ADHD Tips

Here are a number of the most common questions I get asked about ADD and ADHD.

What is ADD? Although ADHD is really the technical medical name the disorder, it is still commonly called ADD. ADHD is a neurobiological disorder located in the prefrontal cortex, and it is also a type of brain wiring that is different than that of the general population, affecting all areas of functioning to a degree. The main area of life that it affects is the executive function, or the area of the brain that organizes, plans and executes goals.

People with ADHD have a short attention span, and are incapable of focusing for long periods of time; their minds tend to wander and drift, and they are easily distracted. They have trouble paying attention to daily, routine activities that do not provide high stimulation such as chores, homework, and paperwork. Unfortunately, these activities are everywhere and are needed in order to function in society.

The interesting thing about this disorder is that sufferers can pay attention very well to things that are new, very stimulating, interesting or upsetting. These events provide enough stimulation in and of themselves that they activate the part of the brain that enables concentration; people with ADD need this in order to focus, as they do not have enough adrenaline.

What is the difference between ADD and ADHD?

Attention Deficit Disorder is a very complex, and often times misunderstood, disorder. Its basis is physiological, but it can have a host of ramifications that come along with it. That aside, what are the differences between ADD and ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, with the main symptoms being visible hyperactivity and/or impulsivity – the symptoms that stand out to the objective observer. ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder with the main symptoms being inattention. Many other things can come along with both of these subtypes of ADHD, but those are the distinguishing features of both. For many years, the typical picture of Attention Deficit Disorder has been the little boy that is bouncing off the walls and driving his teachers and parents crazy.

ADHD is by far the most diagnosed of the two subtypes because it is so much more visible than ADD. Hyperactivity creates a lot more distraction and problems in classrooms; therefore, it is far more noticeable. However, even though ADD is less visible, the results of the disorder can just as destructive.

With inattentive attention deficit disorder, or ADD, the person suffering from it will seem spacey and disorganized. Most often, sufferers with this type will be staring out the window during classes and will appear as if they are never quite present. This form of ADD is much more difficult to diagnose, and many sufferers go years without even knowing they have it.

What about Adult ADD? For many years, ADHD was thought to be a disorder suffered by children, and more specifically, one only found in young boys. With the evolvement of medical technology and research, it has become clear that many children with ADD do not outgrow it as they become adults.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become the single most common diagnosis for children with problems concentrating in school or who consistently misbehave. The medical treatment for this condition consists of prescribed doses of stimulants, which increase mental activity and slow down the impulsive outbursts associated with ADHD. However, it is estimated that this diagnosis is reached and medications are prescribed three times more often than is actually the case. Here, we will examine the misdiagnosis of ADHD and what it can mean to you and your family.

There are several problems associated with a misdiagnosis of ADHD. The first is that a child is often prescribed stimulants that are not necessary and carry the risk of serious health related complications. Taking these drugs when they are not needed can lead to heart disease, cause liver problems, create or enhance mental health problems such as anxiety disorder or depression, and much more.

The next issue is that a child who is misdiagnosed as having ADHD may not be receiving treatment for the real problem. Some things that can mimic the symptoms of ADHD include temporal lobe epilepsy, a form of epilepsy that causes “absence” seizures where it appears the child is simply daydreaming, depression, restless leg syndrome, learning disabilities, personality conflicts with a teacher, and even normal, high energy stages of childhood.

In all cases except that of this being a normal stage the child is going through, there are other medical and behavioral treatments and therapies that could eliminate the symptoms and address the child’s real problem without prescribing unnecessary stimulant medications.

Often, when a child is placed on medication for ADHD when it is not the real problem, the symptoms of ADHD go away, but so does the child’s personality. While this may be seen as an improvement to the behavior problems that led to the diagnosis, it actually harms the mental development of the child and inhibits the normal development of social skills that are needed later in life.

Many parents of children who have been misdiagnosed claim that their child is like a robot when taking the medication. He/she goes through the motions of every day life, but there is no spark or spontaneity to the child’s activities. These children often tend to play alone or to stop playing altogether.

Sadly, with so many homes where both parents have to work, these symptoms can go unnoticed for long periods. This means that the child often continues to take unnecessary medication for an extended time frame that allows for more damage to be done to the brain and organs of the developing child.

