ADHD Overview - What Is ADHD?
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disease is found in millions of children in the USA and is known to remain as the child grows up.
The most common problems attributed to this condition are hyperactivity, impulsive behavior and inattention. Low self-esteem, depression, failures in relationships with peers and unsatisfactory results in studies might also be ADHD symptoms.
The issue of ADHD help remains quite controversial. Psychostimulants are the most common ADHD drugs prescribed today. These help deal with most ADHD symptoms, but are not the cure for the illness, and can cause collateral effects. Other components of successful ADHD help are professional counseling, family support and individual accommodations at the place of study.
Although some cases of ADHD have been reported in pre-school children, it’s quite challenging to diagnose it at such small age. The main reason is that certain problems in development (adjustment issues, language delay) can be interpreted as ADHD symptoms. If you have reasons to believe your child is affected, the best advice is to have him/her examined by a psychologist/psychiatrist, pediatrician, developmental pediatrician or a speech pathologist.
If children take certain ADHD drugs, they should be examined by the doctor on the regular basis. This involves at least one examination within a month from the diagnosis, as well as every six months after that. It’s important to find out in advance how often your child needs to have appointments with the doctor. Another thing parents should consider, is running additional tests every couple of years (this period largely depends on the child’s diagnosis and age).
The following collateral effects require immediate attention of your physician: sleeplessness, irritability, sudden loss of appetite. It’s common for children who take stimulants to experience weight loss and slowed down body growth. Even though this body reaction is temporary, regular visits to the doctor are crucial in monitoring the condition of the child.
ADHD testing is currently conducted in a variety of ways, which makes it difficult to diagnose the disease. However, there are several methods to differentiate the illness from mood disorders and learning disabilities. It’s important to consult a doctor with prior experience in dealing with ADHD and behavioral disorders for better evaluation of the condition. Talking to the therapist who is going to examine and treat your child is therefore recommended. The assessment can be performed by your child’s doctor, or another professional they can refer you to.
The process of evaluation starts with looking into full medical, family and school histories; it also involves medical test to make sure your child’s behavior is caused by ADHD. A number of mental health conditions exhibit symptoms that can be interpreted as pertaining to ADHD, while it might not be the cause. These symptoms include mood disturbances, learning disabilities, vision or hearing problems, hyperthyroidism, seizure disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome, and Tourette syndrome - a brain disorder characterized by involuntary outbursts of swearing, spitting, barking, and sudden involuntary movements.
Another part of ADHD testing is looking into any cases of anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders, learning problems, learning difficulties. This stage is crucial, as the conditions mentioned have been found in a third of all children diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD in adults is even more difficult to diagnose. Even though there is a variety of self-report methods, such as Brown Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scales Copeland or Symptoms Checklist for Adult ADHD, none can confirm the illness with a hundred percent certainty. This is partly because the symptoms of ADHD in adults are quite subjective, and a lot more subtle.
Another problem is lack of information about any persistent patterns of the condition in the early childhood (data related to ADHD symptoms before the age of 7 is vital for the assessment and treatment). Doctors usually want to know as much as possible about your school years, written records; talking to parents, teachers and friends is also an option in case the patient is not able to remember enough.
The process of assessment of ADHD in adults involves comprehensive examination aimed at excluding any other reasons for the symptoms you experience. For example, some symptoms, such as hearing loss and hyperthyroidism can be interpreted as pertaining to ADHD, which might not be the case; other symptoms should be dismissed from consideration as part of the person’s bipolar syndrome. Certain things can affect the accuracy of the tests, among these substance abuse and depression are the most common. These can cause mood swings, temporary loss of memory, impaired ability to complete tasks and concentrate properly.
It’s common for professional mental health specialists to employ tests that assess your ability to concentrate, short-term memory, problem-solving skills and overall cognitive ability. These tests do not give a result that is hundred percent reliable, which is why they are often combined with comprehensive medical history, job and study records and other sources of information. The combination of these methods helps perform the assessment of your condition more successfully and diagnose ADHD more accurately.
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