ADD And ADHD Symptoms And Warning Signs
Attention Deficit Disorder is a chronic condition by which it’s afflicted are continually inattentive, hyperactive, and occasionally impulsive. ADHD starts in childhood and often lingers into adulthood. As many as 2 out of every 3 children affected by ADHD continue to have symptoms well into adulthood. This includes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity – which are the key behaviors of those with ADHD.
Often characterized by a mental breakdown, crisis management is dealing with extreme situations in an effective manner. People who suffer from this are typically incapable of thinking of practical solutions and will negate the issue at hand. The patient suffering from crisis management tends to need help very early on in the process. This means reaching out to family/friends and contacting a doctor or mental health provider.
After loss, some individuals have a difficult time returning to their lives before and require special attention and help. The grieving process is very individualized; there is no actual timetable for it to end. Grief encompasses shock and disbelief, sadness, guilt, anger, and fear.
Dealing with stress and stressful situation with calm, level-headed intentions and charisma. Physical symptoms of stress range from low energy and headaches to chest pain and dry mouth. If left unchecked, ongoing stress can cause serious health issues including depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, sexual dysfunction, and gastrointestinal problems.
Abuse, consistent use, or addiction characterizes the plight of substance use disorders. The substance could be interfering with the person’s personal or professional life or even life-threatening. Common Substance Use disorders include Alcohol Use Disorder, Tobacco Use Disorder, and Cannabis Use Disorder. Regardless of the substance, many of the same behaviors are prevalent and require the same course of treatment.
Anger management is dealing with the inability to cope with stressful situations, controlling one’s anger, attitude, and ability to deal with situations productively and responsibly under calm duress. Suppressed anger can also be an underlying cause of anxiety and depression. Doctors suggest deep breathing and positive self-talk as the first steps in helping manage anger.
People with issues resulting from medicating chronic pain issues require specialized healing that can come in numerous forms and must be discovered individually with guidance from a trained professional. Chronic pain is often defined as any pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation that alerts us to possible injury, chronic pain is very different. Chronic pain persists—often for months and sometimes even longer and may be complicated by issues associated with prescription medication.
Controlling feelings or actions that are immediate and often reactionary. These individuals need assistance in finding new psychology in dealing with their intense immediacy and needs. Scientists are still researching the cause of these types of disorders but many think that there are a good handful of factors including physical or biological, psychological or emotional, and cultural or societal issues.
Caused from a moment or moments of extremely stressful situations, environments, and individuals. This disorder can cause the afflicted to avoid people, places, or activities in fear and completely disrupt their personal and professional lives. Not every traumatized person develops ongoing (chronic) or even short-term (acute) PTSD. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some experiences, like the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one, can also cause PTSD.
Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders marked by feelings of anxiety or loathing. Anxiety is a worry about the future and loathing is a reaction to current happenings. These feelings could manifest in physical forms, such as a faster heart rate or trembling. Disorders in this category include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Sleep Disorders.
Mood disorders refer to a plethora of swinging, bipolar, or mood control disorders. These disorders often ruin relationships and take control of the individual’s free will. About 20% of the U.S. population reports at least one depressive symptom in a given month, and 12% report two or more in a year. Depression is a common feature of mental illness, whatever its nature and origin. People are more easily demoralized by depression and slower to recover if they are withdrawn and unreasonably self-critical or irritable, impulsive, and hypersensitive to loss.
Trauma is caused by a personal experience with another individual. Often characterized by mental, verbal, and physical abuse inflicted on the sufferer. Women experience remarkably high rates of relational trauma including child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence (IPV) during adulthood, and the childbearing years are no exception.
Personality disorders are disorders in which a person may forget who they are or become another person they think they are. It causes major disruptions in their daily lives and relationships. Symptoms of each personality disorder differ and can be either mild or severe. People with personality disorders often have trouble identifying that they have a problem; they believe their thoughts are normal and that it is other people who are to blame. Treatment usually includes talk therapy and sometimes medicine.
Body image issues are when an individual sees themselves in an extremely negative light. It could stem from mental and verbal abuse from any age and typically attacks the psyche by focusing on what the sufferer perceives as a flaw. Researchers have noted that people with body image issues or disordered eating have difficulties with visual processing.
Issues pertaining to family are treated with the help of clinicians who know how to break down communication barriers in relationships in order to fix the problems at hand. Conflicts are a part of family life. A lot of different issues, such as Parenting Issues can lead to conflict, including illness, disability, addiction, job loss, school problems, and marital issues. Listening to one another and actively working to resolve conflicts are key to reinforcing the family.
Problems between loved ones typically stemming from communication breakdowns and the inability to compromise or change to make the other person happy. These issues can arise from a couple spending too little – or even too much – time together. They can stem from fighting over the same issues, from insecurities over your future to feeling misunderstood. Money is also a common root of relationship issues.
Sexual disorders are involving sex, perversion, or acts that have nothing to do with sex in the standard definition but have been fetishized and cause a disruption in the individual or society’s regular agenda. Psychotherapy is a common treatment for desire disorders. Treatment focuses on bringing awareness to any unresolved conflicts and how they impact the patient’s life. While improvement is possible, the sexual dysfunction often becomes autonomous and persists, requiring additional techniques. Various hormones have also been studied for the treatment of sexual desire disorders.
