ADHD is a common disorder. It can affect people of all ages. It affects attention, impulsivity and organization. It can cause significant distress.
It is not the result of a lack of self-control or defiant behavior.
Children with adhd often have trouble paying attention in class or at home. They may lose things they need, such as books, pencils or pens, and frequently forget to do their homework. They are also easily distracted by their own thoughts or actions.
They can hardly sit still for longer than a few minutes and usually get tired quickly. They also can squirm and fidget.
Adults with adhd can struggle with concentrating at work or studying for tests. They may be late to appointments or have problems with memory and learning.
There is no cure for adhd, but there are treatments to help reduce symptoms and improve daily life. These treatment options are based on the individual’s needs.
Mental health professionals can help people with adhd learn new ways to control their emotions and behaviors. They can teach people how to set realistic goals and how to get and stay organized.
The goal of treatment is to restore functioning in the home, at school and at work. These individuals are treated with medication, behavioral therapy and family counseling.
Medications can be either stimulants or non-stimulants. Stimulants increase the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, which can help a person focus on tasks. They are also often used to treat depression and anxiety in those with ADHD.
Non-stimulants take longer to start working, but they can help with focus and impulsivity in some individuals with ADHD. They can be used as a standalone medication or in conjunction with a stimulant for greater effectiveness and reduced side effects.
Cognitive behavior therapy can be very effective in helping a person with ADHD learn how to control their symptoms. This therapy is usually done by a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional.
A child with adhd may need more than one kind of treatment, and they usually will need to be under medical supervision while taking the medications. This is because the medications can have serious side effects and can cause withdrawal reactions in children who stop taking them.
Many parents of children with adhd feel frustrated and guilty for their children’s struggles. They may feel as if their children are not “smart” enough or are being naughty, and they may not be able to understand why their children do not get better.
Getting an accurate diagnosis of adhd can be difficult. A pediatrician or a child psychiatrist will use a thorough history of the child’s symptoms, observation of the child’s behavior and psychoeducational testing to make a diagnosis.
They can also try to find other causes for the symptoms that your child is having, such as a learning disability or a problem with drugs or alcohol. It’s important to note that the condition can be caused by many factors, including a person’s genetics and environment.
It’s Mental Health Awareness month! How is your mental health? And how do you tell whether your mental health is falling apart? Are you prone to suffer from a mental illness? What are the symptoms? What are the key signs of stress affecting mental health? How are you coping with stress lately?
Mental health has quickly become one of the most pressing social advocacies of its time. In spite of this, there’s still a startling number of people who fail to realize just how important mental health is. Here are 5 Signs Your Mental Health is Falling Apart.
#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness
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References:
World Health Organization. (2001). The World Health Report 2001: Mental health: new understanding, new hope. World Health Organization.
Killgore, W. D. (2010). Effects of sleep deprivation on cognition. In Progress in brain research (Vol. 185, pp. 105-129). Elsevier.
Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (2005). Mental health and eating behaviours: a bi-directional relation. Canadian Journal of Public Health/Revue Canadienne de Sante’e Publique, S43-S46.
Stetz, M. C., Thomas, M. L., Russo, M. B., Stetz, T. A., Wildzunas, R. M., McDonald, J. J., … & Romano, J. A. (2007). Stress, mental health, and cognition: a brief review of relationships and countermeasures. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 78(5), B252-B260.
