Everything you need to know about ADHD!

Everyone has heard of ADHD, it’s a mental condition that has affected millions of people around the world, from kids, teens, and adults who still suffer from the effects of this condition.

Misconceptions about ADHD are very common. A lot of people tend to self-diagnose with ADHD without knowing the science behind it or understanding the severity of this disorder.

Due to the seriousness of ADHD, I think everyone should understand exactly what this disorder is and how it affects people so they know what to do if they were diagnosed with it or how to help someone who suffers from ADHD.

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurological disorder that affects parts of the brain that are associated with focus, effective planning, and performing tasks.

People with ADHD have trouble with impulse-control, focusing and organization.

Unlike what many people think, ADHD is not a mental illness or a behavioral disorder. It is a brain-development impairment which can first be seen in kids from 6-12 years old and can continue to adulthood.

This can bring about a number of different challenges throughout a persons life and depending on the severity, a proper plan should be put in place to ensure individuals can learn to have more control over their ADHD and lead a normal, and healthy life.

There are a lot of symptoms that can indicate a person has ADHD. And although symptoms can vary from person to person, some common ones can be seen in all types of ADHD. These can include:

Lack of focus

Impulsiveness

Hyperactivity

Inattentiveness

Feeling overly emotional

There are 3 types of ADHD:

Hyperactive/Impulsive ADHD

Inattentive ADHD

Combined-type ADHD

Hyperactive ADHD is the least common type of ADHD. People suffering from this tend to act without thinking. They can talk at times when it’s not appropriate, interrupt others, and can be highly impatient.

Kids with Hyperactive ADHD have little impulse-control, constantly moving and running around and can’t seem to stay in one place for too long.

The same can’t be said for adults as they are more aware and in control, but they can often be seen fidgeting and squirming like moving their legs back and forth, tapping on a surface or chewing on a pencil which are common ways of expressing those hyperactive emotions.

Inattentive ADHD which is more common than the first one, is where people have difficulty focusing, paying attention to detail, and following instructions. They have a habit of forgetting things and are easily distracted especially if they’re not interested in whatever they’re doing.

This is a more dangerous type because these symptoms can be mistaken as carelessness or poor parenting and often goes undiagnosed.

Combined-type ADHD is the most common type among kids and adults. These people exhibit a mixture of both inattentiveness as well as hyperactivity.

To qualify for diagnosis, individuals must show at least 6 of the 9 symptoms of each type, or symptoms of both types adding up to 6 over a period of at least 6 months.

Treatments of ADHD can vary from taking medications to natural exercises and techniques that help reduce the severity of ADHD.

Taking medications is the best way to treat ADHD. Common central nervous system stimulants like Aderall or Focalin are highly effective because they work by increasing low levels of Dopamine and Norepinephrine which play a major part in maintaining focus.

Other treatments include regular exercise, meditation, having a balanced and nutritious diet and taking on small, easy tasks to help train your brain. This might be a longer route to treating ADHD, but it’s still very important as they are proven effective and can help in the long-term.

ADHD is not something to be taken lightly and can lead to problems not only to the one suffering from it but also to the people around them.

Catching early signs and correct diagnosis is very important to avoid long term damage.