Brittany Borka
Professor Sharon Ross
English 102
28 March 2013
A lot of people think ADHD is a problem that can be fixed with certain medications or therapy. Well that's not how ADHD works. ADHD is a disorder that is with you the rest of your life. There is ways that you can control your ADHD and how to get the right help for it. Some people wonder what ADHD is and how to get the right help for it. They also wonder how it can affect a person's life. Well don't worry; I will be answering all the questions that people may have been wondering.
What is ADHD? A lot of people just think it's a problem with someone's emotions and can be cured just like that. Well they are wrong; ADHD is an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is commonly diagnosed as a behavioral disorder of childhood. ADHD may run in many families and may not be clear right away because of the early childhood as the brain is developing. How you can tell if someone may be suffering with ADHD is by the either they are depressed, lack of sleep, have a harder time being able to learn things, lack of attention which is also known as Inattentiveness, Impulsive behavior which is also known as Impulsivity. People think that inattentive symptom's, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms are the same, but they are not they are totally different in their own ways. With inattentive they may fail to give close attention to details or make careless mistakes, they have difficulty keeping up during tasks/ play, don't seem to listen when spoken to, doesn't follow through on instruction's and fails to finish homework/other projects, difficulty organizing tasks and activities, avoids/dislikes tasks that are require mental effort, often lose toys, assignments, tools, etc., gets easily distracted, and is often forgetful in daily activities. With hyperactivity the symptoms are Fidgets with hands/feet, leaves seat when remaining seated is expected, runs about and or climbs in appropriate situations, has difficulty playing quietly, and is often "on the go" acts if they are "driven by a motor". With and impulsivity the symptoms are blurts out answers before the question is completely spoken, has a difficulty waiting their turn, and interrupts/intrudes on others. As you can see they are all different and some people may mistake them with having some other issue.
I'm sure you're all wondering what the signs and tests are of having ADHD and how to get the right treatment and the medication you can take to help ADHD. Finding out if you or someone you know may have ADHD may become a huge headache, but there are easier ways to deal with this and get the right testing. The diagnosis is based on specific symptom's, which may be present in more than one setting such as, children should have at least six attention symptom's and or six hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom's with some present before age seven(7). The symptoms have to be present within at least six months or seen in one or two settings and are not caused by any other problems. The symptoms must be severe enough to cause difficulties in many other settings like homes, school, work, and relationships with others. With older children they may still have the same symptom's as what they did as a younger child but may no longer meet the full definition of the disorder. The child may be evlautated by a doctor who works with ADHD the evaluation may include parent/teacher questionnaires, psychological evaluation of the child and his/her family which includes a IQ test and psychological testing as well. They also may need a complete developmental, mental, nutritional, psychical and psychosocial exam to find out if the child has ADHD or not. Now moving onto treatment options, people may think that there is not treatment available for someone with ADHD. They are wrong; there is treatment for someone who is struggling with ADHD. Treating ADHD is a partnership between the healthcare provider, parents/caregivers and the person who has ADHD. There is no quick fix or cure for ADHD, but they can receive implementation of strategies and interventions to help manage the symptoms of ADHD. There also is a behavior therapy that people with ADHD can go and have done, with the therapy it is to help the person dealing with ADHD and the family to have both of them better understand and gain control of the stressful feelings related to ADHD. There are quite a few different types of medications a person dealing with ADHD can take, but it is recommended to consult your doctor first to find the best/right medication(s) for you. The different types of medication that are out there are Psychostimulants also known as stimulants this medication is the most commonly used ADHD drug, there also is Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (Adderall) , Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Dextrostat), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) , and Methylphenidate(Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, and Daytrana). There is a nonstimulant drug that is called atomoxetine that also may work for people with ADHD. There is no prevention for ADHD, but treatments can prevent many of the problems associated with ADHD.
