Every time you turn on your TV lately you see adverts featuring adults who can’t concentrate images jumping across the screen and phasing in and out of view. But what is it? Do you have it? Is it a new disease? How would you know if you did have it?
What is ADHD and what is ADD?Well ADHD and ADD is basically one and the same thing. They are genetic disorders that affect portions of your brain including the portion that controls “executive functions”.Executive functions include the ability to organize, to remember what you were asked to do and to finish a task. If a person is also fidgety then they most likely have Attention Deficit Hyperativity Disorder (ADHD).
Why are we hearing so much about ADHD now?Children are being diagnosed much earlier now than ever before and since it is rare to find just one person in a family with the disorder, parents are realizing that they may be suffering with ADHD.
How common are ADD and ADHD?Experts put the figure at approximately 4% of the population -- That’s 14 million people in the USA and nearly 3 million in the UK. Most of these sufferers are undiagnosed, and will remain so until a better understanding of the symptoms reach the general public.It affects men and women equally, even though it has always been considered a boys disease. This is mainly because disruptive behavior at school is usually associated with boys. However, as children get to the teenage years and early adulthood, just as many girls report symptoms of ADD.
What are the symptoms?•Disorganization•Procrastination•Easily distracted•Poor time management•Forgetful•Difficulty multi-tasking
Some of these symptoms may be more pronounced than others. If you are trying to cope with many things in your daily life (such as bringing up children with ADD as well as working) these symptoms may become worse.Just because your house is messy or your desk isn’t always clear, it doesn’t mean that you have ADD.
If my children have ADD are they doomed to under achieving?In fact high achievers can also have ADD. They will just have to work harder than others to get the same results. You can help them by removing distractions from around them, especially when they are doing homework.
I think I may have ADD or ADHD -- What do I do?Find a therapist, a psychologist or a psychiatrist who has expertise in this area; try http://www.chadd.org for a list of these.A combination of counseling, coaching and drugs can help you learn to cope with this condition.
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