ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of those conditions that everyone has heard about but few truly understand. But what is it really? How is it properly diagnosed? And what can be done to bring it under control?
What is ADHD? And ADD?
The most basic definition of ADHD is that it’s a disorder that is recognised by the sufferer’s chronic inability to focus on tasks or to give in to impulses that are usually associated with a negative impact on his or her life. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), is the same as ADHD, but without the hyperactivity element.
ADHD can manifest itself early in life, as early as age 3. If you’re an adult then the symptoms need to have been present in your life since early childhood (age 7) to receive an ADHD diagnosis.
Scientists don’t yet have a solid grasp on what exactly causes ADHD. We know that there are certain enablers that can contribute to the condition like a low birth weight, smoking or alcohol use during pregnancy, early exposure to toxins, brain injuries, and so on.
We also know that more males suffer from it than females. Females who have ADHD are especially susceptible to the inability to pay attention.
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
It’s normal for everyone to have inattention or hyperactive impulsivity from time to time. We all get fatigued or giddy or even a combination of the two. However for ADHD sufferers these symptoms are more prominent, they are ongoing and can have a major negative impact on their lives.
The diagnosis can be hard to miss sometimes on account of the fact that ‘quiet’ people can be suffering from it as well as the noisy ones. Quiet people will still have the inability to focus, listen to instructions, and so on, but they may not have the more physical symptoms of hyperactivity, and this can sometimes lead to a delay in getting a diagnosis.
Inattention
Inattention is a normal part of a human being’s life. It comes from fatigue, distractions, or boredom with the current task or subject at hand. But, someone suffering from ADHD has these same reactions blown way out of proportion to the situation. For example, they may:
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Have trouble remembering or attending to simple tasks like housework, homework, returning emails, making appointments, etc.
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Go through work so quickly that they make obvious mistakes and/or don’t learn anything from the material or subject at hand.
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Be easily distracted.
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Have trouble listening to others, even in a one-on-one conversation.
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Be constantly misplacing objects that are necessary for tasks or even just for their daily lives (wallets, keys, lunchboxes).
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Have difficulty following, or even remembering instructions.
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Get sidetracked from tasks.
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Lack organisational skills, including the ability to do tasks in a proper order.
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Resent tasks that require concentration, and putting off doing them.
Hyperactivity and impulsivity
Like inattention both hyperactivity and impulsivity are a normal part of a sufferer’s life You’ve sat in long boring meetings or endured never-ending musical plays as you wait for your own precious child to take centre stage during a school play. It’s natural that you fidgeted a bit, maybe played with your phone, and maybe you felta mad desire to run screaming up and down the aisles wanting it to be your turn. But you were able to control these impulses, knowing that you would be disrupting the attention and good time of others. But for people dealing with ADHD those restraints, while still present in the sufferer’s mind, are overwhelmed by the condition.
Sufferers may:
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Fidget to the point of distracting others, causing others to become irritated or annoyed.
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Interrupt others who are having conversations or are trying to accomplish a task.
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Leave their seat when they’re expected to stay (e.g. a meeting or a classroom).
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Speak before their turn. Or speak without pausing to allow others to add to the conversation.
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Feel overwhelmingly restless. This may result in inappropriate physical behaviour like running when others are walking, climbing on furniture, squirming, or constant rhythmic movements of arms or legs.
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Have an inability to remain quiet in a consistent way, like others around them are.
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Always have the “pedal to the metal,” never being able to rest.
