ADHD
ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neuro developmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
These symptoms can significantly impact various aspects of life, including school, work, and social interactions.
While ADHD is often diagnosed in childhood, it can persist into adolescence and adulthood.
What Doesn’t Cause ADHD Although it’s been debated, research doesn’t show ADHD is caused by eating too much sugar, drinking caffeine, or watching a lot of TV. Some other factors studied for links to ADHD are:
Parenting styles. Your parenting won’t cause ADHD. But there are methods you can use to help support your child with ADHD. “The way a child receives instructions from parents and teachers — how clear and consistent those instructions are — and then how we respond to a child’s behavior can influence and exacerbate or help those symptoms or features of ADHD,” Haack says. “Parenting doesn’t cause ADHD, but it can influence the way it presents.
Diet. A healthy diet is good for your brain, but no particular food or dietary pattern has been shown to cause ADHD. But malnutrition or certain nutritional deficiencies in utero or very early in life may come with more ADHD risk.
Playing video games. There’s no evidence playing video games causes or worsens ADHD. At the same time, some kids with ADHD may be drawn to fast-paced games on the screen. Children with ADHD may “hyper focus” while playing video games, which can lead to spending too much time playing them. So, while the games themselves don’t cause ADHD, they’re something parents may want to limit, especially in children with ADHD.
Distracting environments. If you have ADHD, distractions may make it harder to function. But distractions aren’t the cause of ADHD. “We don’t have evidence that being in a distracting environment, such as having more screens open or more notifications, causes ADHD,” Haack says. “But we do have evidence that you can make your symptoms or impairment from ADHD worse, and there are ways to tweak the environment and the way everything is set up so that you can function better, whether you’re a child, teen, or adult with ADHD.”
Poverty. ADHD is more likely when you have lower income. Socioeconomic status affects a wide range of factors that may influence ADHD in complicated ways. So, by itself, poverty doesn’t cause ADHD. But it may make many other things that affect ADHD more likely, including stress and malnutrition.
Stress and trauma. Stress and trauma don’t directly cause ADHD, but they affect it in complicated ways. If you have childhood trauma and other stressful life events, you’re more likely to have ADHD that’s serious and lasts into adulthood. ADHD also can lead to more stress, whether it’s in school, work, or relationships. Studies suggest complicated connections between ADHD, anxiety, stress, and inflammation.
More study is needed to understand how stressors in life affect brain development and the risk for ADHD.
There’s no way to find the reason why one person has ADHD and another doesn’t. It can be hard to tell the difference between some ADHD causes and effects. This condition may happen with other conditions. For example, it may come with other issues related to:
Behavior Conduct Learning Anxiety Depression. You or your child may have other conditions such as: Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) Conduct disorder Learning disorders, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia Anxiety disorders, including separation anxiety, social anxiety, or general anxiety disorder (GAD) ADHD also has been linked to allergies. But it isn’t clear if one causes the other.
ADHD also is tied to addictive behavior, such as internet gaming disorder (IGD). Connections between ADHD and other conditions go both ways. ADHD may raise your risk for these other conditions.
When you have ADHD, you may turn to video games or other options as a way of getting through. But that doesn’t mean playing video games can cause ADHD or that allowing your child to play video games is the reason why they have ADHD.
Early Environmental Risk Factors. for ADHD Your early environment is especially important when your brain is still developing. For instance, studies show your mother’s environment when she was pregnant with you would play an important role in your ADHD risk, in addition to genetics.
That includes your mother’s exposure to toxins, substance use, and malnutrition. The frontal lobe is the part of your brain that allows for focused attention. It’s involved when you shift your attention.
It’s important for goal-oriented activities and impulse control. “Anytime you have exposure to a toxin in utero, it’s going to affect those higher order functions first,” Haack says. “Something like malnutrition in utero or parental substance use are pretty well documented to have an influence on increasing your likelihood of presenting with ADHD.” Other factors early in life may play a role in your risk for ADHD, too.
For example, studies suggest a mother’s vitamin D deficiency may raise her child’s risk for many mental health conditions, including ADHD.
Other studies suggest your risk for ADHD may also be linked to your mother having had high stress and high levels of testosterone when she was pregnant with you. But these findings aren’t consistent, and more study is needed.