Now, I will be talking about how ADHD affects a person's life. With ADHD it is a chronic, debilitating disorder which may impact upon many aspects of an individual's life, including academic difficulties, social skill problems, and strained parent-child relationships. It not only impacts the person with ADHD but it also impacts the parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, etc. ADHD may also persist into adulthood causing disruptions to both professional and personal life as well. People with this disorder have a greater risk for a longer term negative outcome, such as lower educational and employment attainment. But as the child with ADHD gets older the disorder may have a higher impact on their family changes. The child may see a different picture later on in life that makes it a lot harder for them, but it all depends on the demands made on the individual by their environment. Preschool children with ADHD start to have a poor concentration, higher levels of activity than others, impulsiveness, children with ADHD still stand out from other children without this disorder. In this age group they are more often to use poor intensity of play and excessive motor restlessness. They also might have associated difficulties such as delayed development, oppositional behavior, and poor social skills. With children starting out primary school years they tend to become for different then their classmates. They start to have academic failure, rejection to peers and low self-esteem. Parents may find that family members refuse to care for the child and that other children do not invite their child to parties. Many children at this age have a poor sleeping pattern; they will have daytime behavior that is often worse when sleep is badly affected. With young people dealing with ADHD may bring out a reduction in the over activity that is often striking in younger children, they may become excessively aggressive and antisocial behaviors may develop. Young people with this disorder are at risk of academic failure, dropping out of school/college, teenage pregnancy or criminal behavior, driving poses are a huge additional risk. Adult's with ADHD they say that 60% of individuals with ADHD in childhood may continue to have difficulties in adult life. Adults with this disorder are more likely to be dismissed from their jobs and have often tried different jobs and have been self-employed. Adults with this disorder also experience interpersonal difficulties with employers and colleagues, the problems that occur are lateness, absenteeism, excessive errors and an inability to accomplish expected workloads. At home relationships may become difficult and may lead up to break-ups. The risk of drug substance abuse is a huge increase in adults with persisting ADHD symptoms that have not been receiving medication.
My conclusion of ADHD and how it can affect a person's life is that no matter who you are you can get through it in just a matter of time. I myself have been dealing with ADHD throughout my childhood and am still dealing with it. After doing some more research I have learned a lot more about my disorder and feel more confident in who I am now than I ever have before. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do certain things that "Normal" people can because you can but just in a different type of way. Things may be a lot more difficult to do such as going to school and or college and or having a job. It may be difficult to focus but having the right support from friends, family, and other people can go a long way as well as taking the right medication.
Professor Sharon Ross
English 102
28 March 2013
A lot of people think ADHD is a problem that can be fixed with certain medications or therapy. Well that's not how ADHD works. ADHD is a disorder that is with you the rest of your life. There is ways that you can control your ADHD and how to get the right help for it. Some people wonder what ADHD is and how to get the right help for it. They also wonder how it can affect a person's life. Well don't worry; I will be answering all the questions that people may have been wondering.
What is ADHD? A lot of people just think it's a problem with someone's emotions and can be cured just like that. Well they are wrong; ADHD is an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is commonly diagnosed as a behavioral disorder of childhood. ADHD may run in many families and may not be clear right away because of the early childhood as the brain is developing. How you can tell if someone may be suffering with ADHD is by the either they are depressed, lack of sleep, have a harder time being able to learn things, lack of attention which is also known as Inattentiveness, Impulsive behavior which is also known as Impulsivity. People think that inattentive symptom's, hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms are the same, but they are not they are totally different in their own ways. With inattentive they may fail to give close attention to details or make careless mistakes, they have difficulty keeping up during tasks/ play, don't seem to listen when spoken to, doesn't follow through on instruction's and fails to finish homework/other projects, difficulty organizing tasks and activities, avoids/dislikes tasks that are require mental effort, often lose toys, assignments, tools, etc., gets easily distracted, and is often forgetful in daily activities. With hyperactivity the symptoms are Fidgets with hands/feet, leaves seat when remaining seated is expected, runs about and or climbs in appropriate situations, has difficulty playing quietly, and is often "on the go" acts if they are "driven by a motor". With and impulsivity the symptoms are blurts out answers before the question is completely spoken, has a difficulty waiting their turn, and interrupts/intrudes on others. As you can see they are all different and some people may mistake them with having some other issue.
