Overview
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder more commonly referred to as ADHD is a long term mental health condition that affects millions of children worldwide. The condition causes higher than usual levels of hyperactivity and impulsive behaviours, as it affects how your brain works, making it harder to control or direct your attention.
Children with ADHD struggle to pay attention and often suffer from low self-esteem, sometimes symptoms can lessen with age. It can cause problems with relationships, family life and their education or work life. Symptoms usually start to appear around the ages of three to six years old. Whilst the development of ADHD cannot be prevented, and the condition cannot be cured, the sooner it can be diagnosed, the better the prognosis for dealing with and managing symptoms.
Types of ADHD
There is more than one type of ADHD and these fall under the following categories, diagnosed by a healthcare professional in both children and adults:
Inattentive ADHD
This form of ADHD involves problems focusing on or finishing tasks as well as being organised. There are generally few if any symptoms of hyperactivity.
Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD
With this form of ADHD people struggle to sit still or be quiet, and they are very talkative and have excessive energy. They can also act without thinking and interrupt people, but have less obvious problems paying attention.
Combined presentation
Is the most common type of ADHD and is the type that most people associate with the condition, as it presents problems with symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulse ADHD.
Unspecified presentation
This is where a person has symptoms that are so severe they interfere with their daily life, but they don’t necessarily meet the official criteria of the other three categories.
Symptoms
Symptoms of ADHD can be mild, moderate or severe and may vary depending on the type of ADHD a person has.
Symptoms of inattentive ADHD
· Have trouble staying focused in tasks or at play
· Struggle to organise things like their room, toys or belongings
· Seem as though they are not paying attention when you speak to them directly, like they are day dreaming
· Struggle to sit still
· Don’t pay attention to details and make careless mistakes in their schoolwork
· Struggle to follow instructions when doing homework or chores and don’t complete them
· Avoid homework and studies as they struggle to focus for long periods of time
· Are easily distracted by other things going on around them or their own thoughts
· Forget to complete daily tasks or chores and lose items needed to complete them
Symptoms of hyperactive-impulse ADHD
· Struggles to stay seated when they’re supposed to
· Have problems playing or performing tasks quietly
· Talk excessively, sometimes out of turn and finish other people’s sentences
· Struggle to wait their turn for things
· Always on the go jumping, running or climbing as they are restless
· Interrupt other people’s games, conversations or activities
· When they sit down to eat or study have a tendency to fidget or make movements with their hands and feet
Symptoms of ADHD in adults
Symptoms of ADHD can sometimes change as a person gets older and can include:
· Being impulsive
· Have trouble managing their anger
· Are easily frustrated or bored
· Be inclined to procrastinate
· Struggle to concentrate when they are reading
· Have mood swings
· Often forget things or are always running late
· Struggle to keep things organised
· Frequently restless
Associated Conditions or Risks
People who have ADHD can sometimes develop other mental health conditions such as:
· Anxiety
· Conduct behavioural disorder
· Depression
· Low self-esteem
· Oppositional defiant disorder
· Substance use disorders
Causes of ADHD
Whilst there is no known cause for the development of ADHD it is believed that there are certain factors that could contribute to its development:
· If you were born prematurely or were underweight when born
· Suffered a brain injury
· If you were exposed to environmental toxins such as lead during your childhood
· Have a family history of ADHD or mental health conditions
· If your mother drank alcohol or used drugs during her pregnancy
· You were born with certain gene changes that caused differences in the way your brain developed
· Whilst ADHD can affect anyone it is more common in people with learning disabilities
Diagnosing ADHD
There is no single test to diagnosis ADHD and your medical professional will need to speak to the child, their parents, and possibly read reports from teachers regarding their behaviour. They will then need to rule out any other possible causes of their symptoms such as anxiety, depression or thyroid problems. They might also test their vision, hearing, verbal and motor skills as wells as performing an aptitude or intelligent test.
Once they have ruled out any other possible causes for their symptoms, in order to be diagnosed with ADHD your child will need to meet all of the following criteria:
· Their symptoms must have occurred prior to the age of twelve
· They need to occur in at least two different places, such as at school and at home
· They must have a significant effect on both their activities and relationships
· All other possible causes for their symptoms must have been ruled out
· They must show at least six symptoms of either inattentive or hyperactive-attention ADHD or have symptoms from both types, for a period of at least twelve months
Treatment for ADHD
Treatment will depend on the type of ADHD, its severity and the age of the patient, and generally consists of a mixture of medication and therapy. Very young children may benefit from play therapy and their carers having parent training in behavioural management, until they are old enough to take medication.
Medication
There are two main types of medication used to treat ADHD and these are:
Stimulants
Which are the most commonly used medications as they help to improve focus and attention whilst also helping to reduce impulsive behaviours.
Non-stimulants
Are generally used when stimulants haven’t proved effective or they have caused side effects that are not manageable. Whilst they take longer to work some of them can last for as long as 24 hours.
Therapy
Therapies for ADHD can include:
ADHD coaching
A coach will help you to manage daily tasks and improve your organisation and time keeping, by providing practical support to help you complete tasks and activities.
CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)
A form of talking therapy CBT helps you to recognise and retrain negative thoughts and behaviours, whilst also helping you to manage your emotions and learn how to develop coping skills that will help you to better manage your ADHD symptoms.
Parent training in behaviour management
This treatment is recommended for very young children who are unable to take medication and are too young to control their behaviour, without support from their parents.
A therapist will teach their parents how to set clear routines and use positive reinforcement as well as how to deal with any unwanted or negative behaviours.
Play therapy
Whilst not all healthcare providers believe play therapy can help children with ADHD it can help if the have associated conditions. It provides them with a safe space to talk about their problems and express their emotions.
How to help manage symptoms of ADHD
There are things that you can do to help both children and adults improve their daily lives, and that can also help you as a parent of a child with ADHD. Help for children can include:
· Keeping you child’s room simple and uncluttered to avoid distraction and encourage organisation
· Have set routines and a clear schedule
· Lead by example and remain calm and focused when you speak to them
· Ensure you are consistent with discipline and that you reward good behaviour
· Help to improve your child’s self-esteem by focusing on their positives and praising them for their achievements
· Rather than general requests like telling them to get ready for school, break down what you want them to do i.e. brush your teeth and hair, get dressed, get your school bag etc
Help for adults can include things such as:
· Decluttering your home and keeping things minimalist
· Try using planners or make lists to help organise what you need to do, use timers to help with time management
· Keep a consistent routine
· Try and focus on one thing and break large tasks into smaller ones to make them less overwhelming
· When you are working try and ensure your surroundings are as quite as possible or use noise cancelling headphones
· Don’t be afraid to ask for help and if you feel able to, tell your friends and colleagues how your ADHD affects you on a daily basis
You might also find it helpful to join a support group where you will be surrounded by people who also have ADHD. Written by Jan, Jeana and Wendy at Barnsley Hypnosis and Counselling (UK). For more free Information click above link.
