Mindfulness and Meditation as a treatment for ADHD
Meditation & Mindfulness as a Treatment for ADHD
Kean University
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has quickly become one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders for children and adolescents in America today. There is a growing amount of research that indicates this is an issue of significant proportion. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in ten children in the United States are currently diagnosed with ADHD. The condition of ADHD has been defined as a behavioral disorder connected with impairment in cognition as well brain alterations (Zylowska et al 2008). Research indicates it is a multifaceted behavioral disorder prejudiced by a multiple of environmental and genetic factors with assorted elements contributing to the clinical presentation (Haydicky, Wiener, Badali, Milligan & Ducharme 2012).
Symptoms of ADHD can be extremely varied. Some children show behavior problems in school and at home. These symptoms include, not complying with parents or teachers (non and compliance), being hyperactive, being impulsive, showing aggression, not being able to complete a task, high frustration levels, getting angry very easily and switching suddenly from one activity to another. Children diagnosed with ADHD may forget things easily, may have trouble following directions, or be day-dreamy. They may also fidget and squirm, talk nonstop, run around, want to touch everything, and have trouble with emotion control. As is evident, the symptoms described for ADHD are very broad and many of them seem like normal childlike behaviors. Most children do have a great deal of energy, fidget and squirm, are day-dreamy and have a hard time with impulse control.
There is evidence that “creating” the diagnosis of ADHD and including it within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1987 has been the cause of many children being diagnosed with the disorder and
Kean University
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has quickly become one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders for children and adolescents in America today. There is a growing amount of research that indicates this is an issue of significant proportion. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in ten children in the United States are currently diagnosed with ADHD. The condition of ADHD has been defined as a behavioral disorder connected with impairment in cognition as well brain alterations (Zylowska et al 2008). Research indicates it is a multifaceted behavioral disorder prejudiced by a multiple of environmental and genetic factors with assorted elements contributing to the clinical presentation (Haydicky, Wiener, Badali, Milligan & Ducharme 2012).
Symptoms of ADHD can be extremely varied. Some children show behavior problems in school and at home. These symptoms include, not complying with parents or teachers (non and compliance), being hyperactive, being impulsive, showing aggression, not being able to complete a task, high frustration levels, getting angry very easily and switching suddenly from one activity to another. Children diagnosed with ADHD may forget things easily, may have trouble following directions, or be day-dreamy. They may also fidget and squirm, talk nonstop, run around, want to touch everything, and have trouble with emotion control. As is evident, the symptoms described for ADHD are very broad and many of them seem like normal childlike behaviors. Most children do have a great deal of energy, fidget and squirm, are day-dreamy and have a hard time with impulse control.
There is evidence that “creating” the diagnosis of ADHD and including it within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1987 has been the cause of many children being diagnosed with the disorder and
References: Docksai, R. (2013). A mindful approach to learning. Futurist, 47(5), 8-10. Fishman, B. (2002). Emotional Healing through Mindfulness Meditation: Stories and Meditations for Women Seeking Wholeness Greenberg, Gary. "Inside the Battle for Mental Illness." Wired 27 Dec. 2011: 15-23. Gyatso, K., (2003). The New Meditation Handbook: Meditations to Make Our Life Happy and Meaningful Haydicky, J., Wiener, J., Badali, P., Milligan, K., & Ducharme, M. (2012). Evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention for adolescents with learning disabilities and James, A., F. H. Lai, & C. Dahl. (2004). "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and suicide: A review of possible associations." Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Kabat-Zinn, J., (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life Neukrug, E. (2011). Counseling Theory and Practice. Australia: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Pelham, William E., and Gregory A. Fabiano. (2008). "Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder." Journal of Clinical Van der Oord, S., Bogels, S., & Peijnenburg, D. (2011). The effectiveness of mindfulness training for children with ADHD and mindful parenting for their parents (2008). Mindfulness meditation training in adults and adolescents with ADHD: A feasibility study