Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
ADHD is a brain condition that impacts a person's ability to plan, anticipate consequences of behavior, control body movement, blurt out answers or interrupt conversations, and get easily frustrated. It usually displays itself as inattention and/or impulsivity.

What Causes ADHD?
Research indicates ADHD is a neurological condition affecting the frontal lobes of the brain. Research is continuing to determine more details about this condition.

Signs and Symptoms of ADHD
It is estimated that up to 6% of all children have ADHD and that boys are five times more likely to be identified and diagnosed. Studies also show that more than half of all children with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed) will continue to have significant symptoms into adulthood.

Signs in children include:

School Performance

• Easily bored
• Poor organization and planning
• Procrastination
• Difficulty waiting his or her turn
• Always losing homework
• Can't sit still
• Trouble staying focused on work or lectures

Relationships

• Poor listening skills
• Interrupts others
• Often described as selfish or immature
• Quick to become angry or frustrated
• Trouble following through on commitments
• Makes impulsive comments that hurt others' feelings or create embarrassment

Self-Esteem

• Low sense of self-worth
• Demoralized
• Privately views self as stupid or a failure
• May feel guilty for "letting people down"

Signs of ADHD in adults include:

Work or School Performance

• Bored with tedious material
• Poor planning and organizational skills
• Procrastination
• Restlessness
• Always running behind
• Frequent, impulsive job changes - can't stay focused on paperwork, lectures, or repetitive tasks

Relationships

• Poor listening skills
• Interrupts others
• Difficulty managing finances
• Often called selfish or immature
• Quick to become angry or frustrated
• Trouble following through on commitments to others
• Makes impulsive comments that hurt others' feeling or create embarrassment

Self Esteem

• Low sense of self-worth
• Demoralized
• Privately view self as stupid or a failure
• May feel guilty for "letting people down"

Treatment Options
Because many symptoms of ADHD are also associated with other emotional disorders, a thorough evaluation by a professional is extremely critical. When making a diagnosis, professionals look at a series of nine symptoms of inattentiveness and nine symptoms of impulsivity. The professional should also look at the person's developmental and family history, present functioning at home and school/work, and an objective test of attention. The professional should also rule out any other disorders such as depression or anxiety.

The most common treatment for ADHD is stimulant medications such as Ritalin. They help the person become more alert or attentive. However stimulants don't work - or don't work alone - for everyone. Certain antidepressant medications are also used, especially when the person does not respond to treatment with stimulants. Some people respond better to a combination of medications or a combination of medication and counseling. While counseling may help with underlying issues and parent training techniques (teaching skills to help parents cope with inattentive or hyperactive behavior), many question the use of counseling and/or cognitive behavior therapy alone as a successful treatment for ADHD.

Information source: Pine Rest ADD Institute clinicians and Pine Rest TODAY Magazine, "Focus on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder." Copyright © Summer 1994.