http://content.health.msn.com/content/healthwise/144/35909?z=1757_00000_8200_fe_01

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Topic Overview


What is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavior disorder diagnosed in children and teens. ADHD refers to a group of symptoms that begin in early childhood and can continue into adulthood, causing difficulties at home, at school, at work, and within the community if not recognized and treated.

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

The three groups of ADHD symptoms are:

Inattention. This is the most common symptom. In addition to having difficulty paying attention, people with this ADHD symptom often are unable to consistently focus, remember, and organize. They may be careless and have a hard time starting and completing tasks that are boring, repetitive, or challenging.
Impulsiveness. People who frequently act before thinking may not make sound judgments or solve problems well. They may also have trouble developing and maintaining personal relationships. An adult may not keep the same job for long or spend money wisely.
Hyperactivity. A hyperactive child may squirm, fidget, and climb or run when it is not appropriate. These children often have difficulty playing with others. They may talk a great deal and not be able to sit still for even a short time. Teenagers and adults who are hyperactive don't usually have the more obvious physical behaviors seen in children. Rather, they often feel restless and fidgety, and are not able to enjoy reading or other quiet activities.
Symptoms vary by individual and range from mild to severe.

Symptoms of ADHD can be similar to those of other conditions, such as:

Learning disabilities.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Conduct disorder.
Anxiety disorder.
Depression.
These conditions are sometimes mistaken for ADHD. They may also occur along with ADHD, which can make diagnosis of the primary problem difficult.

What causes ADHD?

The exact cause is not clear. However, it is known that chemical balances in the brain affect temperament and behavior. The condition runs in families, although many adults do not recognize their own ADHD symptoms until their child is diagnosed with the condition. More research is needed to determine exactly how genetic factors influence ADHD.

How is ADHD diagnosed?

ADHD is usually diagnosed when a child is 6 to 12 years of age. Children in this age group are most easily diagnosed because symptoms caused by ADHD become more noticeable in a school setting. It is more difficult to diagnose ADHD in a child younger than age 6 because the symptoms can also occur periodically during normal development.

ADHD is diagnosed by first having a thorough medical exam to rule out other conditions. An evaluation by a physician, psychologist, or child and adolescent psychiatrist uses specific criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).1 Observations of a child's behavior documented by parents, classroom teachers, and others who have regular contact with the child are evaluated.

How is ADHD treated?

Although there is no cure for ADHD, treatment can help control symptoms. Stimulant medications, such as amphetamine (Dexedrine or Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, or Metadate CD), are the most effective treatment for controlling symptoms in children.2 Antidepressant medications may help control ADHD symptoms if stimulant medications are not effective.

In addition to medication, some people may benefit from socialization training and behavior management, especially if they also have other emotional or mental health conditions along with ADHD. Specific medications or behavioral techniques may vary, depending on whether ADHD is the primary or secondary problem.

How can a child with ADHD affect the family?

When a child has ADHD, it adds extra stress to a household. All family members can help adapt to additional pressures by learning about ADHD, monitoring the child's medications, taking care of themselves, and working together. Consistent and solid family support helps a child behave appropriately both inside and outside the home.

How is this related to GNUtella?

ADHD is how a lot of doctors and educators explain children who don't conform to the largely North American cookie-cutter concept of how kids should behave. But it's a psychiatric, rather than medical, diagnosis - with all that implies.

Ritalin - speed by any other name - is routinely prescribed for children who supposedly have ADHD. And that's no joke.

We have a seven-year-old daughter whom we home school. And she has only two speeds. Stop and go. She's bright, active from the moment she gets up early in the morning until we force her into bed at night, enthusiastic about everything, never stops talking, asks questions non-stop, makes a lot of noise when she's happy (which is 99.9% of the time), loses stuff all the time (she gets that from me : ) has the attention span of a flea, unless she's really interested in something, and can't sit still for more than ten seconds at a time.

"The number of people diagnosed as ADHD in the US dwarfs any other country. The US produces and uses 80% of the world’s stimulants such as Ritalin – ten times more than Europe and industrialized Asia." (Go here for more.)

According to the American Psychiatric Association, "The clinical features of ADHD include the following:

• the individual has difficulty sustaining attention
• is easily distracted
• often does not seem to listen
• often shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
• often loses things necessary for tasks
• often interrupts or intrudes on others
• has difficulty awaiting turn in groups
• often blurts out answers to questions
• often engages in physically dangerous activities without considering the consequences
• often talks excessively
• has difficulty playing quietly
• has difficulty remaining seated
• often fidgets or squirms in seat
• has difficulty following instructions.

"Where eight or more of these apply, ADHD is likely to be present."

In other words, our daughter is a prime candidate for being labelled as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

She's also gifted when it comes to music, has a fantastic sense of humour and in a very satisfying number of areas, is way beyond the level of attainment you'd expect for a kid of her age.

Cheers!
Jon

Jeez I fit all of those...does that mean I can get something stronger than asprin? My doctor hate to give pain meds, "Oh you broke a leg? Take a couple of asprin", Can't sleep, drink a glass of warm milk" (I'm allegeric to milk)

First of all, ADHD is a disorder that revolves around "focus"...it is not just the lack thereof, it can also be "hyper-focus" where the person becomes so intent on what they are working with that everything else pretty much "ceases to be".

Another characteristic of ADHD people is that they are highly creative and typically very intelligent.

What ADHD is caused by is the center of the brain the regulates attention does not have any activity. THe Ritalin (which is a class 2 narcotic) stimulates just that center of the brain.