Other Risk Factors for ADHD Infants born premature or with a low birth weight or whose mothers had difficult pregnancies, go on to have a higher risk for ADHD. The same is true for children with head injuries to their brain’s frontal lobe, the area that controls impulses and emotions.
Studies also show that pregnant women who smoke or drink alcohol may have a higher risk of having a child with ADHD. Exposure to lead, PCBs, or pesticides may also have a role.
Researchers believe some toxins may interfere with brain development, which may lead to hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, and trouble paying attention. But there’s no way to find a specific reason why you or your child has ADHD.
Your ADHD symptoms may seem better or worse at different times, depending on environmental and other factors.
Hyperactive/Impulsive Type ADHD
Someone with hyperactive or impulsive type ADHD is more likely to struggle with symptoms linked to restlessness and poorer impulse control. This is the second most common type of ADHD in adults. It comes in second after inattentive ADHD because symptoms of inattention are more likely to persist into adulthood compared to symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsivity.
Individuals with this form of ADHD may notice the following:
Constantly leaving their seat when expected to stay seated,
Blurting out answers before the question is completed,
Cutting into other people’s conversations Having trouble waiting their turn in line,
Fidgeting and moving about when seated,
Taking over other people’s activities Often feeling restless,
Interrupting others Talking excessively,
Always on the go.
A diagnosis for this type of ADHD may be made if you have six or more of the above symptoms for at least six months.
Combined Type ADHD
A person who persistently struggles with both symptoms of inattention and symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsivity has combined type ADHD. This is the least common kind of ADHD in adults. You may be diagnosed with combined type ADHD if you have six or more symptoms of inattentive ADHD and six or more symptoms of hyperactive-impulsive type ADHD.
ADHD can look very different from one person to another, even if they have the same subtype of ADHD. This is why it’s important to personalize your treatment, therapy, and coping strategies based on your symptoms.
1.Trouble Focusing or Paying Attention. People with ADHD may lack control over what they focus on and have difficulty concentrating. You may notice the following: Easily distracted,
Daydreaming,
Zoning out during conversations,
Overlooking instructions and details,
Unable to finish projects or tasks on time.
Another symptom of ADHD is a tendency to hyper focus on projects you find exciting and interesting. In this state, you may be unable to turn your attention toward other important tasks or people in your life.
2. Losing Things. Frequently Storing, organizing, or keeping track of belongings can be troublesome for those with ADHD. This can involve: Misplacing everyday items (i.e., car keys or wallet) while the brain is on autopilot Losing track of where an item is placed after a moment of inattention Constantly retracing steps to find lost items Storing things in the wrong places (i.e., work papers in your car, dirty dishes in the bedroom).
3. Chronic Lateness and Poor Time Management Due to poor time management, adults with ADHD often run late for meetings, appointments, or social plans. Reasons include: Unable to find required items (car keys, wallet, meeting notes, etc.),
Forgetting dates and times,
Underestimating the time needed to complete tasks, also known as ADHD time blindness,
Getting distracted while preparing for an appointment or event.
4. Impulsivity and Risk-Taking. Research shows that adults with ADHD are more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior (RTB). These behaviors may involve the following: Starting arguments or fights,
Overspending,
Reckless driving,
Substance use (alcohol or drugs),
Risky sex-related decisions (i.e., unprotected sex),
Gambling,
Impulsive eating.
By seeking help and support, you can proactively reduce your chances of involvement in these activities.
5. Difficulty Listening and Following Instructions. Social interactions may feel like a challenge if you have ADHD. You may struggle with: Waiting for your turn to speak,
Staying on topic,
Keeping track of the conversation,
Using non-verbal cues to show active listening,
Talking too fast,
Speaking too much Blurting out words that make others uncomfortable,
Unable to read other people’s body language.
6. Struggles with Prioritizing Tasks. Adults with ADHD are almost always occupied. However, deciding which task to prioritize can be a challenge. You may struggle with prioritization for any of the following reasons:
Feeling like you have too much to do (which can overwhelm you, even get you into a state of ADHD paralysis)
All tasks feel equally important. Difficulty thinking ahead – you underestimate deadlines Seeking novelty over familiar tasks that may be more significant and relevant Adults with ADHD also tend to procrastinate on tasks that require more focus and attention, leading to missed deadlines and workplace issues.
