Doing Something About ADHD
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed neuro-biologically-based developmental and behavioural disorder of childhood, estimated to affect between 3% and 5% of school-aged children. Although many people occasionally have difficulty sitting still, paying attention, or controlling impulsive behaviour, these behaviours are so persistent in people with ADHD that they interfere with daily life.
Generally, these symptoms appear before the age of 7 years and cause significant functional problems at home, in school, and in various social settings. One- to two-thirds of all children with ADHD (somewhere between 1% and 6% of the general population) continue to exhibit ADHD symptoms into adult life.
ADHD SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
A person is considered to have ADHD if he or she demonstrates symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity for at least 6 months in at least two settings (home and in school). In order to diagnose ADHD in adults, healthcare providers must determine how the adult patient behaved as a child.
ADHD CHARACTERISTICS
Physically Hyperactive
Impulsive & Intrusive
Rebellious& Bossy
Irritation
Show Off/Egotistical
Attracts friends but doesn’t easily bond
More prone toward Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorders
SYMPTOMS OF INATTENTION
Fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace
Have difficulty organizing tasks and activities
Avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
Loses things necessary for tasks or activities
Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
Is forgetful in daily activities
SYMPTOMS OF HYPERACTIVITY AND IMPULSIVITY
Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
Leaves seat in situations where remaining seated is expected
Runs or climbs excessively in inappropriate situations (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
Has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
Acts as if "driven by a motor"
Talks excessively
Blurts out answers before questions are completed
Has difficulty awaiting turn
Interrupts or intrudes on others
SUBTYPES OF THE DISORDER
Most kids exhibit one or more of the subtypes:
Combined Type -- multiple symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity
Predominantly Inattentive Type -- multiple symptoms of inattention with few, if any, of hyperactivity-impulsivity
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type -- multiple symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity with few, if any, of inattention
CAUSES
Genetic factors as well as those affecting brain developments during prenatal and postnatal life
Irregular brain activity
Excessive slow - wave activity in certain regions of the brain
Low levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved with mental and emotional functioning
RISK FACTORS
Heredity - at least one first-degree relative who also has ADHD and one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth have children with ADHD
Gender - ADHD is more common in boys than in girls (10:1)
Prenatal and early postnatal health - maternal drug, alcohol, and cigarette use; exposure of the fetus to toxins, including lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); nutritional deficiencies and imbalances, prenatal trauma
Learning disabilities, communication disorders, and tic disorders such as Tourette's syndrome
Nutritional factors allergies or intolerances to food, food coloring, or additives, diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, low protein diet
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis is largely dependent on specific observed behaviours and is made using the diagnostic criteria as defined in the DSM-IV - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Parents and teachers play an important role in providing information to establish the diagnosis since most behaviours occur at home or at school.
Hair analysis (for heavy metal overloading).
Blood testing (for nutritional deficiencies).
ALLOPATHIC / CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT APPROACH
Multiple strategies are required to effectively manage ADHD over the long-term. Lifestyle changes, including behavioural therapies, are proving to be the best option for many children. Currently, the most accepted treatments include individual and family education, behavioural therapy, school remediation, and social skills training.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
There are two basic ways to manage hyperactive children: change the child's environment or change the child's behavior. The former can be accomplished by actively modifying a child's social and family interactions, a process that usually begins with parental training. The latter involves stimulant medication - Ritalin and Focusyn.
Notably, a recent study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) indicated that a comprehensive treatment regimen that combines medication with intensive behavioural interventions (such as parental training) is among the most effective treatments for elementary school children with ADHD. Adults with ADHD may benefit from a variety of behavioural interventions including cognitive remediation, couple therapy, and family therapy.
Mind / Body Medicine
Mind/body techniques such as hypnotherapy, progressive relaxation, and biofeedback are particularly well suited to children and adolescents. Children tend to readily accept hypnotic suggestion and the visual process of biofeedback works well for children of this generation because many are accustomed to computerized graphics. Through these techniques, children are often able to learn coping skills that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. These treatments allow children to gain a sense of control and mastery, increase self-esteem, and decrease stress.
To be most effective for ADHD, however, these mind/body techniques should be incorporated into an overall comprehensive treatment plan that is tailored to the particular individual.
Prognosis and Complications
As many as half of all children with ADHD who receive appropriate treatment learn to control symptoms and function well in adulthood, while the remaining continue to exhibit symptoms of inattention and impulsivity throughout life. As many as 50% to 80% of those who do not seek treatment for ADHD may demonstrate delinquent and antisocial behaviour into adulthood. In most cases, ADHD can be effectively managed throughout life, particularly when multiple treatment strategies are combined.
Please ask your doctor or hypnotherapist before starting on any supplements and/or therapy respectively. Its is better to first identify the cause and then treat it with the right remedies, even though those mentioned above have minimal side effects.
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