Every day you have many things to check off of your daily to-do-list. You have to multi-task work, personal life, and daily chores. These are everyday things you have to physical and mentally tackle and it is difficult for you. For example, you begin a task of cleaning your toilet and notice the bathroom trash needs to be empty, so you stop cleaning the toilet and end up taking out the bathroom trash. On your way of taking out the bathroom trash, you think "might as well take out the kitchen trash" and then notice the dirty dishes in the sink and stop to clean the dishes. You started on trying to finish one daily task and end up starting three without completion of any of the tasks of cleaning the toilet, taking out the trash, or cleaning the dishes. You get easily distracted by another task that is not finished or lack of motivation to start a task that you have been procrastinating for days, weeks, and even months. You know you do this, and you know it is not normal because your friends don't struggle with multi-tasking so what is wrong with you? There is nothing wrong. You may have what many people struggle with, and it is called "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" (ADHD).
What is ADHD? ADHD is a common neurodevelopment that is typically diagnosed in childhood and the adults who get diagnosed later in life usually have less noticeable signs of ADHD during childhood or have parents and/or educators lacking the knowledge and education of ADHD. Individuals with ADHD have difficulty paying attention, be overly active, and may act out without thinking what the end result may be. So, how do you know if your child or you have ADHD? It is normal for a child to struggle with sitting still and have trouble focusing so how can you tell if someone truly has ADHD compare to normal child behaviors? First you have to notice if the ADHD symptoms continue in multiple environments and stay consistent for months to years with minimal change.
Symptoms to watch are:
Talk too much
Daydreaming frequently
Take unnecessary risks or make careless mistakes
Have trouble taking turns
Forget or lose things frequently
Having problems getting along with others
Fidget or having issues staying still
Have difficulty resisting temptation
At this time, the cause and risk factors are unknown. There is a possibility with recent research of a genetic link regarding a diagnosis of ADHD in individuals. Other potential causes may include alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy, enviromental factors, brain injury, premature delivery, and low birth rate.
There are also three different types of ADHD. The first is predominately inattentive presentation, which is an individual that has difficulty following a task, completing a task, or follow instructions. The second is predominately hyperactive-impulsive presentation, which is an individual who has difficulty staying still for long periods of time and interrupts conversations at inappropriate times. The last is combined presentation, which is a combination of both predominately inattentive presentation and predominately hyperactive-impulsive presentation.
Diagnosing an individual with ADHD has multiple steps and typically includes hearing and vision tests to rule out other issues related to ADHD symptoms. Healthcare providers in the United States use the guideline from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition, (DSM-5) to diagnose individuals with ADHD. This standard for diagnosing ADHD helps ensure individuals are getting accurately and appropriately diagnosed with what type of ADHD one has. Once the individual has an ADHD diagnosis, the healthcare provider can treat it with a balance of behavioral therapy plus medication. The individual can also better improve their ADHD symptoms by maintaining a healthy diet, staying active, limit screen time, and get the recommended amount of sleep every night.
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