Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is usually associated with childhood problems in development. A child who exhibits hyperactivity, lack of attention, and impulsiveness is often suspected to have ADHD, which is sometimes also referred to as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Not all of these children exhibit these characteristics during their adulthood. However, many adults who demonstrate these behaviors are often not diagnosed with the condition and may suffer from its effects due to lack of proper treatment. What is ADHD? ADHD is a complex mental health disorder that starts in early childhood. A child who exhibits chronic restlessness, forgetfulness, talkativeness, hyperactivity, inattention, and has difficulty finishing school work and chores in a way that it impairs normal functioning may be suffering from some form of ADHD. There are three types of this disorder, in which one may be predominantly hyperactive, predominantly inattentive, or a combination of both. It is important to remember that ADHD is not caused by head trauma, poor parenting or poor diet. However, it is strongly associated with genetic factors, biological factors that influence brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), and environmental toxins that might have affected a child before birth. These include risk factors such as maternal smoking, alcohol abuse and drug use. Premature birth and a young child's exposure to lead have also been linked to development of this condition. About 60% of children who have ADHD continue to exhibit symptoms during adulthood. This means that about 5% of US adults (roughly 8-9 million) have ADHD. However, many adults are not evaluated, diagnosed, or treated for this mental health problem and they continue to suffe... ... middle of paper ... ...ients to substitute negative thoughts with positive thoughts and manage their behavior. This helps one to improve his self esteem and develop skills to be able to deal with daily challenges and relationship problems. Other forms of psychotherapy include training in relaxation and stress management, life coaching, job mentoring, marital counseling, and family therapy. Works Cited WebMD. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: ADHD in Adults. http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-adults; Mayo Clinic. Adult ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adult-adhd/basics/definition/CON-20034552; AAFP. Adult ADHD: Evaluation and Treatment in Family Medicine. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/1101/p2077.html; ADDA. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) Fact Sheet. http://www.add.org/?page=ADHD_Fact_Sheet
First, there are two different types of ADHD. An individual can be diagnosed with hyperactivity or impulsivity. Those with hyperactivity cannot sit still, talk excessively, and always act as if they are “on the go (intuniv, 2013). If diagnosed with impulsivity symptoms are blurting out words, have a hard time waiting on others and interrupt others regularly. These symptoms make you think of an undisciplined child and are not ones that will make you think of a disease. This disorder can go undetected for quite some time and that can cause unnecessary stress to an individual’s everyday life.
Park, A. (2013, April 2). Understanding the Rise in ADHD Diagnoses: 11% of U.S. Children
sure what causes ADHD, although some suggest that genes play a dominant role. Most likely
At least one in four families in the U.S. is affected by mental illnesses. Unfortunately there is no cure for this range of illnesses, which have been around for thousands of years. Of the American adult population, 5.4 percent have a serious mental illness. These health conditions are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, behavior, or some combination of these. They are also associated with distress and sometimes impaired functioning. In 1990 the total cost of mental health services in the U.S. was $148 billion. According to a new report by the Mental Health Foundation, one in five children suffer from a mental health problem. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a mental illness that is diagnosed mainly in young children and doesn’t always disappear in adulthood.” All we know is that this genetic, inherited condition [ADHD] is not due to brain damage at all but rather a variation in how the brain functions.” Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes symptoms and characteristics that can be placed in one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These characteristics commonly leave a person with ADHD with lack of attention span, easily distracted, fidgety, struggling to stay seated, having trouble engaging in calm activities, impatient, and talking excessively or out of turn. A new study by researchers says that hyperactive children have behavioral differences due to under active parts of their brain, a biological malfunction, rather than due to way they were brought up. This was revealed by a magnetic scanning device that allowed researchers to look at the brains of children diagnosed with ADHD. These studies and statistics reinforce the claim that mental illnesses are not invented simply to justify drugging of children and a disease that needs be educated to the public for better understanding. Rather, ADHD is an illness that affects many people throughout their lives. This topic is often misunderstood by the public. The media and medical community need to educate the positive side of this controversy and not just show the opposing view, which often times misrepresented by the media.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that displays as distracted, hyperactive, and unable to focus on tasks and activities. Also known as Hyperkinetic Impulse Disorder, Hyperkinesis, Hyperactive Syndrome, Minimal Brain Damage, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, and Undifferentiated Deficit Disorder, ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed neurological disorder in children. Although many children with ADHD are quite intelligent, their lack of focus can frequently lead to poor grades and low self-esteem. The exact cause of ADHD is still unknown, but it is considered highly inheritable. Results from numerous international studies on twins have found that ADHD may have a genetic link.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is defined as a behavioral disorder of childhood onset (by the age of 7 years) characterized by symptoms of inattentiveness and impulsivity/hyperactivity. Based on the type of symptoms that predominate, ADHD is classified as following:
ADHD, or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. There are many symptoms associated with ADHD but the most common include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity. Scientists are not exactly sure of what causes ADHD but they are more comfortable with the idea that a lot of different factors play a role in its development, such as, genes, environment, brain injuries, sugar, and food additives. The most widely used treatment is the drugs but this is not the only way to treat ADHD.
