words Al Woods
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, is a mental disorder that affects about 3% of children. This number increases to 5% when looking at adults with the disease. Many misconceptions are surrounding ADHD, including the cause and why some people develop this disorder. You might be surprised to hear these 6 things about it.
The Treatment of ADHD
The most common treatments for those diagnosed with ADHD are stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall to regulate neurotransmitters in the brain and improve cognitive function. On the other hand, they also bring along severe side effects which can be very debilitating in the long run so many patients are turning to nootropics alternatives, and to know what nootropics are best for ADHD or ADD, you need to understand more about these conditions. Another treatment includes therapy, where children meet with counselors every week to address their personal problems at home or school.
Education and Special Education
Children with ADHD are at risk for academic failure if they don’t get proper attention. They can also face learning disabilities and social/emotional problems at school, which sometimes require the child to be in a special education setting, receiving extra attention from teachers.
In some countries, such as the United States, school systems have a responsibility to provide support and different accommodations for those diagnosed with ADHD. It is a disorder that affects someone’s ability to focus and attend to a task, so certain modifications are made to help facilitate learning amid it all. Children who have been diagnosed receive a personalized education plan which usually involves a combination of various things such as working in smaller groups, being seated front and center to the teacher, receiving verbal reminders to stay on track, and more.
It’s Not Caused by Bad Parenting or Poor Diet
For years, the general consensus has been that ADHD is caused by bad parenting and eating too much fast food. However, this couldn’t be more of a myth than it is now.
In terms of bad parenting, there’s no scientific evidence to prove that such a thing causes ADHD. As for diet, while some studies have shown an association between junk food and hyperactivity in children; this doesn’t mean by any means that one causes the other. The issue with researching what causes ADHD is that we don’t know all the variables that contribute to whether or not someone has it. This lack of information makes it hard for researchers to pinpoint what exactly can be attributed to developing ADHD; meaning we can only make very broad statements about what can cause it.
It’s Not Just Kids
Did you know that children aren’t the only ones who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? People of all ages can be affected by ADHD, including adults, even though it may go undiagnosed until later on in life due to having fewer built-in mechanisms to deal with the disorder.
It’s difficult for adults to cope with this disorder on their own due to the simple fact that they don’t have an authority figure available to provide educational support or set behavioral boundaries. However, there are many programs available that offer assistance in dealing with ADHD, such as counseling and cognitive therapy sessions for adults.
It’s More Common Than You Think
You may be surprised to learn how many people actually have this disorder without knowing it. The sad reality is that only about 4 percent of children are receiving treatment for ADHD. This means that there are a lot of kids out there who aren’t getting the help they need despite having ADHD symptoms, which can affect their daily lives in school and otherwise.
ADHD often requires special attention or therapies that aren’t available through primary-care providers, so parents should consider looking into seeing a specialist if their child isn’t improving after six months of treatment.
It’s Not All Bad News
Sure, there are many struggles associated with ADHD, and it can be tough dealing with the problems that go along with it, but it doesn’t mean that people who do have it are bad or that they can’t be successful. There are plenty of people with ADHD who have gone on to become very successful in their fields, including politicians, actors, athletes, and more.
No two people are exactly alike, so even though ADHD has similar symptoms across the board, it doesn’t mean everyone will experience them in the same way or intensity. This disorder is all about striking a balance between the gifts it offers and the problems it causes, but if you learn how to embrace both sides, there’s no telling what you can accomplish.
Currently, research is being conducted into what physical differences ADHD sufferers have in their brains. There are also studies exploring whether or not there’s a link between some types of medication and what part of the brain they affect. Researchers are hopeful that these findings will help improve diagnosis methods as well as treatments for this disorder.
