Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
With a smile on my face, I entered my son’s school confidently since it was Card Day. He has ASD with ADHD and the symptoms observed on my son during his initial assessment were hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattentiveness and lacking in focus. This means it will be very challenging to make him sit down and listen to the teacher.
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Many individuals with ADHD can find getting organized a challenge. Patients with ADHD are unable to efficiently use and process norepinephrine and dopamine. These two have an impact on the “frontal cortex, which gives us the ability to plan and organize while focusing on and identifying internal and external stimuli,” explained Samoon Ahmad, MD.
That said, they “often struggle with a cluster of cognitive skills called executive functioning. Executive functioning includes behaviors such as time management, initiating tasks, organization, prioritizing, and follow-through,” wrote Scott Shapiro, MD.
However, it is critical to managing ADHD. When you can organize your life and your surroundings, you may quickly find that your thoughts become more organized as well. The organization is a key step in managing ADHD and is a process typically worked on through behavioral therapy. However, getting organized is much harder than it sounds for those who struggle with ADHD. Here are some tips and tricks to help you organize your life.
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Many individuals with ADHD also have either anxiety or depression in their lifetime. In fact, it is estimated that as many as seventy percent of individuals who have ADHD will suffer from either anxiety or depression during their lifetime. “Even with the correct diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety and depression were also present as primary diagnoses,” said Frank Lawlis, PhD.
According to Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD, “Recent research has indicated that 2/3 of children with children with ADHD, which is actually a neurological problem, also have a mental health diagnosis. […] The bottom line is that when a child with ADHD also has depression, it can become messy to sort out what exactly is actually going on.” There are times when depression and anxiety have nothing to do with ADHD.
Either way, they can add to the stress and constant feeling of discouragement that goes along with living an ADHD life. Many women who have ADHD also experience feelings of sadness and/or anxiousness with their ADHD. These feelings become worse for women during PMS. In fact, many ADHD women suffer from PMS times infinity. The symptoms of depression and severe anxiety also seem to heighten for women with ADHD when they reach menopause. The question becomes: what can you do to relieve the symptoms and function when all you want to do is pull the covers over your head and quit?
Have you ever wondered why some children develop ADHD, even without a genetic history? ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is so prevalent these days that the APA (American Psychiatric Association) has confirmed in statistics that 5% of American children have this behavioral problem. The more alarming fact is that acetaminophen, a component in over-the-counter drugs, has the ability to trigger the development of ADHD in infants while inside the womb. This is a very controversial study on pregnant women as linked with ADHD and acetaminophen.
“For a long time, acetaminophen [was] considered [one of] the few safe pain and fever relief medications during pregnancy,” Xiaobin Wang, MD, MPH, said. “However, previous studies based on maternal self-report and our study based on acetaminophen metabolite biomarkers showed consistent findings between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risk of ADHD risk, and possibly, ASD as well.”
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If you are
an adult struggling with ADHD, you may find it difficult to manage and maintain relationships. This is more common than you may realize. In fact, many individuals with ADHD struggle with maintaining a relationship.
Many individuals, in general, struggle with maintaining relationships. However, adults with ADHD can find that there are ways to make relationships work. Here are some tips on how to make sure relationships are successful when you struggle with ADHD.
Individuals struggling with ADHD already know the impact that it can have on the ability to function and make it through the day. You may be sitting around wondering what is wrong with you. You have spent more time trying to remember what you are supposed to be doing than what needs to be done. You feel like you have so many things to do that there is no way you will ever be able to focus on just one. Many individuals diagnosed with ADHD take medications. There are numerous things that you can do that can help without having to take pills. Here are some changes you can make that can help you have control of your life and assist you in functioning through your daily tasks. Your brain is wired differently. That is nothing to be ashamed of, but you do need to be aware of it and realize that it means you aren’t going to be able to function the same way non-ADHD individuals function.
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The difficulty in focusing and listening may be a common “issue” for many people. But believe it or not, adults with ADHD experience it much harder. By not being able to concentrate on tasks, they face challenges that leave them struggling. How do you know if your ADHD is already causing big trouble in your work life or your life in general? Are you taking the necessary actions and measures to make sure you don’t “overdo” anything and everything? Maybe you need to try some focus exercises to keep your mind in tip-top shape.
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Many individuals struggle with ADHD. One of the challenges that many people with ADHD face is the onset of random panic attacks. For those who have them on a daily basis, they can prevent living a productive life. Panic attacks can come from a variety of different places. You may have received them genetically, something may have changed suddenly in your life with no warning, you may have gone through a traumatic ordeal, or you may have irregularities in your brain that cause the attacks.
Anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack knows that it comes with a feeling of being completely out of control. “A full-blown panic attack is not just a strong feeling of anxiety but rather an explosion of terror that the brain reserves for only the most horrifying events,” Jason E. Schiffman, MD, MA, MBA, describes. You feel like you have no control of the situation or yourself in that instance. Panic attacks can also have physical symptoms. You may experience your heart beating funny, feeling like you are out of breath, chest pain, sweating, or other physical signs that you are having a panic attack. Sean Grover L.C.S.W. says, “Sometimes just worrying about having a panic attack can trigger one. ” If you find yourself having a panic attack, here are some steps you can take to overcome the anxiety attack and keep moving.
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is largely genetic in origin. The brains of people with ADHD do not work the same way as those without the disorder. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that make it possible for nerve cells to communicate with one another. In ADHD sufferers, there are insufficient neurotransmitters present in the area of the brain that is responsible for regulating attention and behavior. Dopamine and norepinephrine, the faulty neurotransmitter systems, are responsible for governing the executive functions of the brain, hence those with ADHD have trouble planning and organizing their lives and controlling their emotions. Samoon Ahmad, M.D. adds, “Beyond genetics, some other factors the team cited include childhood exposure to high levels of lead, infant hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (when newborns do not receive enough oxygen to their brains), and prenatal exposure to nicotine.”
Management of ADHD includes a combination of medication, counseling, and lifestyle changes. Research has proven that medication itself will not cure the symptoms of the disorder, and psychotherapy is necessary to help the individual learn to live with the condition.
Finding love is never easy. But, if you have found love in the company of another person, then you will surely want to keep it forever. Maintaining a happy relationship can be tricky, especially for adults with ADHD. Luckily for you, we have listed several tips to follow in keeping the love burning alive.
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