What is ADHD? How Common Is This Disorder? 10 Facts Every Parent Should Know.
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder or ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that is characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. ADHD affects both children and adults.
Children may have difficulty paying attention at school and keeping up with their peers as they grow into adulthood. Adults might find it difficult to maintain a job or form lasting relationships due to the symptoms of this disorder.
In this post I’ll give you some brief facts about ADHD:
1. So What Actually ADHD Is?
ADHD is one of the most common childhood ailments that affect about 3% of all children. ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurological condition in which the child has trouble paying attention, controlling behaviour, and maintaining focus on one task. If left untreated, ADHD can cause long-term social, academic and professional struggles that often lead to low self-esteem and depression in adults.
2. How Common Is This Disorder?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder that describes a heterogeneous group of behavioural symptoms, which include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
According to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, adult ADHD affects between 3.4 and 5.2 million Americans or about 4.4% of the U.S. population. It also appears at least equally common in both genders, but this may be due to gender bias in diagnosis, as ADHD symptoms appear more disruptive for boys in school than girls.
3. 10 Facts Every Parent Should Know About ADHD!
ADHD is a tough condition for both parents and children to confront with. Parents often feel alone with their struggles, unsure of how to help their child or how to cope as a parent themselves.
Here are 10 facts every parent should understand about ADHD:
Fact #1: ADHD is a real disorder
ADHD is a real medical disorder that affects millions of children and adults in the United States, regardless of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Much like diabetes and heart disease, ADHD is a hereditary condition that can be inherited from a parent.
About 10% of those diagnosed with ADHD continue to show symptoms as adults. As such, some adults are undiagnosed. Many people who have ADHD do not realize they have it until adulthood. This can prevent them from receiving treatment and getting help for the disorder.
People with ADHD need extra help to succeed in school and at work.
Fact #2: Medication is often needed
This is a fact about ADHD that many people don’t realize. A lot of people think that medication is only used in extreme cases or when ADHD is severe, but the reality is that medication is often needed for ADHD.
It is a common and sometimes debilitating disorder. About 5%-10% of children have the disorder, and it is equally prevalent in boys and girls. ADHD is commonly treated with medications like stimulants, which affect the dopamine system of the brain.
However, one study found that many of the children diagnosed with ADHD don’t need medication to manage symptoms, and may benefit more from behavioural interventions.
Fact #3: It’s not just kids!
One of the most common misconceptions about ADHD is that it only affects children. However, this couldn’t be different from the truth. ADD/ADHD also affects adults. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.4% of adults aged 18 to 44 were diagnosed with ADHD in 2011–2012.
Fact #4: There are different types of ADHD
ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. There are three different types of ADHD. The subtypes are: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined.
The most ordinary type of ADHD is the inattentive type. This is where people who have it have trouble paying attention and they are easily distractible. They can’t focus on one thing at a time and they get bored easily, leading them to daydream or not finish tasks that they start. These people also tend to lose things a lot and not remember
Fact #5: People with ADHD are twice as likely to have another mental health disorder
In addition to hyperactivity and impulsivity, individuals with ADHD may exhibit signs of other mental disorders.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with ADHD are twice as likely to have another mental disorder. They are also more possible to abuse drugs and alcohol.
Approximately 25% of those with ADHD also have a learning disability, most often dyslexia. Up to 65% of people with ADHD also face anxiety or depression. People who have both conditions tend to be less responsive to stimulant medications.
Fact #6: Family members and friends can be affected by the disorder too
You may not realize this, but ADHD can affect family members and loved ones. ADHD is a genetic disorder that is often inherited from parents or siblings. Having a parent with ADHD significantly increases your risk of getting the disorder, so it’s important to understand how to manage it yourself and for those around you.
Fact #7: The Myth: ADHD can be controlled
There are many myths surrounding ADHD, but one of the biggest and most widely accepted is that everyone can learn to control their symptoms. This is simply not true.
While stimulant medications such as Adderall or Ritalin have been shown to work wonders for those with ADHD, they do not work alone. These drugs are used in combination with therapy and other lifestyle changes that help people cope with their symptoms. Without these additional treatments, medications will not control symptoms of ADHD.
Fact #8: People with ADHD are not lazy, nor are they stupid
People with ADHD have difficulty staying focused and concentrating on tasks that seem dull, repetitive or uninteresting. They tend to get bored easily and may suffer from a strong urge for something new and exciting. You might think that this makes them lazy or stupid.
But would you believe me that people with ADHD are more creative than the average person?
A recent study shows that people with ADHD are much better at coming up with novel ideas than people without it. They are also quicker at solving complex problems, which is why they often get hired by companies.
Fact #9: Children with ADHD need structure and routine to be successful
Children with ADHD are often capable of doing well in school and being successful, but only when they are in a structured environment.
According to the University of British Columbia, children with ADHD thrive in structured environments because it prevents them from being distracted by their thoughts and feelings. Children with ADHD often have trouble regulating their emotions and need a task to focus on to calm themselves down.
When children with ADHD are given structure in school as well as at home, they can do well. Research also shows that children with ADHD perform much better when they know what is expected of them each day.
Fact #10: The best way to handle a child with ADHD
Children with ADHD are not properly understood by most people. Many people think that children with ADHD should just “stop acting like that.” This is absurd and doesn’t do justice to the complex nature of this disorder.
Naturally, parents of children with this disorder want to find the best way for their child to live a happy and healthy life. The best way for a child with ADHD to get along in daily life is to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses and work on his/her communication skills.
4. Get Help For Your Child
The post will help parents of children with ADHD find the right doctor for their child. It will give some advice about what to do and not do. This post will also show how to get the best outcomes from the therapy.
Indeed, the treatment is not easy, but there are things you can do to make it easier for both of you. And there are ways to ensure your child gain all the help they require. It’s significant to comprehend that ADHD doesn’t just affect your child. It also affects you, their parents.
5. How can we help our children?
This is a great question, and it’s something that many people with ADHD were asking themselves at one point in their lives.
It’s important to understand the difference between ADHD and ADD. ADHD is a disorder that needs treatment, but ADD is not. Many children diagnosed with ADHD will improve as they get older. So, until you know for sure that your child has ADHD, focus on common sense approaches to helping him or her focus in school and at home.
If your child does have ADHD, medication may be the best solution for managing symptoms.
Conclusion
ADHD is a disorder that causes your child to have trouble with focus, self-control and hyperactivity. Although it’s common for children to be distracted or fidgety at times, there are steps you can take to help your child manage his symptoms. I’ve listed some helpful facts about the disorder in this post. Just take the proper steps to recognize it and manage it effectively, and you will soon find yourself living a happy, fulfilling life free of distractions.
Remember that if you’re concerned that your child has ADHD, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice from a paediatrician today!
