COPING WITH ADHD

In the past decade, the amount of ADHD diagnoses has skyrocketed. It seems like every single classroom has at least one child on medication for ADHD. Adults are even being diagnosed with Adult ADHD.

ADHD has gone from an obscure medical footnote to a household word in record time. Unfortunately, this disorder is largely misunderstood yet it is the most prevalent chronic health condition among school age children.

Many parents who have children diagnosed with ADHD feel like failures as parents. They perceive their children as being less than perfect which can cause amazingly strong feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Misconceptions and preconceptions go along with this misinformation

The causes of ADHD are not readily known and cannot be pigeonholed into a neat little container just as the behavior of an ADHD child cannot be labeled easily. All children are different - all children with ADHD are different. They react differently to situations, modifications, and medications.

The bottom line is that ADHD does exist and it can wreak havoc on families, parents, educators, and others when it is left untreated. ADHD is frustrating, stressful, and can make even the most stoic person flustered.

What it is even scarier about ADHD is the social implications that accompany a disorder like this. Consider the following:

• 21 percent of teens with ADHD skip school repeatedly.


• 35 percent eventually drop out of school.


• ADD/ADHD children are much more likely to experiment with
  drugs and alcohol.


• ADD/ADHD children are more likely to get into accidents.


• When ADD/ADHD kids don't do well in school, their
  self-esteem drops and they are less likely to succeed as adults.

The good news is that there are many coping strategies out there to help you deal with an ADHD child. Medication helps, but you must modify other things such as environment, schedule, and attitude in order to effectively deal with ADHD.

Learn more about Coping With ADHD

At first, there's the usual reaction: "Oh my, there's something wrong with my baby. Why us? Why him?"

This is a common reaction for most parents. No one wants to have their child be stricken with some type of disorder. What these parents need to realize is that the suggestion and then possible diagnosis isn't a death sentence in any way. It's a step toward taking responsibility for your child's health or your health if you are an adult facing this.

While diagnosis of the disorder is complicated by the fact that there is no precise test to identify it, ADHD is defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a brain condition that makes it difficult for children to control their behavior.

Though the disorder can manifest itself in different ways, we've told you that children with ADHD tend to be inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive. Many children also experience trouble in school, difficulty in relationships with family members and their peers, academic underachievement and low self-esteem.

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The term ADHD is really a misnomer. It is a disorder more of attention inconsistency rather than a deficit.

Individuals with ADHD are capable of sustaining attention for long periods of time, but usually only to tasks that are of significant interest to them.

Adults with ADHD often exhibit many of the following behaviors:

•  Unfinished tasks


•  Broken promises


•  Unfulfilled potential


•  Temper outbursts (emotional sensitivity)


•  Resistance to being touched (physical sensitivity)


•  Fidgety


•  A tendency toward drug and/or alcohol abuse


•  Inability to cope with the stresses of everyday
  life


•  Procrastination due to distractibility


•  Seeming not to hear or being inattentive


•  Over-focusing on some tasks while ignoring others


•  Impulsivity


•  Difficulty with organization


•  Easily bored


•  Can't sit still


•  Has learning disabilities

The severity of ADHD is on a continuum. Being diagnosed depends on how well one manages the symptoms. It's this continuum that makes it hard to estimate how many people have it.

Current estimates range between 1% and 22% of the general population who suffer from this disorder. Some say more boys than girls have it, but many doctors believe it's the same proportionally. The difference in behavior in girls/women are not as easily observed and may be tagged as an emotional problem rather than an attention problem.

More On ADHD

The good news about ADHD is that recent years have seen an increase in the overall understanding of what the disorder looks like. We know that not every child with ADHD is hyperactive, and not every child who is inattentive has ADHD. This is great news and the good news just keeps on coming.

When you have a child who is diagnosed with ADHD or you, as an adult have been told that you have Adult ADHD, keep in mind that you are in the company of some pretty famous people who have, or still do, struggle with this disorder. Consider the following list:

• Alexander Graham Bell - Inventor of the telephone


• Hans Christian Andersen - Author


• Beethoven - Composer


• Harry Belafonte - Actor, Composer


• Terry Bradshaw - Retired NFL Quarterback and
  Sports Commentator


• George Burns - Actor


• Admiral Richard Byrd - Navy Aviator


• Andrew Carnegie - Industrialist and Philanthropist


• Lewis Carroll - Author Alice in Wonderland


• Prince Charles - Future King of England


• Cher - Actress/Singer


• Winston Churchill - Statesman


• Bill Cosby - Actor


• Leonardo Da Vinci - Sculptor and Artist


• Thomas Edison - Inventor


• Albert Einstein - Inventor


• Dwight D. Eisenhower - Former President of the
  United States


• Benjamin Franklin - Politician, Inventor


• Michael Jordan - Basketball Player


• Abraham Lincoln - Former President of the United
  States


• Stephen Spielberg - Director, Film Maker

The list literally goes on and on and on.

These people achieved notoriety for their achievements despite their shortcomings. They suffered from ADHD and overcame the diagnosis to become not only rich and famous, but remembered and revered for their creativity and leadership.

This could be you or your child. Don't give up. Don't blame yourself. Take control and take charge. ADHD can be controlled and sufferers can live normal, productive lives.