Hyperactivity is basically the way that people get bored with something, then move on to the next. People with ADHD just do this much more rapidly than others do.

The interaction between people is often difficult because people with ADHD literally think in a different manner than most people do. THe internal structure that most people have is absent in the ADHD person, hence the non-completion difficulties.

Yes, this disorder has become the "fad disorder" of recent years. And the people that damages the most are the ones who truly have to deal with it on a daily basis.

I know....I'm one of 'em...

No way I can comment on this realistically in under seven pages, but I'll summarize.

Actual ADHD is quite rare, in most cases the described "symptoms" are only those of normal childhood, it is only social expectation that has changed.

The company that makes Ritalin has been under siege for a while now by folks who have some pretty damning evidence that they conspired with the medical community to create a hysteria.
But alas, for all the evidence, they have neither the money, nor the political might, to beat down what is currently one of the wealthiest pharmaceuticals in the world.

Ironic when you consider the archaic, holstic, and damned effective treatment was (and still is) Catnip tea.

If you're interested enough, there's a lot more information in a friends editorial on the subject - here.
http://www.winterslight.org/articles/reeperette/quickfix.htm

-User

Damned cussed HTML !!
Remove the space from that link and it SHOULD work.

-User

ADD and ADHD are both usually preventable deseases (99.99% or the time in the United States). If a chiled gets either on it is due to bad parenting. Most are spoiled rotten, and have never been punnished ever, so they place stupid names on these brats to make them feel even more specail and keep preforming their bad behaviors because they are being rewarded for preforming them, eg. attention. The way to prevent it is to punish the chiled for the bad behavior, and reward the good behavior, also when verbal warnings don't work take stuff away form them that they like, or use the old fashion spanking, use both in extreme cases.

Ritalin = speed yes it is speed. The country that it was developed in, i beleive it was switzerland, or some other european country has now banned the use of ritalin. The use in the United States has never been higher and that's 'cuz when a squermy first grader won't stay still (they can't even normal ones) the teacher tells his or her boss who has the school nurse talk to the parents about putting the chiled on ritalin. If the parents put the misdiagnosed chiled on ridalin the school and the teacher make 50% which they get from the govt. to handel the "special" chiled, who is no different then the rest of the children in the class. With all the overdoses, and missdiognoses out there now days it's surprising word hasn't gotten out. When the chiled becomes an adult he/she is 50% more likely to do drugs than a non ritalin user.

Also it's not always the parents' fault, in most cases the evil schools are to blame, greedy baxtards.

I have a son who is PDD/NOS (It's in the Autism Spectrum but not classic Autism). Our school system keeps trying to get him reclassified as ADHD so he can be DRUGGED. There are no long-term studies of the effects of drugging children with Ritalin. My son will never take any psychodrugs. He's high functioning and has come to the point where people unfamiliar with him have to be around him for quite some time before they notice anything different about him. But the school system wants to drug him. Fortunately, they aren't doctors or pharmacists. And yes, I intend to move from this school system when I can find employment and another school system that's better than this one.

Hmm, should read, "When I can find employment in a different area..." I'm not unemployed, yet.

Ive got aspergers syndrome (sp?), its related to autism. Main symptom is obcessive behaviour and a lack of social skills, often associated with slightly above average inteligence (as measured by several tests).

I go through hell at school, and usually manage to put a few teachers through it as well, because I dont fit neatly into their exam system. I use methods which are far better than the methods they teach, but the mark scheme only works for the approaved methods. I answer most questions using pure intuition, and usually get the right answer

Various forms of ADHD and autism have apparently been becomeing more common, but its just that more doctors are recogniseing them because, as Warlock said, its the fad disese. Also, the fuss from the MMR study years ago still hasn't died down. I know theres no real evidence, but if parents have an excuse to worry they will, and worried parents will think the ordinary "terrible twos" are ADHD.

I remamber reading something about ADHD kids selling their drugs, usually ritalin, at school, so they must have some properties that make people want to buy them.

I was reading that article, then my six-year-old demanded attention and I never did figure out what the article was about.

Isn't the ability to focus intently and tune out distractions a positive trait? Thats how I learned to play violin - allright , no jokes please.

Q: How do you diagnose ADHD in a chicken?

A: It never makes it across the road because of all the distractions.

hahaha ha

Drug company: Hey, we need more money!

Doctor: Hey, I'll diagnose all these people with absurd diseases!

Umm.......yeah........how in the world did this get posted here?........I mean I thought this site was about the war against the RIAA and MPAA..........or do you guys just do this once in a blue moon to get away from it all.

Just for the naysayers and all that crap...yes, it is a legitimate syndrome. I've personally tried alternative methods of controlling it other than drugs...the problem is a physical one that exists at birth and is usually hidden or buried under a variety of other disorders.

Also, it is over diagnosed nowadays so that now a person who truly is dealing with it is now the butt of jokes or has people saying "everyone needs an excuse"...

Ritalin, quite frankly, is just a mean drug. You feel it start working and you feel it stop working. Also, like in my own case, a person's body adjusts to it and defeats the drug, preventing it from doing good.

I don't think there is any definite proof that it is genetically passed on, but I've seen some pretty blatant evidence that it is.

Yes, it's real. I know...I tried very hard to prove that it wasn't...I failed in that...

Litheon, I'm as confused as you are. But then again, I'm ADHD. I probably missed something.

I think I might know someone with this. They take alot of medication. Or maybe its because of the medication that they are like this.