Posted on Feb 28, 2022 | Author Dr. Jankhana Hakani
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
It is very common and can be seen in both children and adults. It is 5 times more common in males than females. There has been a 42% increase in ADHD diagnosis in the past 8 years. The average age of diagnosing ADHD is 7 years and in 50% to 60% of children, it persists into adulthood. Many times, it is missed in childhood and adolescence and diagnosed in adulthood, when issues arise at work or in relationships.
How do you know if your child is suffering from ADHD?
ADHD symptoms can be divided into 3 categories-
Inattention
Impulsivity
Hyperactivity
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INATTENTION
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HYPERACTIVITY
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IMPULSIVITY
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Trouble focusing their attention and difficulty completing tasks
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Cannot sit idly
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Cannot wait for my turn
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Disorganised
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Fidgeting
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Blurts out answers before the question is complete
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Difficulty in paying attention to details
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Squirms in the chair
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Often interrupts others while talking
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Making careless mistakes
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Restlessness
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Tend to act too quickly before thinking
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Seems like not listening to when spoken to
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Always on the go
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Take things that do not belong to them
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Daydreaming
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Jumping, climbing on furniture all the time
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May respond with intense emotions which is disproportionate to the situation
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Forgetfulness about daily activities (missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)
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Distracting others
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Losing things all the time (losing pencils/ homework)
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Get bored very easily
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Wrapped up in their thoughts
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Risk factors for ADHD –
Genetics- it is inherited.
Premature delivery
Exposure to environmental risks ( lead, etc.) during pregnancy or at a younger age.
Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy
Low birth weight
Diagnosis-
If you see the above, Consult a psychiatrist for diagnosis, early treatment which includes both medications and therapy.
How do the medications help?
Research suggests that people with ADHD have structural differences in certain areas of the brain and these results in the brain responding differently to neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. The medications cause changes in these neurotransmitters and have an effect similar to stimulant medication, which in turn helps relieve ADHD symptoms.
Other therapies –
Exercise – a minimum of 40 minutes per day, 4 to 5 times per week of exercise like jogging, swimming, basketball, tennis, et cetera have shown beneficial effects in patients with ADHD. The longer a person exercises over time, the brain will adapt to these changes to produce better results. Hence, perseverance in exercise is very important. Any team sport which engages both brain and body has a better effect for example – football, hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, throw the ball, etc. Martial arts and dancing provide the same mind- brain- body stimulation.
Cognitive behavioural therapy.
Stress management.
Time management.
Mind fullness and meditation.
As the saying goes, “Each coin has two sides”. So does someone have ADHD? There are a lot of benefits of having ADHD.
Positives of having ADHD-
Hyperfocus- If the kid loves a task and is very interesting to the child, he or she would be easily able to focus on the given task for hours on end because they can tune out everything around them. This helps them improve their performance and therefore work even more efficiently.
Resilience – since kids with ADHD face many challenges at home at school and in social life they learn to cope positively with these obstacles and hence develop a great amount of resilience.
Self-awareness – these kids are very much self-aware about their feelings.
Creativity – since they have more obstacles to overcome, they know what is they can do and what they cannot do. Hence, they come up with different ways to approach the problems and cars become great problem solvers. This improves their creativity.
Conversational skills – these kids are often very talkative and they can spark intriguing conversations in most scenarios. They have higher levels of the social quotient.
Spontaneity– Because of their impulsive nature, these people are very spontaneous and have very few boring moments.
High energy – because of their hyperactivity we have great physical tolerance and Das are excellent at sports and other physical activities.
Celebrities with ADHD – Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Justin Timberlake Adam Levine, Kareena Smirnoff, Paris Hilton, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
“If you understand how your unique ADHD brain wiring works, you won’t suffer, you will learn how to thrive.”
As rightly said by the lead singer of Maroon 5- Adam Lavine –
“I remember being a kid with ADHD. Truth is, I still have it.
ADHD isn’t a bad thing, and you shouldn’t feel different from those without ADHD. Remember that you are not alone. Others are going through the same thing.”
