Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER-

Is your child like this?

The child is not able to sit quietly at home and school. The child is very active. He leaves his seat in the classroom very often.  He runs and climbs inappropriately. He is not able to play quietly. He seems very restless. He can’t wait for his turn in conversation and talks excessively. He can’t wait for his turn in games. Always disturbs other people doing their work.

He does careless mistakes in homework. He is not able to focus in classrooms. He seems absent and doesn’t listen when something is said to him. He is messy and disorganized. He is always late. He often loses pen, pencil, bottle, etc. in school. He often feels bored when told to do homework. He often forgets things and easily distracted.

Are any of your friends like this?

He often misses details of things. He feels difficulty in focusing in lectures. His mind seems elsewhere most of the time. He often fails to meet deadlines. He is messy and has difficulty organizing tasks. He is not able to keep materials most of the time. He often loses keys, goggles, mobiles, etc. He often forgets to call you back and keeping appointments.

He is restless and moves body parts most of the time. He often leaves his seat in the office. He talks a lot. He disturbs other people. He has difficulty in waiting in line.

Attention deficient hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) is a mental illness of childhood of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. ADHD affects 5 to 8 percent of school-going children and in 60% of children, ADHD continues to adolescence. In 50% of cases, ADHD continues to adulthood.

Why does a child suffer from ADHD?

  • Chemical imbalance in the brain
  • ADHD in family
  • Infection in mother during pregnancy
  • Premature children
  • Child abuse and neglect

Symptoms-

There are different symptoms in children and adults.

ADHD in children have two types of symptoms-

  1. Hyperactivity
  2. Inattention

Let’s understand ADHD through examples.

HYPERACTIVITY-

  • Often moves body parts.
  • Leaves his or her place in the classroom, in the office or other workplace, etc.
  • Often runs about or climbs, restlessness.
  • Often unable to play quietly.
  • Unable to be comfortable for a long time as in restaurants, meetings.
  • Often talks excessively.
  • Cannot wait to turn in conversation and play
  • Often disturbs others.

INATTENTION-

  • Makes careless mistakes in schoolwork and at work.
  • Difficulty remaining focused during lectures.
  • The mind seems elsewhere.
  • Often does not follow instructions and fails to finish schoolwork and duties in the workplace.
  • Often difficulty in organizing task, messy, poor time management.
  • Often ignores work that requires constant mental efforts.
  • Often loses necessary things (e.g., school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, and mobile telephones).
  • Often easily get distracted
  • Often forgetful for the daily activities e.g. callbacks

Know whether your child is suffering from ADHD or not?

Most of the symptoms start before the age of 12 years.

The above symptoms are present in at least two different areas like at home and school.

The symptoms should hamper a child’s daily functioning in terms of school performance, relationships with friends, etc.

How ADHD affects someone’s life?

The symptoms of ADHD continue in adolescence and further in adulthood in 50 to 60 percentages of cases. Most cases with ADHD are vulnerable to antisocial behavior, anxiety disorder, substance use disorders, and mood disorders. Learning problems often continue throughout life.

Treatment-

Medicines and therapies (mainly to enhance attention)

This site is just for the awareness of mental illnesses not for diagnosis. If someone finds himself/herself or their loved one having symptoms kindly consult a psychiatrist.