Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is still something of a mystery to researchers who speak of it sometimes as if it were a single condition and sometimes as if it were a broad range of problems. Many interesting figures in history have been identified and diagnosed as exhibiting the characteristics of ADHD. Benjamin Franklin, Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, Leonard da Vinci, and Albert Einstein are just a few who could have been labeled as ADHD if they were alive today. Not bad company. Adults who have ADHD, when asked about their experiences during childhood, offer interesting insights into what it was like to have grown up with attention difficulties. Many of the recollections focus on the negative aspects of the disorder with reference to poor social relationships and failure to satisfy others. Also, there are repeatedly memories of family conflict, of not living up to parents’ expectations, being social outcasts, of teacher criticism, and feelings of low self-esteem.

Imagine a kid living in a fast-moving video arcade where sounds, images, thoughts, and feelings are constantly in motion. These kids are easily bored while unable to keep their minds on the tasks that need to be completed. Attracted by every sight and sound, their minds drive these kids from one frantic thought or activity and on to the next. So much can be going on that these kids don’t even notice when someone speaks directly to them. Welcome to the challenging life experiences of what it’s like to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. For these kids there are four hundred different ways to sit in a chair. Planning ahead, finishing tasks, or being fully aware of what is going on around them is often more of a challenge and aggravation for those around them. To their family, teachers, classmates, and later, to their coworkers, they seem to exist in a whirlwind of disorganized or frenzied activity. Seemingly as baffling to others around them, kids with ADHD can, on some days and in some situations, seem fine. This often leads others to think the kid with ADHD can actually control these behaviors. The disorder can seriously damage relationships with others, disrupt daily life while consuming energy and diminishing self-esteem and self-acceptance.

The picture is not hopeless. There is help. Much is known about the disorder and we are able to identify and treat children, adolescents, and adults who have ADHD. An array of medications, behavior-changing therapies and educational alternatives have been formulated to assist people with ADHD to focus their attention, build self-esteem and self-acceptance, and function in more productive ways.

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

An attention deficit disorder is a neurobiological disorder which is characterized by attention skills that are developmentally inappropriate. ADHD is not like having pneumonia or measles which have clear physical signs that can be determined from specific laboratory tests.  ADHD can only be identified by looking for certain characteristic behaviors. To make matters more difficult and perplexing, these behaviors may vary from person to person. Researchers have not identified a single cause for all the different behavior patterns exhibited by ADHD. The  most common behaviors cluster into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Since the behaviors must create a real hardship in at least two areas of a person’s life, someone whose work and friendships are not impaired by these behaviors would not be diagnosed with ADHD.  Nor would a child who seems overly active at school but functions well elsewhere. In fact, many things can produce the behaviors that are assessed to determine ADHD. Situational conditions such as chronic fear or a physical-biological condition such as mild seizures can make a child seem overactive, quarrelsome, impulsive, or inattentive. Defeating classroom situations can lead to ADHD-like behaviors. Such a situation is if a child has a learning disability and is not developmentally ready to work at the expected level. The work in the classroom may be too hard or too easy leading to agonizing frustration or boredom.

It is important to look at the developmental stage of the a child or teen. At some stages, many children tend to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive and do not have ADHD. Preschoolers have lots of energy and run everywhere they go. Teenagers often go through a phase when they are sloppy, disorganized and reject authority. ADHD is a serious diagnosis that may necessitate long-term treatment with counseling and medication. It is important that everyone concerned with a child or adolescent look for and treat other possible causes of ADHD-like behaviors.

Outgrown or Cured?

Even though most people do not outgrow ADHD, people do learn to adapt and live fulfilling lives. With effective combinations of medicine, new skills, and emotional support, people with ADHD can develop ways to control their attention and minimize their disruptive behaviors. As they grow up, with appropriate help from parents and counselors, children with ADHD become better able to suppress their hyperactivity and to channel it into more socially acceptable behaviors. Half of all children with ADHD will still show signs of the problem into adulthood. The medications and therapy that help children also work for adults. More and more adults with ADHD are being recognized and diagnoses. Support groups for adults have been formed throughout the U.S. These groups encourage adults with ADHD to share accounts of their experiences with one another and to learn new ways of coping.

Conclusions

Many people with ADHD feel that their patterns of behavior give them unique, often unrecognized, advantages. People with ADHD tend to be outgoing and ready for action. Because of their drive for excitement and stimulation, many become successful in business, construction, and public speaking. Because of their ability to think about many things in rapid succession, many have won acclaim as artists and inventors. Many choose work that gives them freedom to move around and release excess energy.

Book Resources

  • Taking Charge of ADHD
    by R.A. Barkley (1995)
    New York: Guilford Press
  • The ADD Hyperactivity Workbook for Parents, Teachers and Kids
    by H.C. Parker (1994)
    Plantation, Florida: Specialty Press, Inc.
  • Attention Deficit Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment From Infancy to Adulthood
    by P. Quinn (1996)
    New York: Brunner/Mazel
  • Hyperactive Children Grown Up
    by G. Weiss and L. Hechtman (1993)
    New York: Guilford Press

For More Information

International

Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorders (CHADD)
(800) 233-4050
www.chadd.org

National

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
(484) 945-2101
www.adda.org

Local

C.H.A.D.D.
Local Chapter-Silicon Valley-Palo Alto
(650) 949-5472

Local Chapter—Latino Branch in S.J.
(888) 432-7174