I'm sure you're all wondering what the signs and tests are of having ADHD and how to get the right treatment and the medication you can take to help ADHD. Finding out if you or someone you know may have ADHD may become a huge headache, but there are easier ways to deal with this and get the right testing. The diagnosis is based on specific symptom's, which may be present in more than one setting such as, children should have at least six attention symptom's and or six hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom's with some present before age seven(7). The symptoms have to be present within at least six months or seen in one or two settings and are not caused by any other problems. The symptoms must be severe enough to cause difficulties in many other settings like homes, school, work, and relationships with others. With older children they may still have the same symptom's as what they did as a younger child but may no longer meet the full definition of the disorder. The child may be evlautated by a doctor who works with ADHD the evaluation may include parent/teacher questionnaires, psychological evaluation of the child and his/her family which includes a IQ test and psychological testing as well. They also may need a complete developmental, mental, nutritional, psychical and psychosocial exam to find out if the child has ADHD or not. Now moving onto treatment options, people may think that there is not treatment available for someone with ADHD. They are wrong; there is treatment for someone who is struggling with ADHD. Treating ADHD is a partnership between the healthcare provider, parents/caregivers and the person who has ADHD. There is no quick fix or cure for ADHD, but they can receive implementation of strategies and interventions to help manage the symptoms of ADHD. There also is a behavior therapy that people with ADHD can go and have done, with the therapy it is to help the person dealing with ADHD and the family to have both of them better understand and gain control of the stressful feelings related to ADHD. There are quite a few different types of medications a person dealing with ADHD can take, but it is recommended to consult your doctor first to find the best/right medication(s) for you. The different types of medication that are out there are Psychostimulants also known as stimulants this medication is the most commonly used ADHD drug, there also is Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine (Adderall) , Dexmethylphenidate (Focalin), Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Dextrostat), Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) , and Methylphenidate(Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, and Daytrana). There is a nonstimulant drug that is called atomoxetine that also may work for people with ADHD. There is no prevention for ADHD, but treatments can prevent many of the problems associated with ADHD.
Now, I will be talking about how ADHD affects a person's life. With ADHD it is a chronic, debilitating disorder which may impact upon many aspects of an individual's life, including academic difficulties, social skill problems, and strained parent-child relationships. It not only impacts the person with ADHD but it also impacts the parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, etc. ADHD may also persist into adulthood causing disruptions to both professional and personal life as well. People with this disorder have a greater risk for a longer term negative outcome, such as lower educational and employment attainment. But as the child with ADHD gets older the disorder may have a higher impact on their family changes. The child may see a different picture later on in life that makes it a lot harder for them, but it all depends on the demands made on the individual by their environment. Preschool children with ADHD start to have a poor concentration, higher levels of activity than others, impulsiveness, children with ADHD still stand out from other children without this disorder. In this age group they are more often to use poor intensity of play and excessive motor restlessness. They also might have associated difficulties such as delayed development, oppositional behavior, and poor social skills. With children starting out primary school years they tend to become for different then their classmates. They start to have academic failure, rejection to peers and low self-esteem. Parents may find that family members refuse to care for the child and that other children do not invite their child to parties. Many children at this age have a poor sleeping pattern; they will have daytime behavior that is often worse when sleep is badly affected. With young people dealing with ADHD may bring out a reduction in the over activity that is often striking in younger children, they may become excessively aggressive and antisocial behaviors may develop. Young people with this disorder are at risk of academic failure, dropping out of school/college, teenage pregnancy or criminal behavior, driving poses are a huge additional risk. Adult's with ADHD they say that 60% of individuals with ADHD in childhood may continue to have difficulties in adult life. Adults with this disorder are more likely to be dismissed from their jobs and have often tried different jobs and have been self-employed. Adults with this disorder also experience interpersonal difficulties with employers and colleagues, the problems that occur are lateness, absenteeism, excessive errors and an inability to accomplish expected workloads. At home relationships may become difficult and may lead up to break-ups. The risk of drug substance abuse is a huge increase in adults with persisting ADHD symptoms that have not been receiving medication.
My conclusion of ADHD and how it can affect a person's life is that no matter who you are you can get through it in just a matter of time. I myself have been dealing with ADHD throughout my childhood and am still dealing with it. After doing some more research I have learned a lot more about my disorder and feel more confident in who I am now than I ever have before. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do certain things that "Normal" people can because you can but just in a different type of way. Things may be a lot more difficult to do such as going to school and or college and or having a job. It may be difficult to focus but having the right support from friends, family, and other people can go a long way as well as taking the right medication.
