Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by Jeremy Peirce

1799 Words4 Pages

Paying Attention to the Deficit ADD and ADHD are commonly talked about as if they are different diseases, they are actually the same disease. In recent years, ADD has disappeared due its similarity to ADHD. ADD was, in the past, a separate disorder because it focused solely on the inattentive side of things. ADD is now a part of ADHD because it is referred as a sub-type to ADHD. ADHD is an attention disorder that is becoming more commonly diagnosed and treated due to misdiagnoses and misunderstanding of how to deal with the disorder. How does one find out if they have ADHD? Well, to find out if someone has the disorder, they must first understand what ADHD is and what causes it. One can easily start by doing basic research of what the disorder entails, but to fully understand the disease, we must learn what causes it. This process is described in Jeremy Peirce’s informative book, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Several Genes with strong evidence of involvement in ADHD are part of the system that regulates the amount of dopamine available in the brain. One of these genes is even targeted by some stimulant medications used to treat ADHD. The protein generated by this gene is known as the dopamine transporter because it removes dopamine from the space between neurons, called the synapse. People with ADHD sometimes have more dopamine transporters than people without ADHD have. This causes dopamine to be removed from the synapse too quickly, so there is less of it in the synapse than usual.”(60) Dopamine gives a person the willingness, and attention span, to work; which means with higher levels of dopamine in synapses, the willingness to work is also higher. In a body with ADHD, the dopamine levels are substantially lower ... ... middle of paper ... ...nd may not know what the disorder actually entails. ADHD is commonly talked about in a joking manner, but is a serious disorder. ADHD can be present it different levels of severity, but should be dealt with in the same way. Doctors do not take enough time to fully understand each case of their patients, which can lead to the wrong treatment option or even a misdiagnosis. Once ADHD is diagnosed in a legitimate case, there are many ways to manage and treat the disorder. ADHD has become over medicated and should use more psychotherapy because it is proven to be more effective. Doctors, psychologists, and scientists are still learning more about ADHD every day, and it is still not fully understood. It may be possible in the future for ADHD to be a curable disorder, but, until that day comes, it is important to be informed and understand the disorder as much as possible.

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