In a study cited by ADHD Adulthood, approximately 10.5 million US adults are estimated to have ADHD and that number doesn’t even include the number of people who remain undiagnosed. ADD and ADHD symptoms affect a huge population in the United States with varying degrees of severity and visible effects.
For those who are living with either ADD and/or ADHD, there are multiple challenges that affect their daily life and if their condition is not treated, it can do irrefutable damage to their social, personal, and professional life.
We’re focused on exposing the warning signs and symptoms of ADD and ADHD so that you can recognize the symptoms in your loved ones and get them the help they deserve.
What is ADD and ADHD?
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are two disorders that are commonly symbiotic in the way they affect their victims.
ADD.org describes ADHD as, “a highly genetic, brain-based syndrome that has to do with the regulation of a particular set of brain functions and related behaviors.”
ADD and ADHD are disorders which disallow the person who is affected to be able to keep a high attention span. They are often fidgety, can’t sit still, and jump from one subject or task to the other, unable to continually focus on any one thing.
Children and adults alike are diagnosed with ADD and ADHD.
Children with either of these conditions are unable to focus and therefore, they have trouble learning in a conventional school environment. The only difference in ADD and ADHD in children is that if the child is also hyper, they have ADHD.
This can cause children to act out and appear to be misbehaved, when really, their actions stem from their disorder, not their intelligence, or want to behave.
Adults with ADD and ADHD are far more prone to being unable to keep a job, having trouble in their relationships, and are often looking forward, before they’ve even completed what they’re working on.
While these disorders do not affect intelligence, it can be difficult for the adult to express their knowledge, because their focus is always shifting.
Looking for signs of ADHD in loved ones
Fortunately, there are signs and symptoms that loved ones can notice to help people affected by these disorders get the help they need. Here are the main things to look for in different age groups
Children
- The child might have trouble staying focused.
- The child appears not to listen when they are spoken to.
- The child has difficulty remembering details and following even simple instructions.
- The child struggles with staying organized, planning, and finishing projects on time, or at all.
- The child frequently loses or misplaces homework, books, toys, or other items.
Teens
- They may be predominantly inattentive, even when doing activities they enjoy.
- They may be extremely hyperactive/impulsive or act immature for their age.
- Having the combination of hyperactivity and being inattentive is a clear sign that there is something going on that needs to be addressed.
Adults
- They are often late for important family or social gatherings.
- They find it difficult to follow directions and stay on task, regardless of how hard they try.
- They always seem to be talking, interrupting, and losing track of the conversation.
- They might have a severe lack of overall organization.
Why do ADHD Symptoms lead to self-medication?
ADD is a difficult disorder to live with, especially if it is untreated. Many times, people with ADD are belittled for their shortcomings, like being late, having to be told directions repeatedly, and being unable to finish tasks. This can cause a person’s self-esteem to plummet, which leads to self-medicating, to fill the void created by their inability to please those around them.
According to an article by The Establishment, people who have undiagnosed ADD tend to turn to available drugs, most commonly, caffeine and alcohol, but sometimes other drugs, to self-medicate. However, they aren’t usually trying to help their ADD, since many aren’t even aware they have it.
Rather, they are simply trying to make themselves feel better, although alcohol and caffeine are only adding insult to injury.
What are the risks of resulting drug abuse?
Drug and alcohol abuse, especially in the case of those suffering from ADD and ADHD symptoms are only compounding the problem.
According to a study cited by ADDitude Magazine, “Five percent of adults with the disorder had abused or were dependent upon alcohol or drugs during the previous year. That’s nearly triple the rate for adults without ADHD.”
Most of the substances abused are marijuana and alcohol, but considering both are depressants, these drugs alone only make the symptoms worse.
How are co-occurring issues with ADD treated?
While co-occurring issues, such as substance abuse compounded by ADD or ADHD symptoms can be difficult to treat, considering all medication is not an option because they can become habit-forming, other methods need to be applied.
Some studies suggest implementing therapeutic methods and holistic remedies that help the person afflicted battle the disorder in a healthy, long-lasting, and positive manner.
Here are a few of the things that are covered in therapy using a Dual Diagnosis method:
- The therapist works with the patient to identify destructive thoughts and behaviors that promote substance abuse, which is a vital step in helping the patient reclaim their sense of self.
- Once that is established, the therapist works on rebuilding the patient’s self-esteem.
- Simultaneously the therapist helps the patient control the symptoms of ADHD through behavioral modification.
- Much of that is helping the patient identify substance abuse triggers and learning how to manage impulses, in place of trying to masque them with drugs and alcohol.
- Another vital portion of this method is educating partners and family members about ADHD. This should include modifying the loved one’s behavior so that they are more productive when the patient is having an episode.
In summation, the sooner ADD and ADHD is diagnosed and treated, with the support of family and friends, the affected person will be able to get the help they need and live the life they deserve.