Theory suggests that ADHD is caused by a neurological and chemical deficiency that affects the development of the central nervous system. It is believed that this lack of development directly affects the part of the brain responsible for concentration. ADHD is also believed to be partly due to genetic inheritance. A large majority of individuals afflicted with this disorder will also have a relative who has ADHD.
The study found that children with ADHD tend to have higher blood-lead levels than children who do not have the disorder. Pediatricians in 2010 performed a similar study that found that children who had higher urine levels of organophosphate, a pesticide used on produce, had a higher rate to contract ADHD. Another study that was performed around the same time concluded that women with these same urine levels would have children who would contract the disease. Scientists at Candiff University suggest that children with ADHD are more likely to have missing or duplicated segments of DNA. Therefore, evidence strongly suggest that ADHD is passed down from the parents; not from their parenting style. Fetal exposure to alcohol and tobacco are thought to be apart of the reason ADHD is contracted. Children exposed to the smoke prenatally are 2.4 times more likely to contract the
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly referred to as simply ADHD, is the most commonly diagnosed disorder among American children today. According to the National Institute on Mental Health an estimated 3 to 5 percent of school age children are affected by this disorder. (1) There are more diagnosed cases of ADHD of in the United States than there are anywhere in the world. The main symptoms of ADHD include "developmentally inappropriate levels of attention, concentration, activity, distractibility, and impulsivity." (1) While the number of people diagnosed with ADHD increases dramatically every year, there is still much about the disorder that is not understood. While scientists have deduced that ADHD originates in the brain, they still have many questions about the nature of it. The classification of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has become quite a controversial topic in American society today. There are some who believe that by recognizing the symptoms associated with the disorder as ADHD; science is simply putting a band-aid on a problem that could be otherwise corrected with behavior modification.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), more commonly referred to as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), has only recently come to notice of scientists. It affects 3.5 million people under the age of 18 and 5 million people over the age of 18. Its current cause of existence is due to defects at neurotransmitter sites, rendering patients inattentive and impulsive. However, every year more progress is made in locating the cause and finding more effective treatments. ADHD's first diagnosis was made in 1902 by Dr. George Still. He observed 20 children who were inattentive, impulsive, hyperactive, and showed mood swings. He initially attributed their behavior to mild brain damage. By 1917 ADHD or constantly active was still thought to have this cause. At this time, viral encephalitis seemed to be linked to the disease because, after being infected, children had impaired attention, memory, and impulse control. In 1937 ADHD was known as minimal brain dysfunction and began to be treated with amphetamines, which made children with the disorder much calmer.
What is ADHD? Attention Deficit Disorder (AD/HD) is mostly an organic problem, which tends to run in families. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in childhood. An estimated 3 to 5 percent of the general population suffers from the disorder, which is characterized by agitated behavior and an inability to focus on tasks.
The American heritage Dictionary defines Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as, “an attention deficit disorder in which hyperactivity is present.” Attention Deficit Disorder is defined as, “A syndrome, usually diagnosed in childhood, characterized by a persistent pattern of impulsiveness, a short attention span, and often hyperactivity, and interfering especially with academic, occupational, and social performance.” ADHD is most often diagnosed during childhood and was formerly believed to have lessened and ended as the child matured but recent studies have found that between 35 and 50 % of all cases persist into adulthood.
3. Is there an alternative way to interpret the evidence? In my opinion and in my observations in my life, the evidence clearly points to a strong correlation between genetics and a person?s chance of having ADHD. I have also had friends with ADHD whose parents exhibit similar symptoms.
Researchers in this study decided to focus on families affected by ADHD for several reasons. The first reason is the prevalence of ADHD, for “ADHD in the general population is approximately 3% to 8%” (Lench, Levine, & Whalen, 141). Additionally, parents who report ADHD symptoms a...