?

There is no way a doctor can detect ADD other than study the behavior of the person suspected to have ADD. Because blood samples do not indicate the presence or absence of ADD. The only thing left would be the doctor’s judgment of the patient’s behavior. This would again raise doubts. Is ADD diagnosed based on perceptions?

Filed Under: ADD Help & Guidance, General Tagged With: ADD-ADHD, Disorders, Hyperactivity

Prescription Drug Rehab and Adult ADD

If you’re an adult with ADD, you’re probably taking medication for it. It’s entirely possible that you’ve taken medication to control your behavior ever since you were a child. While ADD meds aren’t seen to be addictive, there are plenty of medications that are. That’s part of the reason why prescription drug rehab is such big business, and why so many people check into facilities to help them each year. With ADD, the choices that are made are sometimes clouded. That’s why it’s very important that you take your prescribed ADD medication on time, all the time. If you don’t, you could risk engaging in behaviors that would be terribly unhealthy.

People with adult ADD can also sometimes have trouble holding down jobs, taking care of a family, and doing other things that seem easy for the average person. You can get help, though, through medication and through lifestyle changes. A good therapist can help you explore your behavior and focus on small things that you can change. While it won’t cure you – and won’t happen overnight – you can see changes and improvement over time if you keep working on it. You may also want to talk to your doctor if you’re having specific problems, so you can determine if your medication is the right one for you and if you’re taking the right dosage.

If you face addiction problems and need to go through rehab, make sure you talk openly about your ADD with staff. You may still need to take a specific medication while you’re in treatment, and you wouldn’t want to have that medication denied to you. You may also need other special accommodations, depending on your level of ADD, so talk about the issue beforehand to prevent misunderstandings.

Filed Under: Adult ADD Treatment Tagged With: Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Disorders, Drug rehabilitation, Health, Mental health, Pharmaceutical drug, Prescription drug, Substance Abuse

About Adult ADD

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Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be a major hindrance for many people. Even while taking prescription drug treatment, you may find yourself always disorganized or easily frustrated, as well as distracted or forgetful. The disorder affects many people, and the key to treating it is to understand the disorder.

If you were diagnosed with ADD as a child, you probably brought some of those symptoms into adulthood with you. Some people can still acquire the disorder as an adult, even if they never had ADD when they were young. If you find that you have trouble concentrating or staying focused on your daily tasks, you may have adult ADD. Other signs include zoning out while in the middle of a conversation, overlooking simple details that can lead to incomplete work, or having a hard time following or listening to directions.

Your mind may also constantly wander, leading you to have trouble staying focused on one task or project. Some adults notice they have a difficult time staying alert in order to complete the simplest of tasks. Adult ADD often makes you feel like you have no control over anything in your life.

You might not notice, but others will notice that you are late all the time. Do you often try to start a project but find you never finish it? You may even forget appointments or meetings. Is your home or car completely disorganized and messy?

If you have adult ADD, it doesn’t have to control your life. You can get your life focused again by eating healthy and exercising. Work on managing your time and focus on keeping close relationships with your family and friends. Ask for support if you need help. There are many people available that will be right there for you.

Filed Under: Adult ADD Symptoms, Adult ADD Test, Adult ADD Treatment, Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Tagged With: ADD and ADHD, Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Disorders, Health, Hyperfocus, Mental health, Neurodevelopmental

How Do You Develop Adult ADD

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. While this could be developed at any point in a person’s life, it is very rare that an adult diagnosis is not the result of an undiagnosed childhood condition. The symptoms vary slightly between juvenile and adult ADD, but most of the traits are the same.

Years ago, ADD and ADHD cases were rarely seen. Instead of treatment or therapy, children were labeled as trouble makers, brats, or lazy. Once it was a common diagnosis, many parents still didn’t seek treatment. They may have not wanted their child labeled or were scared by the horror stories of over-drugged children. Less severe cases often resulted in children who learned on their own how to cope with the disorder by developing methods to compensate in school and at home.

It’s not uncommon for people to go through their entire lives without knowing exactly why they have problems concentrating or why they have impulse control problems. After all, just because ADD and ADHD are fairly recent medical discoveries, it doesn’t mean that no one had the condition before that point in time. It can be assumed that ADD and ADHD have been common conditions throughout history.