While ADHD is a valid developmental and behavioral disorder, there is not an empirical test that can positively determine whether a child does or does not suffer from it. The criteria for the diagnosis are all subjective and comparative, meaning that one person may look at a child and reach the diagnosis of ADHD while another sees a perfectly normal child. This leads to a large number of misdiagnoses of ADHD and harms a large number of children and teens each year. Learn about a little known ADHD treatment alternative.

Visit: http://www.ADHD-Discovery.com to read more on this topic.

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ADD / ADHD Infant/Toddler T-Shirt

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Did you know that in spite of receiving special education services or availing of the 504 plan, almost 40% of ADHD children never get a high school diploma.? The figures for university degrees are even worse in that only about 5% of ADHD children actually graduate compared to 27% of the national average in the USA. List medications for ADHD are used in the majority of ADHD cases now which shows that unless they are combined with some form of behaviour therapy, parental support and help at school, then treatment for ADHD may be ineffectual in the long term. In fact the State University of New York at Buffalo found that when a combination therapy was used, the dosage and length of treatment could be reduced by up to 66%. But medications for ADD ADHD are associated with multiple problems which I will now outline.

List of Medications For ADHD

Here is a partial list. Ritalin has been around for forty years but there are no long term studies about its long term effects on the child’s developing brain. It reduces hyperactivity and works quickly. It is not recommended for children with tics or Tourette’s syndrome or blood pressure problems. The usual side effects are weight loss, stomach problems and sleep disorders.

Adderall was withdrawn in Canada because there were reports of sudden deaths among children and the government thought it safer to have it banned. Adderall is a mixture of ‘amphetamine salts’ so the side effects are very similar to Ritalin. Dexedrine is very similar to Adderall but it has been noted that children become bad tempered and vicious when they are on this drug.

Welbutrin is an antidepressant and as such is forbidden for children in the UK. It helps with hyperactivity but not very effective for inattention. The side effects are decreased appetite and taking ages to get to sleep. This drug should be avoided in children with a history of seizures and /or eating disorders. Imipramine is also another antidepressant and does not seem to affect appetite but its negative side effects seem to outweigh this small advantage . Side effects are risk of sudden death from cardiac arrest, overheating, dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, fatigue and blurred vision.

These are just five in the list medications for ADHD and they all seem to follow a disturbing pattern. Thousands of parents now know that there are alternatives to medications for ADD ADHD. Much attention has been placed on cognitive therapy and behaviour therapy which can function very well but some kind of calming medication is needed to keep the ADHD symptoms under control. ADHD homeopathic remedies which are processed in a FDA approved facility are the answer for many parents. Why not join them?

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Every day when you wake up, you probably have something that needs to be done on your mind. Like, I have to get my bills done, or I need to fix that chair that’s been falling apart, or I have to disconnect my computer so I can take it in for service. It’s usually something that needs to be done and has been hanging on your mind for a while. It may not be an emergency, but it just needs to be done. So, you start unplugging the wires from the back of your computer and the phone rings, right? WHOOSH! There go your best laid plans. When you have ADD, you’re always scratching your head, wondering how to make that stop happening.

Step back and realize that you will always be distracted because you have ADD. Some of the distractions will come from the inside–you’ll create them yourself–while others will come from the outside. But realize this: nothing happens if you don’t notice them. Still, distractions are around everybody, all the time.

It’s just impossible to not have distractions because they’re around every single person, ADD or not, all of the time. Even if you have the highest degree of ADD, you can’t pay attention to all the distractions around you because there’s not enough time to keep up with all of them.

But stop looking at distractions as being completely counter-productive. I’m about to show you the benefits. You need to train your ADD brain to a system. Let me show you how that works.

Just allow yourself to be distracted, and make distractions work to your advantage. But only allow yourself to be distracted for a set period of time. It will take a while for this all to sink in and to train your brain to follow this system, but keep working at it.

First, put yourself to solving some problem. Just jump in and concentrate on solving it, until you’re distracted. What’s your attention span–15 minutes, half an hour, a whole hour? Whatever it is, work on your problem until something comes along to get in the way.

When you realize you’re distracted, immediately set a time limit of 15 minutes. Say, “OK, I’m going to do this for 15 minutes,” and maybe set a timer. Here’s the cool part… While you’re busy with the distraction, your subconscious brain is still working on the problem. At the end of the distraction period, you’ll go back to the problem and find that you can move further along, or maybe, you’ll even have a solution.

