There are several kinds of mental disorders or illnesses that affect children all over the world, one of which is ADHD or attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder. While this may be common in young individuals, there have been reported cases of adults having the same mental condition. In this write-up, we are going to discuss the different symptoms and diagnoses of ADHD. At the same time, we will also look into the importance of psychiatry concerning handling this disorder.
Symptoms
According to Kara Tamanini, M.S., LMHC “The very nature of ADHD implies that the child will have difficulty with self-control, paying attention, listening to instructions at home and school, and following directions.” Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by high activity levels of the kids involved. You will notice that children with ADHD cannot remain still for long periods or durations of time. They also have a limited attention span, which means that you have to be more patient and understanding to these children. Another common symptom of ADHD is impulsivity wherein the children will continuously do hasty acts without thinking about its effects or consequences. Because of this, kids with ADHD are somehow considered as attention seekers.
Diagnosis
There are three types of ADHD diagnosis, namely: inattentive type, hyperactive or impulsive type, and the combined type. Children who are diagnosed with the first type are always easily distracted, always lose things, forget daily activities or tasks and have difficulty in following instructions. The kids with the second type of ADHD diagnosis often talk too much, need to keep on doing a lot of things, experience hardship in waiting in line or always in a hurry. The third one is a combination of the symptoms of the first and second diagnoses. Note that “A diagnosis can be important to acknowledge ASD traits that might be causing marital problems.” Eva A. Mendes LMHC said.
Causes
There were several studies and researches conducted on ADHD. However, experts have not yet identified the specific causes for the occurrence of this mental condition. According to some researchers, genetics can contribute to the development of ADHD in kids. Other factors have also been linked to ADHD, such as being born prematurely, having a brain injury or having a mother who smoked during the pregnancy. At the same time, some experts also claim that stress during pregnancy could also cause ADHD.
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Treatment
When it comes to dealing with ADHD, the most important thing that you need to remember is that its treatment is not the same for all patients. There will be variations in the manner of treating the mental condition because each case has its circumstances. For this reason, it is highly recommended to get in touch with a health practitioner or medical doctor first before you consider any form of treatment. The best thing to do is to get in touch with a psychiatrist. After that, you will receive a complete diagnosis of your condition.
“Most of us can picture our child or teenage son or daughter acting this way from time to time. But for some children and teens, these and other exasperating behaviors are uncontrollable, persistently plaguing their day-to-day existence and interfering with their ability to form lasting friendships or succeed in school and at home.” says John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Having an accurate diagnosis of ADHD is essential so that the psychiatrist could come up with the perfect treatment plan for your case. As already mentioned above, the manner of treating this disorder varies from one patient to another. Another important thing that you need to be aware of is that ADHD may overlap with other mental disorders. When this happens, the treatment required may be more delicate or highly specialized, depending on the orders of the psychiatrist.