ADHD / ADD: Attention Deficit Disorders
Millions of people contend with the difficult and confusing condition known as ADHD or ADD. For a long time it was thought that boys suffered more from this than girls and that those with the disorder would “outgrow” or “get over” these problematic behaviors. Research has led to a greater understanding of this set of disorders and we now know more than we have ever known. Science has shown that this is a set of disorders, falling under a diagnostic umbrella of “attention deficit disorders”, and the clinical term recognized today is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to cover these conditions.
ADHD does affect both girls and boys and lasts through adulthood for most people. It is now understood that ADHD is caused by physical differences in those with the condition. These differences can be chemical, structural or connectivity issues within the brain. It is not environmental issues, nutritional deficits or other causes like head injury that bring about ADHD. There can be similarities to other conditions, so it’s important to get an accurate picture of all the issues facing the individual. There are a number of helpful scales and tests that can be applied and used by mental health providers to assess whether ADHD or some other condition most accurately explains any symptoms.
According to epidemiological data, approximately 5% of adults have ADHD.
That represents over 11,000,000 people in the US. It occurs in both men and women and, in the majority of cases, persists throughout the lifespan.
Since ADHD is a neuro-behavioral condition, there is no cure and the majority do not outgrow it. Approximately two-thirds or more of children with ADHD continue to have symptoms and challenges in adulthood that require treatment.
ADHD occurs in both men and women.
While initially research was focused on studying hyperactive, school-aged boys, we now know that women also have ADHD. Boys and men are more likely to be referred for ADHD testing and treatment, receive accommodations, and participate in research studies, which makes it hard to identify the ratio of men to women with ADHD. Some researchers have suggested that ADHD is more prevalent in men, but we are learning that this is likely not the case. ADHD in women is consistently under-diagnosed and under-treated compared to men, especially those who do not demonstrate hyperactivity and behavior problems.
Since research has improved our understanding of ADHD, we can clearly group people with symptoms into three categories. There are those with more Attention Deficit (AD) symptoms, those with more Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms (HD) and those that present with a combination of both (ADHD). Finding out more about your loved one’s symptoms, and the likely causes will lead to more effective management and treatment of those symptoms. Treatment usually involves some combination of medication and therapy. Those with ADHD can have happy and productive lives; they need support and skills to overcome the challenges of facing ADHD.