Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common medical problem. In 2011, approximately 11% of schoolchildren in the United States, which is the equivalent of 6.4 million children, were diagnosed with ADHD. Two thirds of the children are boys. There are many historically significant people with ADHD, such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Walt Disney, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Benjamin Franklin. ADHD has certain characteristics, types, and causes that can help you understand it better.
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Part 1 of 2: Understanding ADHD Basic Knowledge
Step 1. Pay attention to attitudes associated with ADHD
Children are generally hyperactive and their behavior is unpredictable, so it is very difficult to recognize the symptoms of ADHD in them. Adults can also have ADHD and exhibit the symptoms that children have. If you feel that your child or loved one is acting differently or is more difficult to control than usual, he or she may have ADHD. There are several signs to look for if you think your child or loved one has ADHD.
- Notice if he daydreams a lot, misses things, forgets things, can't keep still, talks too much, takes unnecessary risks, makes mistakes because he's careless, makes decisions that aren't well thought out, can't resist temptation, don't want to take turns while playing, or have trouble making friends with other people.
- If your child or loved one has this problem, you may need to take him to a psychologist to check if he has ADHD or not.
Step 2. Seek professional help to diagnose ADHD
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has released a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) which is used by professional psychologists and psychiatrists to diagnose mental disorders such as ADHD. The manual has now reached its 5th edition. The book describes there are three types of ADHD. To determine whether a person can be diagnosed with ADHD or not, some of the symptoms must be present by the time he or she is 12 years old and occur for at least six months in more than one environment. The diagnosis should be made by a trained expert.
- Symptoms that appear are not in harmony with a person's developmental level and are seen as interfering with daily activities in the work, social, or school environment. Several symptoms must be considered to be interfering with the person's life before he or she can be diagnosed with hyperactive-impulsive type ADHD. Symptoms also cannot be attributed to another mental disorder or psychotic disorder.
- The 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual requires children aged 16 and under to have at least six symptoms before being diagnosed with ADHD. For people aged 17 and over, they must have five symptoms before being diagnosed with ADHD.
Step 3. Recognize the symptoms of neglect of ADHD
There are three types of ADHD and one of them is inattentive type ADHD which has a different set of symptoms. People who have this type of ADHD will have at least five to six symptoms that appear when the person does or has the following habits:
- Making careless and careless mistakes while at work, school, or doing other activities.
- Has difficulty paying attention while working or playing.
- Seems to not pay attention to the other person when the person is talking directly to him.
- Does not finish cleaning the house, doing homework or office work, and easily distracted.
- Having problems with neatness.
- Avoid work that requires ongoing attention, such as schoolwork.
- Has trouble remembering where to put things or often loses keys, glasses, paper, tools, or other items.
- His mind is easily distracted.
- Forgetful
Step 4. Watch for symptoms of the hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD
Symptoms of hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD must appear very significantly because these symptoms can only be seen as ADHD symptoms if they interfere with someone's life. Here are the attitudes to watch out for:
- His feet or hands like to knock on the floor, table or other objects continuously because he feels restless.
- For children, it is rude to run or climb.
- For adults, like to feel restless.
- Having trouble playing quietly or doing activities that don't cause noise.
- Always actively moving without ever stopping.
- Talking too much.
- Said suddenly without thinking carefully before he even got a question.
- Having trouble being able to wait his turn.
- Cutting other people's words or joining discussions or games that other people are doing without being invited.
- Do not have strong patience.
- Make inappropriate comments, express emotions freely, or behave without considering the consequences.
Step 5. Look for symptoms of combined type ADHD
A person can be diagnosed with combined type of ADHD if he has at least six symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity and forgetfulness type ADHD. This is the most common type of ADHD diagnosed in children.
Step 6. Know the causes of ADHD
The exact cause of ADHD has yet to be established, but genes are generally believed to play a large role because DNA abnormalities are common in people with ADHD. In addition, studies have shown that there is a relationship between children with ADHD and mothers who drink alcohol or inhale cigarette smoke. In addition, being exposed to lead as a child also has a relationship with people with ADHD.
There is still a lot of research to be done to find the exact cause of ADHD, but the triggers for this disorder are difficult to decipher because each case of ADHD is different
Part 2 of 2: Understanding Difficulties in Dealing with ADHD
Step 1. Learn the basic ganglia
Scientific analysis shows that the brains of people with ADHD are slightly different because the two structures in the brain tend to be smaller. The first structure, the basal ganglia (basal ganglia), regulates muscle movement. In addition, these structures also give signals to the muscles to determine which muscles should rest or work when a person is doing an activity.
This can be seen in limbs that are moved because people with ADHD feel restless, when the muscles of the limbs should be resting. In addition, he also moves his hands, feet, or pencil to knock on the floor or table even though his limbs don't really need to move
Step 2. Learn the role of the prefrontal cortex
The second, smaller-than-usual structure of the brain that people with ADHD have is the prefrontal cortex. These structures are central to the brain in carrying out executive functions (a set of cognitive processes, such as planning, problem solving, and reasoning, which are needed in the cognitive control of a person's behavior), such as memory, learning, and attention regulation. This function is needed in helping people to be active intellectually.
- The prefrontal cortex affects levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is directly related to a person's ability to focus attention. People with ADHD tend to have lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Serotonin, another neurotransmitter found in the prefrontal cortex, has an impact on a person's mood, sleepiness, and appetite.
- A smaller than normal prefrontal cortex as well as lower levels of dopamine and serotonin can make people with ADHD have great difficulty focusing attention. These three problems make him insensitive to external stimuli that flood the brain simultaneously. People with ADHD have difficulty focusing attention on one task at a time; Pletora of stimuli results in high distractibility (difficulty in paying attention so that the mind keeps switching from one thing to another) as well as reduced impulse control.
Step 3. Understand the consequences for people with ADHD if they don't get a diagnosis
If a person with ADHD does not get special assistance that can help him get a quality education, his chances of becoming homeless, unemployed, or incarcerated will be greater. The government estimates that about 10% of adults with learning disabilities are out of work. It is possible that the percentage of people with ADHD who can't get or keep a job is as high as people with learning disabilities because people with ADHD tend to have trouble focusing, organizing, managing time, and controlling social skills. These are attitudes that are considered important for company leaders.
- While it is difficult to measure the percentage of homeless or unemployed people who have ADHD, one study estimated that 40% of men who received long-term prison terms may have ADHD. In addition, people with ADHD also have a greater tendency to abuse drugs and it is very difficult to get rid of the addiction.
- It is estimated that nearly half of people diagnosed with ADHD self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.
Step 4. Provide Support
It is important for parents, educators, and psychologists to find ways to guide children and adults with ADHD to deal with these deficiencies so that they can lead safe, healthy, and happy lives. The more support he gets, the calmer he will feel. If you suspect your child has ADHD, take him to a psychologist for a diagnosis as soon as possible so he can get the right treatment.
As the child grows older, some of the symptoms of hyperactivity may go away, but the symptoms of neglect may persist throughout his life. The problem of neglect can cause other problems when he grows up so that it must receive separate treatment
Step 5. Pay attention to other conditions
In almost all cases, a diagnosis of ADHD is a tough one to deal with. However, one in every five people with ADHD is diagnosed with a more serious mental disorder. These disorders include depression or bipolar disorder which often occurs with ADHD. In addition, a third of children with ADHD also have a behavioral disorder, such as conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
- ADHD tends to coexist with learning disabilities and anxiety.
- Depression and anxiety often appear when children are in high school because pressure from home, school, and peers increases at that time. It can also make ADHD symptoms worse.
