ADHD:
Information, Symptoms,
Treatments, And Causes

This page discusses ADHD.

While it is not uncommon for children and teens to be diagnosed with a mental illness known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, adults can also suffer from this condition, which is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.

These traits are often displayed by children at some point in their development, but it is when specific behavior is inappropriate for them at specific ages that a diagnosis is determined.

There are variations of ADHD that may not be true for children, and this may simply mean that the adult is restless rather than hyperactive. In addition to that, adults that are experiencing symptoms of this condition frequently have problems related to employment and interpersonal relationships.

Types

ADHD is categorized into three different types that include:

• Also known as "ADD Inattentive ADHD" involves the inability to fully concentrate or impaired attention span.

•  "Hyperactivity and Impulsive ADHD" is characterized as being hyperactive with a lack of attentiveness.

• When all of the symptoms are involved, this is what is known as "Combined ADHD."

Most healthcare professionals diagnose ADHD when some impairment symptoms present themselves before a child turns seven years of age. Along with that, these symptoms of impairment must show up in a number of settings not just one. An example of that would be the same impairment shows up as home and at work as well, or at home and at school. At the same time, these symptoms must be clearly interfering with the ability to function in the environments they find themselves in.

Symptoms

Symptoms of ADHD also fall into three different categories:

• Inattention does not always show up until after the child has entered their first years of school, or for an adult it may not be manifested until they enter the workforce or challenging social situations.  

           Noticeable symptoms are:

• messy, careless work,
• frequent mistakes,
• difficulty with paying close attention to details,
• distracted easily by outside stimuli,
• constant interruption of tasks by frivolous events or sounds that others typically ignore,
• difficulty with completing tasks requiring concentration,
• shifting from one task to another without completing any of them,
• putting off tasks,
• disorganization,
• forgetfulness,
• failure to follow rules or detains of activities such as school work or job assignments.

• Hyperactivity symptoms typically present prior to age seven and are often apparent in the preschool years. These symptoms include squirming and fidgeting while seated, walking or running around often, restlessness in teens or climbing and running excessively for children, inability to engage in quiet play and leisure activities, never being able to sit still, ceaseless talking.

Preschoolers and toddlers who are constantly on the move may have this disorder, and this is particularly true if they do not seem to be able to participate in group activities where they must be still, such as listening to a story. Children of school age may not be quite as mobile, but they may still fidget and squirm a lot, or talk too much. Teens and adults with this Mental Illness are often restless and are unable to spend time with sedentary activities.

• Impulsivity is characterized by the inability to delay responses, they are impatient, they frequently blurt out answers to questions before those questions are fully expressed, they interrupt or intrude on people so much that problems are often caused in work and social settings, they engage in conversations when it is inappropriate, and they find it hard to wait on their turn.

Impulsivity has the potential for causing accidents like bumping into people or knocking things over.

ADHD in children sometimes leads them to engage in activities that are dangerous without them taking the time to consider what could happen like climbing on things that cannot support their weight.

Lots of normal children do this from time to time but not as frequently as those with ADHD. Children who are diagnosed with this Mental Illness exhibit this type of behavior consistently and it interferes with their ability to function at a normal level.

Treatment

There are a variety of treatments offered for those with ADHD.

These include certain medications, diet, and therapy.

Each patient is different and therefore must be treated on an individual basis to determine which solution or combination of treatment is appropriate.

Causes

While there may as yet be no known one cause for ADHD, some believe that there are some commonalities involved.

These include:

• drinking alcohol and/or smoking during pregnancy,
  
• genetics,
  
• food allergies,
  
• premature birth,
  
• and exposure to lead.

Some even believe that sugar plays a role.

More research is required to determine the real cause, but for now knowledge is power because it helps people recognize this condition and become more tolerant of those suffering from it.

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