7. Relationship Struggles and Communication Issues. Problems in relationships with friends, colleagues, family, or partners are another common issue for adults with ADHD. There are several reasons why symptoms of ADHD can cause tension, anger, and frustration. Some ADHD traits that may lead to relationship strains include:
Speaking over the other person,
Not actively listening to the other person,
Forgetting important events and dates (like birthdays),
Blurting out hurtful statements,
Failing to fulfill responsibilities, commitments, or promises,
Trouble regulating emotions.
Despite these challenges, adults with ADHD can have happy relationships and fulfilling marriages. Seeking professional counseling and support is one of the best ways to work toward this.
8. Hyperactivity or Restlessness. Another sign of ADHD in adults is restlessness. This may present in a variety of ways:
Flight of thoughts,
Constant fidgeting,
Tics and impulsive behaviors,
Overthinking and catastrophizing,
Trouble sitting still,
Fidgeting is often misinterpreted as inattention in adults with ADHD. However, fidgeting and stimming can signify attempts to stay focused when a task doesn’t provide enough stimulation for the brain. Interestingly, fidgeting may help increase the ability to focus and concentrate in adults with ADHD.
9. Forgetfulness and Working Memory Issues. ADHD may impact two different kinds of memory. Working memory is your brain’s short-term storage space, and it’s where adults with ADHD are more likely to experience problems. Here are some examples of how ADHD can impact working memory:
Forgetting things on grocery lists,
Leaving essential items at home,
Losing track of belongings,
Difficulty following instructions to complete tasks,
Re-reading sections of text due to not retaining information,
ADHD’s impact on long-term memory isn’t well understood. Some research shows that adults with ADHD may experience problems with long-term memory. That’s because the ADHD brain may encode information in a disorganized way, interfering with the storage of new information.
10. Emotional Outbursts and Irritability. Around 30-70% of adults with ADHD experience mood swings (emotional dysregulation). Adults with ADHD may notice the following signs of emotional turbulence: Impatience when under stress, Explosive outbursts of anger,
Persistent irritability,
Surges of anger when met with everyday obstacles,
Frequent and reactive mood changes,
Unaware of the other party’s feelings,
Professional therapy, medications, and self-care can play a vital role in managing ADHD-related anger.
There are different ways to support a child or young person with ADHD, including lifestyle changes, changes at school and at home, or medicines. It depends on their symptoms, and not every child needs help or support from a health professional.
Talk to a SENCO (special educational needs coordinator), or a school nurse where available, about changes that could help a child or young person. Finding out more about ADHD can also help parents, children and young people better understand the condition. If your child or teenager has been referred to an ADHD service, a specialist will be able to give you more information and advice about how to help them.
1) Lifestyle. There are things you can do to help support a child or young person with their ADHD symptoms. Make time for physical activities they enjoy, as exercise is a good focus for their energy.
Encourage them to get regular sleep. Help them to have a healthy, balanced diet and regular mealtimes. If some foods and drinks seem to affect their symptoms, keep a food and drink diary to see what these are. You can share this information with their school.
2) Support at school and at home. Discuss with a SENCO what adjustments or support may help at home and school. This may include: splitting up tasks,
like doing homework or sitting down to eat into 15 to 20 minute slots with a break in between each slot giving clear and simple instructions one at a time in a calm voice,
Writing a to-do list and putting it somewhere easy to see,
Giving praise when a child or young person does well,
or making a reward chart
3) Medicine. ADHD medicines must be started and monitored by an ADHD specialist. This includes: medicine to help with ADHD symptoms, such as Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), methylphenidate melatonin for problems sleeping, when other methods for improving sleep have not worked Children and teenagers may need to try more than one medicine to find out what works for them.
A GP may be able to take over prescribing ADHD medicines, but only if there is a “shared care agreement” between the GP and the ADHD specialist. To find out more, talk to your ADHD specialist or GP. Not everyone with ADHD needs to or wants to take medicine.
4)Talking therapies. Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might be recommended to help a child or young person with ADHD with problem solving and expressing their feelings.