If you have problems concentrating or staying focused, problems with impulse control, or a feeling of inner restlessness, you could have ADD or ADHD. Your local mental health center or any qualified therapist can diagnose you and provide a plan of treatment. Keep in mind that ADD and ADHD symptoms overlap with many other disorders and a misdiagnosis can happen. If you don’t agree with the results, don’t feel bad about seeking a second opinion.

Many people find that medication, therapy, or a combination of the two make life changing differences for them. Sometimes, people with ADD or ADHD experience a profound sense of relief just knowing that there is a reason for some of their problems. If you feel that you may have this condition, take advantage of all that modern health medicine has to offer.

Filed Under: Facts & FAQ Tagged With: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Child, Disorders, Mental health

Adult ADD and Similar Disorders

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Adult attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have many features in common with other disorders. In the realm of mental health, diagnoses are usually based on the symptoms that present themselves at any given time. There is often quite a bit of overlap when you compare one disorder to the next. A specific diagnosis can change as time goes by or it could have been wrong in the first place. Other times, a person can have more than one condition.

Something as simple as an undiagnosed hearing problem can mimic ADD or ADHD. If someone can’t hear well, they may have difficulties in social situations or seem to have a hard time paying attention. This can be misinterpreted as inattentiveness or forgetfulness. In addition, people that can’t hear well can become frustrated and appear aggressive.

Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, or certain food allergies can present symptoms that can be misinterpreted as ADHD traits. People can experience aggression, hyperactivity, poor concentration, frustration, anger, and impulse control issues. Luckily, these conditions are easily corrected once they are discovered.

Many people with ADD or ADHD have a hard time sleeping, but they may or may not have a sleep disorder. People without ADD or ADHD that do have a sleep disorder may experience difficulty concentrating, communicating, following directions, or retaining information in short-term memory. Because these symptoms overlap, some patients are given an ADD or ADHD diagnosis when the really have a sleep disorder and vice versa.

These are just a few of the overlapping disorders. Before accepting an ADD or ADHD diagnosis based on subjective information, each physical disorder should be ruled out. While the battery of physical tests may be frustrating to go through, physical problems are much easier to rule out than mental disorders. Although modern science is coming to the conclusion that mental disorders are physical because chemical imbalances in the brain are the root cause, they do not know enough yet to create concrete diagnostic tests.

Filed Under: Adult ADD Symptoms, Facts & FAQ Tagged With: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Disorders, Health, Mental health

Undiagnosed Adult ADD and the Problems it can Present

Many adults who have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are reluctant to seek help. They may feel that any mental health problem is a weakness and that people will judge them for it. They may also feel that they can deal with their own problems and don’t trust therapists, psychologists, or psychiatrists. Maybe they’ve even had a bad experience in the past.

However, living with untreated ADD or ADHD can be very difficult. In addition to lack of focus and concentration, may people who have ADD or ADHD have difficulties in social situations. The emotional difficulties can include a sense of underachievement, irritability or mood swings, hypersensitivity to criticism, and a short temper. When friends and family members don’t understand that these issues are created by a true medical disorder, they can easily find it too hard to deal with a person with ADD.

Often, a person with undiagnosed ADD or ADHD simply can’t understand why virtually every relationship they enter into seems destined for failure. They may blame themselves, or they may blame the other person. Impulse control issues often compound the problem, and they are often at an increased risk of substance abuse problems. Frequently, they find comfort in the knowledge that there is a reason for their behavior when they finally receive a diagnosis.

ADD and ADHD are not signs of weakness, and the disorders can’t be overcome through willpower alone. However, with proper diagnosis, they can be controlled through medication, therapy, or a combination of methods. The testing procedure is very easy. No blood or other physical sample will be taken. The patient is interviewed by a qualified therapist and given a set of questions to narrow down their list of symptoms. To get another opinion in case the patient judges themselves too harshly, a similar set of questions is often given to a close friend or family member. While this method is not perfect, it does a fairly good job of diagnosing or ruling out this disorder. ADD and ADHD are common conditions. There’s no reason to fear getting help.

Filed Under: Adult ADD Treatment, Facts & FAQ Tagged With: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Disorders, Health, Mental health