Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Some students have major difficulties in life when faced with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or more commonly referred to as “ADHD” , although if recognized early by noticing symptoms this disorder can be properly treated and contained causing minimal troubles for the victim. ADHD will distinguish itself commonly at an early age. There are exceptions to this with ADHD in adults. Some people can go years without noticing their disorder. These people in particular fall to the devastating effects of this disorder. They do have the power in their case to recognize the problem and see a doctor in order to receive treatment. There is a wide array of treatment available for those diagnosed with ADHD. This paper will break down information published by various authors and professionals in the medical field.

How noticeable is ADHD? The answer is ADHD is very noticeable if you are familiar with the symptoms that accompany it. According to Mannering (1998) some of the few symptoms to look out for are inattention, hyperactivity and disorganization. Inattention is when you notice that a person is having a hard time paying attention, usually this involves when a person is missing details and making common mistakes (Mannering, 1998). A child who may have frequent instances instead of just a single occurrence may have ADHD. This is simply because a person with ADHD will have constant symptoms. A person with problems everywhere rather than just at school and not at home should seek medical attention. Symptoms can vary depending on the level of ADHD. Some people may have a more advanced type of ADHD while others may have mild ADHD with mild symptoms. These symptoms can be very hard to control if not treated, they can cause a wide variety of problems at school, home, work etc.

Also, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2013) a person suffering from ADHD will exhibit some common characteristics from within inattention. For example a child with ADHD may commonly have trouble holding attention on a task for a long period of time. Another example of inattention is a student may often fail to finish schoolwork, chores, and any other daily tasks that will require direct attention. Some of the few characteristics to look out for when looking for hyperactivity includes excessive talking, profuse fidgeting, and in most cases the subject will interrupt often (CDC, 2013). There are many symptoms to watch for when trying to evaluate another person to see if they may have ADHD, the symptoms will present themselves in many noticeable ways if familiar with the symptoms accompanied with ADHD.

In addition to the symptoms come the many effects and difficulties the subject will have to face if unaware of the disorder or not receiving proper treatment. Most people unfamiliar with ADHD can perceive the disorder as a burden when some positive effects can come out of it. That being said there’s also a negative side to this disorder. For example one of the negative effects of the disorder is that it is a lifelong disorder (Martin, 2007). Another one of the negative effects that accompanies ADHD is that some people are probable to abuse their medications (Martin, 2007). Also most adolescents if they are left untreated will resort to substance abuse of recreational drugs. Children with ADHD tend to do worse in school by not turning in assignments and being easily distracted off the task at hand (Austin, Reiss, Burgdorf, 2007). Unmanaged ADHD can lead to many problems into adulthood including depression, anxiety, and in some cases, divorce (Kessler, 2013). There are many negatives involved in ADHD, but what’s often overlooked, are the positives. One of these positives is the fact that this disorder is very manageable and treatable. We have an extended amount of knowledge from numerous studies that have been done since the disorder was discovered. From these studies we now know that this disorder can affect people in many ways and be a burden on someone if not treated properly.

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine (Alexander & Stockton, 2000).

There is an effort to eradicate non-medical use and to decrease over diagnosing. That being said, there is also another way to help manage ADHD in the form of psychotherapy. Seeing a therapist can help a person to relieve stress and talk about the disorder. Also, the therapist will often teach the patient social skills or help the patient to learn how to control his hyperactivity or impulsiveness (NIMH, 2014). This type of therapy is called behavioral therapy. The point of this type of therapy is to change the behavior of the patient (NIMH, 2014). During this therapy the parents are suggested be supportive and educational in many ways to help change the child’s behavior. For example they are suggested to offer rewards and give praise when the child achieves in something (CDC, 2013). There are many treatments to help manage ADHD, including therapy and medications.

That being said, ADHD is a major difficulty and offers a tough roadblock to go through, but with noticing the symptoms and effects, you can offer the proper treatment required to manage the disorder. Students especially face a huge challenge when diagnosed with the disorder. Students are required to give their full attention day in and day out while attending school and this disorder prohibits attention. ADHD can be a burden to live with and can cause many problems for a person struggling to manage it. The effects can lead to impulsiveness and hyperactivity. There is a wide variety of treatment available for one suffering from this disorder, although certain medications have caused a controversy over the years. The disorder will continue to be researched and studied to discover more about it and also discover more treatments.

References

Alexander, M.A., & Stockton, G.S. (October, 2000). Methylphenidate abuse and
psychiatric side affects Retrieved March 18th, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181133/ Austin, M.A, Reiss, N.R., & Burgdorf, L.B (November, 2007). Living with ADHD Retrieved March 18th, 2014 from http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=13873&cn=3 Center for Disease Control (2013). Retrieved March 18th, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/index.html Kessler, E. (n.d.). Smart Kids With LD. Smart Kids With LD RSS. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.smartkidswithld.org/ld-basics/treatments-and-support/untreated-adhd-lifelong-risks Mannering, E. (2014, March 11). ADHD Symptoms: What To Watch For. WebProNews. Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.webpronews.com/adhd-symptoms-what-to-watch-for-2014-03 Martin, B. (2007). Causes of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD). Psych central. Retrieved March 19th, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/causes-of-attention-deficit-disorder-adhd/0001202 National Institute of Mental Health (2014). Retrieved March 19th, 2014 from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml#part6