Attention Deficit Disorder is a chronic condition by which it’s afflicted are continually inattentive, hyperactive, and occasionally impulsive. ADHD starts in childhood and often lingers into adulthood. As many as 2 out of every 3 children affected by ADHD continue to have symptoms well into adulthood. This includes inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity – which are the key behaviors of those with ADHD.
Often characterized by a mental breakdown, crisis management is dealing with extreme situations in an effective manner. People who suffer from this are typically incapable of thinking of practical solutions and will negate the issue at hand. The patient suffering from crisis management tends to need help very early on in the process. This means reaching out to family/friends and contacting a doctor or mental health provider.
After loss, some individuals have a difficult time returning to their lives before and require special attention and help. The grieving process is very individualized; there is no actual timetable for it to end. Grief encompasses shock and disbelief, sadness, guilt, anger, and fear.
Personality disorders are disorders in which a person may forget who they are or become another person they think they are. It causes major disruptions in their daily lives and relationships. Symptoms of each personality disorder differ and can be either mild or severe. People with personality disorders often have trouble identifying that they have a problem; they believe their thoughts are normal and that it is other people who are to blame. Treatment usually includes talk therapy and sometimes medicine.
Dealing with stress and stressful situation with calm, level-headed intentions and charisma. Physical symptoms of stress range from low energy and headaches to chest pain and dry mouth. If left unchecked, ongoing stress can cause serious health issues including depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, sexual dysfunction, and gastrointestinal problems.
Anger management is dealing with the inability to cope with stressful situations, controlling one’s anger, attitude, and ability to deal with situations productively and responsibly under calm duress. Suppressed anger can also be an underlying cause of anxiety and depression. Doctors suggest deep breathing and positive self-talk as the first steps in helping manage anger.
People with issues resulting from medicating chronic pain issues require specialized healing that can come in numerous forms and must be discovered individually with guidance from a trained professional. Chronic pain is often defined as any pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. Whereas acute pain is a normal sensation that alerts us to possible injury, chronic pain is very different. Chronic pain persists—often for months and sometimes even longer and may be complicated by issues associated with prescription medication.
Controlling feelings or actions that are immediate and often reactionary. These individuals need assistance in finding new psychology in dealing with their intense immediacy and needs. Scientists are still researching the cause of these types of disorders but many think that there are a good handful of factors including physical or biological, psychological or emotional, and cultural or societal issues.
Caused from a moment or moments of extremely stressful situations, environments, and individuals. This disorder can cause the afflicted to avoid people, places, or activities in fear and completely disrupt their personal and professional lives. Not every traumatized person develops ongoing (chronic) or even short-term (acute) PTSD. Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some experiences, like the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one, can also cause PTSD.
Abuse, consistent use, or addiction characterizes the plight of substance use disorders. The substance could be interfering with the person’s personal or professional life or even life-threatening. Common Substance Use disorders include Alcohol Use Disorder, Tobacco Use Disorder, and Cannabis Use Disorder. Regardless of the substance, many of the same behaviors are prevalent and require the same course of treatment.
Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders marked by feelings of anxiety or loathing. Anxiety is a worry about the future and loathing is a reaction to current happenings. These feelings could manifest in physical forms, such as a faster heart rate or trembling. Disorders in this category include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
Eating disorders are a collective of mental disorders that force the individual into unusual and unhealthy eating habits. They range from Anorexia Nervosa to Bulimia Nervosa, from Binge-Eating to Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
Mood disorders refer to a plethora of swinging, bipolar, or mood control disorders. These disorders often ruin relationships and take control of the individual’s free will. About 20% of the U.S. population reports at least one depressive symptom in a given month, and 12% report two or more in a year. Depression is a common feature of mental illness, whatever its nature and origin. People are more easily demoralized by depression and slower to recover if they are withdrawn and unreasonably self-critical or irritable, impulsive, and hypersensitive to loss.
Trauma is caused by a personal experience with another individual. Often characterized by mental, verbal, and physical abuse inflicted on the sufferer. Women experience remarkably high rates of relational trauma including child abuse and neglect and intimate partner violence (IPV) during adulthood, and the childbearing years are no exception.
Trouble sleeping or getting deep rejuvenating sleep on a regular basis. Often times a deeper-seated issue is at hand and must be uncovered. Insomnia comes in many forms, including Acute Insomnia, Chronic Insomnia, Comorbid Insomnia, Onset Insomnia, and Maintenance Insomnia.
Body image issues are when an individual sees themselves in an extremely negative light. It could stem from mental and verbal abuse from any age and typically attacks the psyche by focusing on what the sufferer perceives as a flaw. Researchers have noted that people with body image issues have difficulties with visual processing.
Issues pertaining to family are treated with the help of clinicians who know how to break down communication barriers in relationships in order to fix the problems at hand. Conflicts are a part of family life. A lot of different issues can lead to conflict, including illness, disability, addiction, job loss, school problems, and marital issues. Listening to one another and actively working to resolve conflicts are key to reinforcing the family.
Parenting issues are problems in maintaining the parent-child relationship in keeping respect or authority in the hands of the adult. Aggression in the child can lead to issues – just as tantrums do too. Children often take up habits that can make parents feel like they’re being manipulated.
