ADHD Adults

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Adults
Oh Look! A Shiny Penny!

Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder that affects the way nerves develop and the why individuals process thoughts and control actions. Individuals with ADHD tend to have difficulty maintaining focus and remembering details . ADHD has been thought to be a childhood disorder and that the disorder somehow disappears as a child grows older. Though ADHD is most common in children it is becoming clearer that less than half of the individuals affected with ADHD resolve the issues and difficulties the disorder presents. Adults with ADHD experience many hardships and struggle daily with the exhausting effects of the disorder.
ADHD In Adults
It is now clear that at least 50% of children with ADHD continue to have the disorder as adolescents. Recent studies confirm that at least 30% of these children continue to have ADHD as adults. The behaviors persist and cause as much difficulty as they did when the person was a child or adolescent .
Adults with ADHD continue to be hyperactive, distractible and/or impulsive. They can have difficulty with organization. In addition, many develop secondary emotional, social or family problems. Often there are career planning or job related problems. Further more, many of these adults also have learning disabilities, which, like the ADHD, might have been undiagnosed and untreated .
The essential feature of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Inattention may be seen in classroom environments, work place or social situations. Persons with this disorder may lack the ability to pay attention to fine details and make seemingly careless mistakes in assignments and tasks. Individuals may find it difficult to maintain focus on tasks until completion and often seem as if they are daydreaming or a million miles away . Those with ADHD, often switch back and forth from one activity to another never fully completing any one activity. Those with ADHD often have difficulty organizing thoughts and activities and find it hard to maintain a prolonged mental engagement for lengthy tasks. Adults with ADHD will often avoid activities that require in depth thought or prolonged selective attention skills . Though individuals with ADHD are often quite intelligent they appear as though they are unorganized, scattered, careless, reckless, distractible, impulsive, fidgety, inattentive and self-absorbed. Adults with ADHD are easily distracted by stimuli that others may not even notice and often find it difficult to maintain on task due to a need to investigate noises and activities. Others may find it difficult to maintain in a personal or professional relationship with an individual with ADHD due to the inability to maintain a conversation without interrupting or lack of control in order to listen for an extended period of time. Those with ADHD have difficulty organizing daily activities and appear forgetful or inconsiderate .
ADHD brings about labeling those afflicted with this brain disorder as; stubborn, accident prone, klutzy, impulsive, impatient, and incapable of delaying self-gratification, rude, obnoxious and immature. Studies also suggest that there is a higher prevalence of Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Learning Disorders, Substance-Related Disorders, and Antisocial Personality Disorders in family members of individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).
Rachel G. Klein, Ph.D. shows men who were diagnosed with ADHD as children still struggled in adult life. The study was published on Oct. 15, 2012 in the Archives of General Psychiatry and identified worse outcomes in career and educational attainment, marriage, incarceration rates, and a number of mental illnesses such as, ongoing ADHD and antisocial personality and substance disorders and related hospitalizations . The researchers found that the participants with a history of ADHD had 7% more divorce, lower average incomes and higher likelihood of antisocial personality disorder than the rest of the participants. Those in the ADHD group vs. those who had never been diagnosed with ADHD who also developed antisocial personality disorder and substance use disorder showed the worst outcomes. This was especially so in those whose ADHD continued as adults.
Persons with ADHD have difficulty organizing and are overwhelmed by the details of life and they neglect them. As an adult the inability to read more then a couple of paragraphs or the frustration of reading directions to do something and/or paying attention to a conversation has a serious negative impact on quality of life . Often children with ADHD who grow into teens with ADHD have a higher chance of dropping out of school, making less income, divorcing, dying at a young age and being incarcerated and often hospitalized for psychiatric reasons, mostly drug abuse.
The general public needs more information and education on this disorder. ADHD is part of the individual; it is who they are physiologically. Doctors can actually see differences in the brain. The brains of people who had ADHD were thinner in areas that seemed to control attention and govern emotion. The difference in brain scans shows that of less than a tenth of a millimeter, however that is a significant amount of brain cells . The difference is evidence that ADHD is physiological and not just a case of misbehaving children that can grow out of it or something the pharmaceutical industry as manufactured in order to sell medications. ADHD is a brain disorder that can be disabling. Brain scans have also shown a difference in the brain of those who seem to have overcome ADHD. The brain changes throughout life and although it is not yet understood how, some have seemed to have compensated for ADHD and effectively rewired their brains .
Although adults diagnosed with ADHD in childhood have worse outcomes as adults including lower education, lower incomes and higher divorce rates, many individuals with ADHD can go on to live productive lives and it appears the earlier the individual is diagnosed and begins intervention the more likely the individual is to overcome the detrimental effects of the disorder as well as a better prognosis for coping with any comorbidities they may suffer from.
The most important aspect of understanding ADHD and managing the impairments for those that suffer from the disorder and those affected by it though a family, friend or coworker is to understand the effects of the disorder.
Adults with ADHD often have difficulty staying focused and attending to daily, mundane tasks. Irrelevant sights and sounds may easily distract them and they can quickly bounce from one activity to another, or become bored quickly. Individuals with ADHD are often accused of having attention and concentration difficulties. Adults with ADHD often look quite different than those as children and symptoms are unique for each individual. Individuals with ADHD have trouble focusing on tasks that aren’t interesting to them, although some may have a tendency to become absorbed in tasks that are stimulating and rewarding. This paradoxical symptom is called hyperfocus . Hyperfocus is actually a coping mechanism for distraction. Hyperfocus is a way of tuning out the chaos. It can be so strong that they become oblivious to everything going on around them. They can become so engrossed that they completely lose track of time and neglect the tasks they were originally doing. Hyperfocus can be an asset when channeled into productive activities, but it can also lead to work and relationship problems if uncontrolled. Learning to cope with disorganization, impulsivity, hyperactivity, restlessness and forgetfulness can be quite challenging and lead to emotional difficulties. If left undiagnosed and/or untreated individuals with ADHD can develop a sense of underachievement, frustration, stress, irritability, mood swings, trouble staying motivated, hypersensitivity to criticism, short and often explosive temperament, a sense of insecurity and low self esteem . Once the effects of ADHD are understood, individuals need to learn to how to treat and manage ADHD.
Activities that can help lessen the challenges of ADHD include exercising and having a healthy, balanced diet. Vigorous and regular Exercise helps work off excess energy and aggression in a positive way and soothes and calms the body. Eating a wide variety of healthy foods and limiting sugary foods can even out mood swings. It is important to get plenty of sleep as lack of sleep can make it more difficult to focus, manage stress, stay productive and maintain responsibilities. Practice effective time management setting deadlines for even small tasks. Use alarms take breaks at regular times. Avoid procrastination and write down messages, thoughts and daily responsibilities. Develop relationships and friendships with people who understand the struggles of ADHD. Most importantly, create an environment that works with ADHD. Make frequent use of lists, color-coding, reminders, notes-to-self, rituals, and files. If possible, choose work that is motivating and interesting. Notice how and when activities work best and apply these conditions to working environment. Teaming up with less creative, more organized people can be a partnership that can be mutually beneficial.

