ADD: Is It Or Isn't It?
People with attention deficit disorder have a hard time paying attention and staying focused. They are easily distracted by irrelevant thoughts or events and their memory is not as good as people without the condition. Their impulsiveness gets them into trouble more often, and it's harder for them to learn from mistakes. This post explores what ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is, how it can be diagnosed, what kinds of medication are prescribed to treat it, how ADD can affect interpersonal relationships, and more.
Presenting The Medical Definition
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) makes the following statement about ADD:
"Inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (ADHD) is most often diagnosed in late childhood or early adolescence, although it can be diagnosed at any age."
For the purposes of this post, I'll stick with "inattentiveness" rather than "hyperactivity-impulsivity", because attention is what takes up most of the time of an individual with ADHD.
According to Dr. Hallowell, a leading authority on ADHD, being "inattentive" means "…you're not paying attention to what's going on, you can't focus your attention on what the teacher's saying. You have difficulty switching your attention from one thing to another; it's a challenge for you to pay attention when other people are talking to you."
ADHD is sometimes confused with giftedness, but many specialists believe that ADHD is not related to intelligence at all. This can be true in the sense that most IQ tests and especially those used in medicine are based on verbal abilities alone.
Dr. Taylor, a psychologist in Hawaii who treats thousands of kids and adults with ADHD, reports that "ADHD is not an intellectual dysfunction, but it has a strong component of looking for high-stimulating things to do."
Inattention: A Dizzying Range Of Symptoms
Inattention is often characterized by the following symptoms: a short attention span; difficulty focusing, staying on task or finishing school chores; trouble awaiting turn in games or group situations; trouble knowing where you are at any given time and/or difficulty learning new information; disorganization; distractibility; forgetting what you just read or heard. The APA further states "Often people with ADHD have problems getting organized, completing work and meeting deadlines. They may avoid tasks that require sustained mental effort, often make careless mistakes and have problems with follow-through on duties and chores." According to Dr. Hallowell, the result is "an inability to focus one's attention effectively. The child has a hard time finishing anything."
A friend of mine who has an adult son with ADHD reports that her son is "…so scatterbrained that you can't depend on him for anything." She added "He's always late for everything and misses deadlines constantly. He still lives at home because he can't keep a job."
ADHD causes emotional outbursts such as intense anger, frustration or annoyance when they are unable to complete tasks or fulfill expectations, especially those they set for themselves. In addition, individuals with ADHD have difficulty maintaining attention during lectures, meetings or other long-term tasks. They may not hear what is being said or missed critical details that others would have understood.
Dr. Hallowell states: "They're going to be watching the clock, they're going to be looking out the window…" He then added that you should "…never ask an ADHD person when they're going to do something; just tell them; or if you can't do that at least have a consequence for them. If you can't look into their face and tell them, threaten them with a consequence for not doing it."
Some people with ADD may be hard to read, which causes problems in relationships. They may appear to be aloof or lacking in emotion. They may tend to focus on things that are not relevant or may be less concerned about other people's feelings.
ADD: An Opportunity To Learn
According to Dr. Hallowell, ADHD is "a mixed blessing" because it can present a number of opportunities for learning, especially when the individual with ADHD has been able to learn over a period of time and develop new habits to counteract this condition. Dr. Hallowell believes "There are many things that we can learn, that you wouldn't expect a person with ADHD to do or be able to do. And usually there's something else in their life that's behind the ADD behavior."
The training wheels on the bike are removed only long enough to develop new skills and habits, then they go back on. The good news is that even though this may be a temporary setback, it is an opportunity for learning. Dr. Hallowell says that "in order for ADHD kids to get more out of their ADD than the experience of living with it, you have to make sure that they take responsibility for what happens. That is the key. The doctor has to make sure that the child or the adult takes responsibility for what happens."
What Makes ADHD So Hard To Diagnose
There are so many possible symptoms associated with ADD and so many ways in which it can affect an individual that it can be difficult to make a definitive diagnosis. A correct diagnosis is important because a number of medical conditions resemble ADHD, or there could be a combination of other things causing the symptoms. For example, the symptoms listed above can also be caused by learning disabilities, depression, substance abuse or head injury. It's also possible to have more than one disorder at a time although this is not very common.
Dr. Hallowell reports that an ADHD child may have a number of symptoms other than the "inattention" characteristics listed above, including sleep and eating disorders, mood problems and anxiety. He says that a child with ADHD is likely to have "a very low frustration level and a very low threshold for any kind of stress."
Characteristics Of People With ADHD
Dr. Hallowell notes that "What you find when you look at kids with ADD is that they're very impulsive, (they) jump from one thing to another…They have trouble waiting for their turn when they play games. And there's this constant restlessness. And they have difficulty getting up to meet responsibilities."
Like people with ADHD who are prone to nervousness and worry, the mother of a young girl with the condition found that her daughter "was much more sensitive than other children. She was constantly worried about things." Dr. Hallowell states: "They find a lot of frustration, there's a lot of fear, there's often depression. It's not unusual for ADD kids to have several different kinds of anxiety."
Dr. Hallowell describes a 14-year old boy with ADHD who was referred for counseling because his teachers felt he had oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Conclusion
Dr. Hallowell reports that some of the most important things we can do to help kids with ADHD are:
Create a stable, consistent and loving home life; Get a complete medical exam including blood work to make sure there are no underlying medical conditions; Make sure that your child gets the right kind of help and support at school so he/she can succeed in school.
If you suspect that your child has ADD, then you should consult a pediatrician, psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in ADD.
While I was working on this article I asked my friend Mary if her son had been diagnosed with ADHD. She answered "No" then added: "I don't think they even heard of it back then.
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ADD: Is It Or Isn't It?