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IS IT REALLY ADHD (ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER)?

17/03/11

Ryan’s day begins at 7 a.m. His mother wakes him, tells him to get dressed, then comes back five minutes later and tells him again. It takes the freckle-faced eight-year-old fifteen more minutes to complete the task. In the kitchen, Ryan races around, unable to sit still for more than thirty seconds.
At school, the other children are frightened of Ryan’s explosive temper and tendency to strike out. He talks out of turn, races around the classroom, and can’t seem to stay at his desk. He finds it impossible to concentrate on a simple spelling test, despite the fact that he knew all the words perfectly the night before. When time is called, Ryan’s page is full of doodles and scrawls.
Later, on the playground, Ryan gets into a fight when a classmate accidentally brushes by him while playing kickball. Ryan flies into a rage, and, screaming, he knocks the boy down.
Back home, Ryan’s mother orders him to clean his room. Instead, Ryan dashes into the living room and turns on the television. His mother grabs him by the arm and drags him, kicking and screaming, into his bedroom.
Getting Ryan to do his homework proves equally difficult. It takes sixty minutes and several angry reprimands from his mother and father before he is able to write down fifteen simple spelling words. When his mother checks his work, ten of the words are impossible to read.
A fight ensues when his parents try to put him to bed at nine-thirty. After that, they can hear Ryan in his bedroom, talking to himself and playing with one toy after another. By the time he finally falls asleep, it’s 11 p.m.
Despite his best efforts, Ryan simply can’t control his behavior. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a mental disorder believed to affect between 3 and 5 percent of all children—possibly as many as two million youngsters in the United States alone.
Once known as minimal brain dysfunction or hyperkinesis, ADHD is now considered by most experts to be an umbrella syndrome characterized by the presence of several distinct symptoms, most commonly hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. It affects three times as many boys as girls and frequently continues into adolescence and adulthood.
There is no cure for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but in most cases it can be effectively managed with medication (most commonly Ritalin), psychotherapy, behavior modification, and other approaches. Left untreated, children and adults with ADHD typically find it difficult to do well in school or at work, maintain friendships or interpersonal relationships, and generally enjoy life. It’s an often maddening existence that leaves the victim feeling powerless, confused, and angry.
But there is hope. Every day, researchers worldwide are discovering more and more about the biological workings and potential causes of ADHD, as well as new treatments for the syndrome and perhaps, one day, even a cure. In the meantime, victims must learn to manage one day at a time, constantly aware that the most disruptive symptoms of ADHD always lie just below the surface, ready to wreak havoc.
Following are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding ADHD, its presentation, suspected causes, and prognoses.
*1\173\2*

IS IT REALLY ADHD (ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER)? Ryan’s day begins at 7 a.m. His mother wakes him, tells him to get dressed, then comes back five minutes later and tells him again. It takes the freckle-faced eight-year-old fifteen more minutes to complete the task. In the kitchen, Ryan races around, unable to sit still for more than thirty seconds.At school, the other children are frightened of Ryan’s explosive temper and tendency to strike out. He talks out of turn, races around the classroom, and can’t seem to stay at his desk. He finds it impossible to concentrate on a simple spelling test, despite the fact that he knew all the words perfectly the night before. When time is called, Ryan’s page is full of doodles and scrawls.Later, on the playground, Ryan gets into a fight when a classmate accidentally brushes by him while playing kickball. Ryan flies into a rage, and, screaming, he knocks the boy down.Back home, Ryan’s mother orders him to clean his room. Instead, Ryan dashes into the living room and turns on the television. His mother grabs him by the arm and drags him, kicking and screaming, into his bedroom.Getting Ryan to do his homework proves equally difficult. It takes sixty minutes and several angry reprimands from his mother and father before he is able to write down fifteen simple spelling words. When his mother checks his work, ten of the words are impossible to read. A fight ensues when his parents try to put him to bed at nine-thirty. After that, they can hear Ryan in his bedroom, talking to himself and playing with one toy after another. By the time he finally falls asleep, it’s 11 p.m.Despite his best efforts, Ryan simply can’t control his behavior. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a mental disorder believed to affect between 3 and 5 percent of all children—possibly as many as two million youngsters in the United States alone.Once known as minimal brain dysfunction or hyperkinesis, ADHD is now considered by most experts to be an umbrella syndrome characterized by the presence of several distinct symptoms, most commonly hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. It affects three times as many boys as girls and frequently continues into adolescence and adulthood.There is no cure for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but in most cases it can be effectively managed with medication (most commonly Ritalin), psychotherapy, behavior modification, and other approaches. Left untreated, children and adults with ADHD typically find it difficult to do well in school or at work, maintain friendships or interpersonal relationships, and generally enjoy life. It’s an often maddening existence that leaves the victim feeling powerless, confused, and angry.But there is hope. Every day, researchers worldwide are discovering more and more about the biological workings and potential causes of ADHD, as well as new treatments for the syndrome and perhaps, one day, even a cure. In the meantime, victims must learn to manage one day at a time, constantly aware that the most disruptive symptoms of ADHD always lie just below the surface, ready to wreak havoc.Following are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding ADHD, its presentation, suspected causes, and prognoses.*1\173\2*

 

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