Systems like this don’t work right away. You’ll need to train your brain to stick to the 15-minute distraction period and then, right back to the problem. This will help to train your subconscious brain, too, and you won’t have to feel guilty about being distracted. Worrying about being distracted is actually just another distraction. When you stop doing this, your frustration level will go down and your success rate will soar.

There’s no getting rid of distractions, so don’t beat yourself up over them. When you have ADD, they’re just a way of life. But if you train your brain to only give them short bursts of time, intermittently while working on a bigger issue, then they may actually help more than hurt you. Keep doing this until your brain is trained and you’re on your way to ADD success!

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Product DescriptionAll Dogs have ADHD looks inspiring and affectionate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), using images and ideas from the canine world to explore a variety of features that will be instantly recognizable to those familiar with ADHD. This charming book combines humor and understanding to reflect the difficulties and joys of raising a child with ADHD and celebrates what it means to be considered “different. Absorbing and enjoyable, the. . . More>>

All Dogs Have ADHD

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Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD is a very complicated, and time and again misinterpreted, disorder. Its beginning is physiological, but it can have a multitude of consequences that come with it. That aside, how do we differentiate between ADHD and ADD? ADHD is the abbreviated form of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, its major indications being noticeable hyperactivity and impulsivity. These are the indications that are noticeable to the purposeful onlooker. ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder with the major indications being lack of concentration. Now a lot of other things can come alongside with both of these subtypes of ADHD, but those are the distinctive characteristics of both.

For several years, the usual picture of Attention Deficit Disorder has been the little boy that is bouncing off the walls and making his teachers and parents go mad. ADHD is beyond a doubt the more identifiable of the two subtypes since it is so much more noticeable than ADD. Since hyperactivity causes a lot more disruption and problems for classrooms, it gets the most notice and will be picked up on a lot quicker. Unluckily, even if ADD is less visible, the consequences of the disorder can just as negative.

With negligent attention deficit disorder, or ADD, the person enduring it will give the impression of being spacey and disordered. More often, victims with this type will be gazing out of the window during classes and will seem as if they are never somewhat there. It is much more tricky to make a diagnosis and a lot of people with this form of ADD go years without even knowing they have it. But the consequences of the drifting mind can be just as disparaging.

For a long time, it was considered that only boys suffered from ADHD. However, this figment has been busted of late. It is now acknowledged that both girls and boys can suffer from attention deficit disorder, and many do not get out of it in middle age. One disparity that has been noticed is that girls are inclined to have the inattentive version of ADD, and many times it is wrongly diagnosed as depression. Since inattentive ADD does not create noticeable troubles and disruptions to the nearby surroundings, a lot of them endure in silence for years before they discover the real reason of their plight.

With both ADHD and ADD, making a diagnosis early on is essential. Even though troubles with schools are the most apparent indications, some victims do not have major problems with getting school work completed. Keep track of your children, not just academically, but generally and psychologically as well. Do they have problem with other children? Does it appear as if they have difficulty putting in order or are extremely disordered? Do they have difficulty sitting motionless for a period of time? Are they extremely silent or extremely chatty? Now any of these indications do not in particular denote ADD or ADHD, but they do point to asking for outside help from a therapist or a counselor.

Your child’s psychological well being is just as vital as their physical well being and how they do in school. Confirm it out if you sense like something is off. If left for years not diagnosed, ADD can create a lot of other resulting troubles that can take a long time to get rid off and can be arrested.

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Success Stories

Parents of children with ADHD are often a bit worried that their children will be considered inferior and may well not be successful in life. There is a great debate at the moment about whether ADHD is to be thought of as a gift or as a challenge. Look at the famous people who have had ADHD:- Richard Branson, Ty Pennington, Charles Schwab and Whoopi Goldberg. They have been enormously successful.

Many people forget that the gift ADHD children possess in abundance is the ability to focus – I know some who can write extraordinarily well and I know others who can do certain things with great skill. Oftentimes they need to be guided and encouraged by their teachers and parents but they can and do make a go of it!

I have just seen press reports from New South Wales in Australia where doctors have seen a worrying surge in the number of psychostimulant drugs being prescribed for children with attention deficit disorder. Ritalin and Concerta, two popular drugs have seen an increase of almost 70%. Figures are similar in the USA and in Britain.

Challenges

These medications for attention deficit have had a very bad press at times. They are NOT a cure for ADHD but rather will keep symptoms under control. Some good news is that in a recent study, no damage to the DNA or chromosomes which is normally linked to cancer was found in the children who took the trial. This was a very limited trial though, I must say.

