Hyperactivity

Misconceptions about ADHD

Brainscan of brains with and without ADHD

Image via Wikipedia

There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The disorder is characterized by impulsiveness, and hyperactivity.
There are some misconceptions about ADHD. Many people are either misinformed or totally oblivious of what ADHD actually is. Let us take a look at these misconceptions about ADHD.

ADHD is overly diagnosed
ADHD is often disregarded by many people for being a disorder of parents whose children have learning issues. Such parents look for a reason, and find a scapegoat in the form of ADHD. It is often perceived that parents want to seek mental satisfaction by basing their child’s learning weaknesses on ADHD.

But in reality, and as per research, many kids with genuine ADHD problems do not get medical help. They are often not diagnosed at all. Their behavior is blamed on the environment in which they live.

Only boys get ADHD
ADHD can affect girls too. Unlike boys, girls with ADHD tend to become extremely shy. They are more anxious, and have a tendency of having self-defeating thoughts.

Males with ADHD become rebellious, aggressive and problem-some. They develop in adults with serious behavior disorders, such as anti-social behavior, and rogue behavior.

Sugar causes ADHD
Research indicates no connection to excessive sugar intake and ADHD. Somehow, researchers cannot find the connection between hyperactivity and sugar intake. Parents of extremely hyperactive boys tend to completely make their children abstain from taking sugar-based food products because of this misconception.

Too much video games and violence on television causes ADHD
Researchers have again proven that despite so much action in the virtual world, this does not necessarily translate into hyperactivity in children.

Filed Under: ADD Help & Guidance, Facts & FAQ Tagged With: Behavior, Food, Hyperactivity

Is Attention Deficit Disorder a Myth?

Image by alancleaver_2000 via Flickr

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

ADD And ADHD ? What Is The Difference? Find Such Answers Online

Image via Wikipedia

The internet has become a wonderful place to learn more about medical problems and disorders. Take the attention deficit disorder as an example. What is the difference between attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? Both these problems seem to be similar but the different terminology used may create the impression that these are two separate complications. The truth is that both these phrases refer to the same disorder.

The disorder involving attention incorporates three aspects-attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. A person suffering from this disorder may either remain inattentive despite your best efforts or may remain hyperactive despite your best efforts to calm that person down or may not show any hyperactivity but may be very impulsive in his or her actions.

These are three aspects or facets of the same disorder and have to be treated in a similar manner. This problem is common in kids. Statistics indicate that boys are at a higher risk for this disorder. However, the general perception is that boys are more boisterous and fun loving as compared to the girls. This often leads to teachers referring more boys for tests related to the attention deficit disorder. In such a scenario, the fact that a large number of boys are tested automatically has an impact on the results.

This disorder commences in the childhood and continues still adulthood. As the individual grows older, he or she finds ways and means to manage the same. Some persons give themselves time for their mind to wander. Other individuals make it a point to exert strict control over their hyperactivity.

Filed Under: ADD Help & Guidance, General Tagged With: ADHD predominantly inattentive, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Hyperactivity

Doesn’t ADD Up

: Image via Wikipedia

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, is a widespread problem among youth and adults. As the name suggests, the condition has to do with a serious problem maintaining attention on any one thing for any extended period, with true concentration being all but impossible. ADHD is a chronic condition, often beginning in youth and going through adult life unless treated or managed.

Formerly known simply as Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD, the “hyperactivity” designator was added in 1994. There are varieties of ADHD and not all of them include the symptom of hyperactivity (such is the defining characteristic of ADHD-PI (predominantly inattentive)), but there is an obvious link between hyperactivity – which leads to impulsive and wild behavior – and a lack of attention.

A significant percentage of Americans live with some variety of ADHD and this shouldn’t come as any surprise, for today’s culture is one that caters to a lack of attention. Indeed, the need for an attention span of any kind is vanishing rapidly. Advertising is the most obvious – though hardly the only – example, having infiltrated every aspect of people’s lives to the point where they aren’t even surprised by its presence enough to note it. Television programs are seeing the time allocated to content cut down more and more so there can be more ads; advertising distracts players and viewers in videogames and movies; even music and other arts may have product placement to pull people’s minds away from the art and towards consumption.

Even when there is no ad, entertainment asks seemingly less and less of the brain with each summer release. Movies are not considered safe bets if they don’t offer a certain quota of explosions; books must be short and flashy if they are to be read. Spectacle, not thought, drives culture today. No wonder people’s attention spans are decreasing, and it’s likely only to exacerbate the problem of ADHD.

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

Could it be Adult ADD?

While it seems that almost every child that has any kind of problem with attention or excess energy is automatically screened for attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) these days, it was a rare occurrence in the past. Many people with this disorder were simply labeled as trouble-makers or poor students and left on their own. Others learned to compensate while they were in school and slipped through the cracks.

Once an undiagnosed child left the structure of a school system, they would often find the stresses of everyday life would be hard to deal with. They might have trouble concentrating or staying focused. In stark contrast, they could become hyper focused on stimulating tasks that caught their interest. This can be quite confusing because most people are under the impression that people with ADD or ADHD can’t pay attention to anything for long periods of time. Some people with undiagnosed ADD may have problems with impulse control. They may not stop to think before they act or speak. Others have addictive tendencies and may turn to drugs or alcohol to control a problem that they don’t quite understand.

Adult ADD and ADHD can be diagnosed with a simple test administered by a mental health professional. While there isn’t anything as simple as a blood screening to determine the diagnosis, the test itself isn’t too difficult to complete. The test administrator will interview the patient and, sometimes, a close friend or family member. The patient is then given a questionnaire that covers about 200 questions that are answered on a rating scale. There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. A close friend or family member will be asked to fill out a similar set of questions giving their opinions. The results are combined, and the therapist will determine based on a rating criteria whether the patient has ADD, ADHD, or neither. Of course, this process is somewhat subjective. If the patient doesn’t agree with the results, they are always free to obtain a second opinion.

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

The Diagnostic Criteria for Adult ADD

: Image via Wikipedia

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) contains the commonly recognized diagnostic criteria for evaluating patients for attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many other mental health disorders. The list for each condition can be long, and there is a lot of system overlap. For ADD and ADHD, there is a long list of symptoms to be considered, but the individual does not have to have every one to receive a diagnosis.

The DSM makes a distinction between ADD as being primarily inattentive and ADHD as being primarily hyperactive. In children, these two conditions usually coexist. As the person matures, most of the hyperactivity disappears leaving only attention issues. The therapist must rule out all other possible conditions, many of which can be physical, before giving an ADD or ADHD diagnosis.

Each individual must show at least six of the nine listed symptoms. The six observed or reported symptoms must be present most of the time, must have been present for at least six months, and must cause significant problems with normal, day-to-day functioning. Most adults who are seeking help for ADD or ADHD symptoms have experienced their symptoms to some degree since childhood.

The first ADD symptom listed is that the patient makes careless mistakes or doesn’t pay close attention to details. Another symptom is that they have difficulty keeping focused on the task at hand. An ADD or ADHD patient does not always seem to be listening when someone is speaking directly to them. They may not follow through with plans or leave most projects unfinished. Organization at any level may be hard. If a task requires mental effort for an extended period of time, it can be very difficult for someone with ADD or ADHD. The last three symptoms include being easily distractible, very forgetful, and frequently losing things.

While almost anyone can feel like one or more symptom from the list, but for the person with ADD or ADHD, it is more the rule than the exception. In stark contrast, many people with ADD or ADHD can also become hyper-focused on things that interest them.

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