Problems between loved ones typically stemming from communication breakdowns and the inability to compromise or change to make the other person happy. These issues can arise from a couple spending too little – or even too much – time together. They can stem from fighting over the same issues, from insecurities over your future to feeling misunderstood. Money is also a common root of relationship issues.
Sexual disorders are involving sex, perversion, or acts that have nothing to do with sex in the standard definition but have been fetishized and cause a disruption in the individual or society’s regular agenda. Psychotherapy is a common treatment for desire disorders. Treatment focuses on bringing awareness to any unresolved conflicts and how they impact the patient’s life. While improvement is possible, the sexual dysfunction often becomes autonomous and persists, requiring additional techniques. Various hormones have also been studied for the treatment of sexual desire disorders.
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is an adverse neurological condition, affecting up to 11% of American children, mostly boys. An official diagnosis is made on average at the age of 7, while symptoms are usually present as early as age 3. While the disease is often recognized and diagnosed in childhood, over 10 million American adults currently live with the disorder.
ADHD is characterized by a marked inability to focus, accompanied by impulsivity and hyperactivity that severely hampers development and functioning in children and adults.
Inattention, or a lack of focus, means a child will frequently walk away from tasks, have trouble finishing a task, and is disorganized. For ADHD to be present, these problems must not be attributed to defiance or a lack of understanding or comprehension.
Hyperactivity means the child (or adult) can’t sit still. They move around often, especially during inappropriate times. They may fidget, tap their feet, bounce their knees, or drum their fingers on their desks. Also, children with ADHD tend to talk a lot and in inappropriate situations. They have a marked inability to remain still or quiet. Again, it’s not due to defiance. They can’t help themselves.
People with ADHD are also impulsive, or hasty. They make decisions without thinking them through or considering the consequences. This tendency to act hastily can lead to substantial harm. ADHD is also characterized by an inability to delay gratification, and a tendency to want something immediately. ADHD children will interrupt others or act intrusively. As adults, they will make quick, impulsive decisions about important and pressing matters without considering the long-term consequences.
Boys are three times as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. 13% of adult American men have ADHD, whereas only 4% of adult women do.
Healthcare professionals use the current psychiatric manual, the DSM-V, to make an official ADHD diagnosis. ADHD is a multi-layered disorder and presents differently in individuals. The disease is broken down into three subsets depending on which aspect of the disorder is most prevalent in the patient.
For example, a person who is mostly inattentive and not so hyper will have a Primarily Inattentive ADHD diagnosis. Someone who is very hyperactive will have a Primarily Hyperactive ADHD diagnosis, and yet others are about equal with both aspects of the disorder. These patients are given a combined subtype diagnosis. Since there are different subtypes of the disease, treatment is highly tailored to the individual. Diagnosing a child with ADHD requires stricter guidelines than diagnosing an adult.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists are the most equipped to diagnose ADHD, but only psychiatrists, neurologists, and family care physicians can prescribe medication for treatment.
While ADHD is a costly, time-consuming, and tragic diagnosis for parents to hear, there are many useful treatment options for managing the disease.
Since ADHD is usually diagnosed during childhood, it is critical for parents to attend family therapy sessions tailored to their child and unique family situation. ADHD children require different parenting methods to successfully manage their symptoms and continue to grow and develop in a healthy manner, and parents who are educated about the disease can best help their child navigate the common pitfalls associated with an ADHD diagnosis.
Common treatment methods include:
Older children, above six years of age, do well with a combination of therapy and medication. But for younger kids, therapy alone is usually the first line of defense in the fight against ADHD. The long-term effects of ADHD medications have not been studied yet in younger children.
Children require close monitoring during treatment. Also, since they are growing and developing, their treatment may need frequent updates or tailoring to accommodate their unique needs best. Parent training and therapy has been found to be the most effective for helping children manage their ADHD symptoms. Early intervention is key.
Fast-acting stimulants are the most effective for managing ADHD symptoms. Up to 80% of children who take a fast-acting stimulant will see an almost immediate reduction in symptoms. But in some cases, non-stimulant medication is required. Also, the child’s growth and development will affect the way the medicine works over time. Therapists and doctors need to closely monitor the child and switch medications or change the dose to manage symptoms adequately.
Parents need to be aware that their child may be eligible for early intervention programs and unique accommodations at school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children who receive help and accommodations from their school are better able to reach academic achievements.
ADHD is a disruptive disorder, and without treatment, children cannot reach their full academic potential. Adults with untreated ADHD are also at high-risk of harming themselves and their families with impulsive, reckless decisions. However, medication, therapy, and early intervention are successful in treating ADHD symptoms and getting children and adults the help they need.
ADHD causes a lot of upheaval in parents’ and children’s lives. It is also a costly disease. Hidden ADHD costs average between 1,000 and 2,000 dollars per American household, and schools spend an average of 15 to 20 billion per year dealing with the financial fallout from ADHD. Meanwhile, the healthcare sector sees close to 40 billion dollars spent on ADHD alone.
Despite the seriousness of the disorder, it responds well to medication and treatment methods. The following article will explore the signs and symptoms of ADHD, and how to treat it.
© 2024 Mission Harbor Behavioral Health.
