Facts About Mental Health:
Attention Deficit Disorder
Did you know: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) affects approximately 5% of children in the U.S.
before the age of 7.
Like many psychiatric diagnoses, attention deficit disorder usually refers not to one, but to a cluster of symptoms – even though one of those symptoms often stands out above the rest. When too much activity is the main feature, the term “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (ADHD) may be more appropriate. The disorder is estimated to occur in 5% of American children, though some think it is higher, and some think it is lower. When present, signs of the disturbance are almost always apparent in the first five years of life, and certainly before the age of seven. It is often difficult to diagnose because there seem to be different degrees of the disorder, and it can show itself in different ways. In children, it is usually described as having these core symptoms: Impulsivity, impatience, short attention span, and too much activity (being fidgety, talking excessively). Temper control, mood swings, excessive risk-taking, and demanding one’s own way can also be features; and some would add “easily bored” to the list. Children with this disorder often have abnormally high injury rates, due to falling, inattention in dangerous situations, and “getting into everything.” As one might expect, sleeping patterns are disturbed, and the child’s sleep needs are often very short compared with those of the parents, resulting in high stress levels for the latter. Partly because of the stress and frustration experienced by parents, they have difficulty accepting the fact that punishment almost never helps, since A.D.D. is a medical condition to be taken seriously, not the result of deliberate disobedience on the part of the child.
Children who have this disorder usually have difficulty sitting still, completing tasks, accepting setbacks, being team players, and organizing school work; so it is understandable that teachers are often the first to refer a child for medical examination.
When the child’s condition is serious enough, a physician may prescribe medicine. Ritalin is the best known prescription, but there are several others, including Cylert, Adderall, Dexedrine, and even caffeine. Most of these agents seem to have a “paradoxical” effect: they are stimulants, but when given for A.D.D. cause the body to respond in opposite ways, thus slowing it down. A fairly new medicine, “Attend”, is supposed to work differently, by stimulating the growth of new pathways in the brain for handling information. Each of these has its supporters, and a given medicine may not work in all cases. There are many types of treatment available, and some marketers may not be very scientific in their claims. For this reason, parents should be careful to seek advice only from licensed physicians or psychiatrists who have had experience in treating A.D.D.
Most children who have been diagnosed with the disorder will be nearly symptom-free by the age of 20, but A.D.D. occurs in adults, too. Some would put the incidence in adults at 3%. The percentage would probably be higher, if it were not for the fact that A.D.D. (especially A.D.H.D.) tends to improve with increasing age. Adults who have learned to cope with the disorder, but who still have lingering symptoms, often become successful entertainers, politicians, business or military leaders, doing well in fields that require high energy levels, frequent changes, and attention to detail. Medical treatment for such persons in the earlier years may still be justified, however, in order to increase the capacity for learning and aid normal physical and social growth.
There is still some controversy about ADD/ADHD: In spite of many years of research (Ritalin for treatment of ADD is at least 50 years old) and huge sums of money invested in treatment, universal agreement about its causes is lacking. Much of the disagreement, however, comes from bad or incomplete information. Too much sugar intake as well as harmful food additives have been blamed (and, indeed, some, but not all, children seem sensitive to sugar), as well as poor parenting, and other environmental issues. A few have even doubted the existence of the disorder, claiming it is the result of society’s failure to help normal children with certain special characteristics (in other words, such critics would attack the medical treatment model). But we now know with certainty that information is handled differently in the brains of truly hyperactive children, and their suffering is very real. These persons deserve competent medical treatment. If you suspect you have a child with ADD, you should not hesitate to consult your family doctor and perhaps a specialist as well (psychiatrist or pediatrician). With careful planning and professional guidance, the disorder can almost always be effectively treated.
For more information about attention deficit disorder, go to the following website:
http://www.adda-sr.org/Spanish/gettingadiagnosis.htm
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