ADHD News and Treatment
Attention deficit disorder often persists into adulthood
Everyone has distracted moments. We lose our keys, forget our list when we go shopping or are late for an appointment from time to time.
These things happen to most of us and are considered quite normal, if annoying.
However, when there is a disorder involved, such as ADD or ADHD, that’s when things become serious.
The feelings attached to ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) include confusion, frustration and sadness when one can’t move from intention to action.
At home or work, relationships can suffer due to disorganization and inconsistent behaviour. A job may be jeopardized because work is late, incomplete or inaccurate.
According to the Centre for ADHD/ADD Advocacy Canada, the most conservative estimates indicate ADHD affects more than one million Canadians.
Experts estimate 80 per cent of children diagnosed with ADHD continue to meet the criteria for diagnosis in adolescence and more than 60 per cent report symptoms in adulthood.
ADHD has a significant impact on our social and economic systems and is estimated to cost the Canadian economy close to $8 million each year.
ADHD often runs in families. According to research, if one person in a family has ADHD there is a 25 to 35 per cent chance another family member also has it.
What if your partner’s behaviours are all indicators of undiagnosed ADHD?
Indicators may be:
– being easily distracted
– being forgetful
– low self-esteem
– difficulty following through on tasks
– tendency to tune out
– impatience
– impulsiveness, either verbally or in action, such as spending money, changing plans, changing careers
– mood swings
– often being late
– being disorganized
– chronic procrastination
– need for high stimulation. ADHD is a complex neurobiological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to function normally. Experts say it is probably due in part to a lack of certain neurochemicals.
ADHD/ADD is recognized by mental health professionals as one of the most common disorders of childhood, and was previously thought to resolve itself in adolescence.
During the past decade there has been a growing awareness that for many if not most individuals with ADD, it persists into adulthood. Effective treatment of adult ADD is a relatively new area of study.
The diagnosis for this condition needs to be done by a specialist. A doctor or psychiatrist who has specialized training in this field generally does it. Proper diagnosis and medication prescribed by the doctor or psychiatrist is recommended.
Cognitive therapy, behaviour modification and lifestyle changes with the help of the therapist can go far to diminish or eliminate these issues.
The good news is that ADHD/ADD often affects people who are creative, intuitive and highly intelligent.
Some famous people who probably had the disorder include: Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and Richard Branson.
Counselling deals not only with the symptoms, but also the resulting issues related to emotions, self-esteem, relationships, work performance, etc.
Couple counselling can go far to help the non-ADD partner understand how these behaviours are linked to ADD and not to an unwillingness or lack of care coming from the ADD partner.
Learning new ways to gain control of ADD-related problems is an important part of coping with ADD. A first step is to gain insight and understanding of how ADD impacts your life. This understanding can then be used to identify the challenges and eventually to develop new strategies and skills for dealing with your ADD symptoms, problems and relationship challenges.
Here are some coping strategies for Adult ADD/ADHD:
1. Increase structure: make lists, use schedules, establish routines, prioritize tasks, break down large projects into parts and develop a step-by-step plan
2. Exercise
3. Take frequent breaks
4. Create variety and novelty to sustain interest and motivate
5. Keep a notepad on hand
6. Modify your work environment
7. Become more aware of your thoughts -train yourself to think before acting
8. Make plans, don’t let impulses have control
What if someone you love, who you feel you have to parent and nag; who is often disappointing and lets you down; who doesn’t seem to listen; and is forgetful, actually has undiagnosed ADHD?
What if the reason behind his/her impulsivity and irresponsible behaviour is not due to not caring or ignoring you, but due to this disorder? Malegra – Viagra + Cymbalta
Wouldn’t that make it a whole lot easier to forgive, understand and help give you hope that this relationship can be saved?
Camp STAR to offer evidence-based therapy for children with ADHD
Camp STAR, the Chicago area’s only summer camp offering evidence-based therapy for children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and other behavioral, emotional and social difficulties, begins its fourth season in June.
The camp, whose name stands for Summer Treatment for ADHD and Related Issues, is a partnership of the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Jewish Council for Youth Services.
The director of Camp STAR, Dr. Mark Stein, professor of psychiatry at UIC’s Institute for Juvenile Research, says that the program is not only effective in reducing ADHD symptoms, but in teaching skills to children and their parents that can improve social functioning. Children with ADHD and associated problems often struggle to fit in at typical camps that do not address their special needs, Stein said.
“At Camp STAR we have the opportunity to provide a very intensive treatment using behavior modification, modeling, medication and by looking at a variety of activities — how the child participates in sports, and how the family structures the home,” Stein said. “We’re able to dramatically change their behavior. The really exciting thing is that many of the children, by the end of the summer, have had a success experience, and it translates into them feeling better about themselves.”
Every child gets an individualized treatment plan to teach and reward social skills, improve attention, and control impulsive behaviors. A one to two staff-to-camper ratio ensures that each child receives individual attention. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, education, or health-related fields staff Camp STAR.
Camp STAR is based on the behavioral therapy principles used in the Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD, which showed that children who participated in a summer treatment program obtained a high level of success with lower doses of medication than children who did not receive behavioral treatment.
Camp STAR combines typical camp activities with behavioral treatments to improve social skills and anger management, reduce oppositional behaviors, and enhance self-esteem.
FDA Approves New Drug For The Treatment Of ADHD
There’s a new option available for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or “ADHD” in patients aged six to 17.
The FDA has approved a once-daily nonstimulant drug called Intuniv.
Medical expert Dr. Floyd Randy Sallee of the University of Cincinnati says Intuniv may provide relief to patients who’ve experienced side effects with stimulants.
Dr. Sallee adds that side effects of stimulants can include interference with sleep, agitation, and appetite suppression.
Intuniv may be taken alone or in combination with stimulants.
But what separates ADHD from the energy of a growing child? Dr. Sallee says that when a young patient’s hyperactivity begins to interfere with his or her family relationships, friendships, and/or an ability to learn, parents should seek answers.
Dr. Sallee also says that people with ADHD typically have a high level of cognitive flexibility — or an openness to a wide range of thoughts and activities.
Some of the notable individuals who’ve discussed their experiences ADHD according to a recent Parenting.com feature include pop star and actor Justin Timberlake, chef Jamie Oliver, and celebrity socialite Paris Hilton.