ADHD may be overwhelming for individuals to manage alone and may require treatment with health care individuals. Individuals may benefit from behavioral coaching, individual therapy, self-help groups vocational counseling, educational assistance and medication. Areas in which individuals seem to benefit from professional training are impulse control, time and money management, organization, home and work productivity, stress and anger management and communication skills . Those who suffer from ADHD do not suffer alone. The disorder reaps havoc on them and the lives of those that love and care for them as well as society as a whole. It is the opinion of this writer that it takes a village to raise a child and it is easier to build a boy than to rebuild a man. It would be beneficial to all to have a better understanding of ADHD and those affected by the side effects of ADHD and know those inflicted with the disorder are not lazy, they are not stupid and they are not crazy. ADHD is a burden they bare and it either breaks them or makes them stronger and better persons for it.
Conclusion
Adult ADHD is a mental health condition that causes difficulty in maintaining attention, hyperactivity, impulse and behavior control. ADHD was once thought to be a childhood disorder that could be outgrown. It is only been recently that scientists and doctors have begun to study and understand the implications the neurological dysfunctions of ADHD causes on adults inflicted with the disorder. It is imperative that individuals and their families learn the benefit of understanding ADHD and how to modify lifestyles as well as monitor and actively involve themselves in treatment to minimize the negative attributes of the disorder and the mayhem it can cause on daily living in order to live a fulfilling and productive life. Individuals with ADHD and society as a whole need to understand ADHD is not a choice it is a difficult disorder that requires hard work to overcome and a lot of patience and understanding as well as acceptance to live with.

References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (4. ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.
Feingold, B. (1975). Why Your Child is Hyperactive. New York: Random House.
Hechtman, G. W. (1986). Hyperactive Children Grow Up. New York: The Guilford Press.
Attention Defeficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (2010). Retrieved April 21, 2013, from Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition
Ramundo, K. K. (1996). You Mean I 'm Not Lazy Stupid Or Crazy?! New York: Fireside.
Reimherr, P. W. (1990). Treatment of Attention Deficit Hperactivity Disorder In Adults. American Journal of Psychiatry , 1018-1020.
Winston, S. (1978). Getting Organized. New York: Warner Books.

References: American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR (4. ed.). Arlington, VA: Author. Feingold, B. (1975). Why Your Child is Hyperactive. New York: Random House. Hechtman, G. W. (1986). Hyperactive Children Grow Up. New York: The Guilford Press. Attention Defeficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (2010). Retrieved April 21, 2013, from Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition Ramundo, K. K. (1996). You Mean I 'm Not Lazy Stupid Or Crazy?! New York: Fireside. Reimherr, P. W. (1990). Treatment of Attention Deficit Hperactivity Disorder In Adults. American Journal of Psychiatry , 1018-1020. Winston, S. (1978). Getting Organized. New York: Warner Books.