Adult attention deficit disorders, on the other hand have had not much press at all and this is worrying. We all know the ADHD symptoms in a child. Did you know that between 1 and 2% of the adults in America have problems in controlling their impulses and have great difficulties in concentrating ? Very often symptoms in adults are difficult to spot. Have you noticed yourself (or colleagues) who are easily distracted, are notorious multi-taskers, get extremely irritated when driving, have difficulty in remembering details and also may have even hourly mood swings? They could well be suffering from ADHD but very often this will go undetected and undiagnosed.

Medications for attention deficit and/or hyperactivity still pose problems. Those with heart conditions are likely to suffer from related cardio problems and even have high blood pressure. Add to that that there is often a suppression of appetite and you have a cocktail which will probably create more problems for the patient than they solve.

ADHD Help

Parents often seek an ADHD alternative therapy. Diet, exercise and changes in routine can all have a beneficial effect. The great advantage in using herbal or homeopathic remedies is that they have no side effects and sedation is not a problem either. Find out more about a natural cure for ADHD by clicking on the link below.

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There are indeed cheaper alternatives to ADHD prescription drugs. However, these alternatives may not be for everyone, you should do your own research to determine if the potential benefits are appealing to you.

Sometimes prescription meds may be the only solution. However, in many cases this may not be the case and a less expensive natural alternative, with less side-effects may be the right thing for you and/or your child.

The use of prescription drugs alone is only one approach to solving the problem. The side effect list is not short and there is the possibility for long term side effects. The risk for depression as an adult appears to be greater for those who used ADHD meds as a child.

Some alternatives, which can often times be applied simultaneously include: dietary control, homeopathic remedies, behavioral therapy and trained relaxation techniques. With such approaches, especially in tandem, you may go beyond simply suppressing symptoms with a drug and even have the potential to reach the deeper cause of the problem.

If you are able to successfully resolve these deeper issues, then you may reach a point where prescription drugs are no longer necessary. Note: be sure to check with your physician before taking your child or yourself off a prescription medication.

Dietary control could be very helpful because you can remove aggravators of ADHD symptoms by simply eliminating certain food from the diet. Here are some of the food that have been suspected of contributing to ADHD symptoms: fried foods, food coloring, MSG and pasteurized dairy products. (Special Note: Those who utilize raw dairy often find that they do not have the problems or intolerance that can come from drinking pasteurized milk. A good resource for information on raw milk is RealMilk.com.

If you suspect that an item in the diet is contributing to ADHD symptoms, you can simply eliminate that item for a period of two weeks and carefully note any differences you might see. Keeping a food diary is often helpful in pin pointing foods that might be causing or adding to a problem. If you need help on dietary planning you can always consult a qualified nutritionist for helpful advice and information.

If you are lucky enough to find relief through symptoms just through diet alone, then you are very fortunate! As mentioned before, a combination of approaches may be beneficially when you seek to reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – or perhaps other diseases for that matter!

Relaxation techniques may also be helpful. Some possibilities include music therapy, aroma therapy, biofeedback training, meditation, massage therapy or perhaps long leisurely walks! Now some of these may or may not be appealing to your child, but if you are able to enjoy one or more of these along with your child, it may make it more palatable for him or her.

The fear of medicating your child is a valid one. You are definitely not alone if you fear the side effects of ADHD medication. Sometimes behavioral therapy can be helpful when done by a licensed psychologist. This type of therapy can actually help the child disrupt hurtful though patterns and develop better social relations with others. This can lead to much more fulfilling relationships as well.

You may also wish to adjunct any of the above natural approaches with a homeopathic remedy. The point of this would be to help relieve symptoms, giving the other approaches a chance to work. The homeopathic remedies do not suffer from the disadvantage of side effects like the prescription medications do. This type of solution uses natural ingredients that help restore balances in the body – seeking the end effect of stabilizing moods and forming the basis for a positive outlook.

Because of the side effects of ADHD prescription medications, alternative treatment for ADHD may be worth checking into both for your child’s well-being as well as yours. You would not be the first parent to worry about the negative side-effects that strong medications can and often do bring. Next: Read more about adhd alternatives

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Sorry about the bad quality, hope you can still hear it and learn from it. Please add your comments and ideas to this debate.

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