ADHD: A Comprehensive Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Both Adults and Children, Parenting ADHD, and ADHD Treatment Options

By Andrew Benson

ADHD

This book covers the topic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD. Inside, we will cover what ADHD is, the different types of ADHD, how it affects both children and adults, how it is treated, and much more. 

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ingram Publishing
• Release date: Dec 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781761031762

Book preview

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to read this book on ADHD.

This book covers the topic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD. In the following chapters, we will cover what ADHD is, the different types of ADHD, how it affects both children and adults, how it is treated, and much more.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions surrounding ADHD. While more and more people are becoming aware of the condition and its intricacies each year, many of these misconceptions still remain. This book aims to dispel these myths and mistruths, and educate you on the way ADHD actually impacts a person.

An ADHD diagnosis does not mean that you or your child are dumb, or incapable of learning and operating efficiently in the workplace or at school. It’s actually quite the opposite. In fact, there are several few ways in which the symptoms of ADHD can be a blessing in disguise!

A person with ADHD just has to implement the right strategies for learning, managing their time, and controlling their impulsive tendencies. Once these strategies are in place, a person with ADHD can be just as effective, if not more so, than a person who isn’t affected by ADHD. 

This book will educate you on the many ways that ADHD is treated, including the different medication and therapy options which are most commonly prescribed. Also included are a range of self-help techniques and strategies that can be implemented to help you really get control over the symptoms of ADHD, manage them, and even use them to your advantage.

At the completion of this book, you should have a rather comprehensive understanding of ADHD, and feel well prepared to manage your or your child’s symptoms with full confidence.

Once again, thanks for choosing this book, I hope you find it to be helpful!

Chapter 1- Understanding ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common conditions amongst children. It is something that starts in early development and in most cases, carries into adulthood. Because of the stigma and misunderstandings around ADHD, hearing or suspecting that you or your child may have it might cause you some concern. You may have some questions like: what it is, how do I get rid of it, what are the symptoms, and what are the risk factors? Step-by-step, this book will answer all of these questions and more.

The first thing you need to do however, is to gain an understanding of what exactly ADHD is.

What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a mental health disorder that causes multiple continuous problems such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. People with ADHD can suffer from low self-esteem, problems with their relationships, and poor performance at work or school. While it is most commonly diagnosed during childhood, some people may get diagnosed with it later in their lives. This is not because they developed ADHD in the later stages of life but rather because their parents, teacher, or doctor didn’t recognize the symptoms.

Children with ADHD often experience problems with sitting still when they are told to, fidgeting, appearing to not be listening, and difficulty with making friends. This is not because they want to be rebellious. Most children with the condition will try their best to pay attention and sit still, but their ADHD brain works in a way that makes that seemingly impossible. Adults typically have fewer clear symptoms of ADHD like decreased hyperactivity but will still have issues with impulse control and restlessness. One of the most common symptoms adults complain about is the difficulty they experience with paying attention.

We all have some of the symptoms of ADHD from time to time, but to be diagnosed with it, a person must have more difficulty with these symptoms than the people around them. To be diagnosed, the persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity has to interfere with the child’s education and development, or the adult’s daily functioning.

●  Inattention occurs when a person seems to get distracted while performing a task, is not very focused or organized, and has a persistence problem.

●  Hyperactivity will typically show itself in the form of moving around all the time. Even in times when it is considered inappropriate to do so, and not being able to stop fidgeting, tapping, or talking when told not to.

●  Impulsivity causes the person to interrupt others and make quick decisions without thinking about the consequences. The ADHD brain is simply interested in the immediate reward of their actions, and not worried about the potential risk that may be associated with these actions.

For a very long time, it was thought that only children, boys in particular, could have ADHD. Later on, research showed that ADHD can continue being a problem when the child becomes an adult, and that women and girls can also be affected by ADHD just as often as men and boys. Still to this day, females are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD because ADHD has different symptoms in males and females.

Boys and men might show more impulsiveness and hyperactivity, whereas girls and women might have more problems with inattention, and they may seem more ‘day dreamy’ than hyperactive. Because of the common misconceptions surrounding ADHD, parents often think their children can only have it if they are hyperactive and can’t seem to sit still. Inattention can be more than just jumping around or wandering off; a girl or a woman might find it easier to be distracted by their thoughts and emotions rather than an object, an activity, or a place.

Children should not be considered lazy or naughty when they show signs of ADHD. ADHD is not a made up word to make parents feel bad about their parenting, it is a real medical condition that occurs when the brain anatomy and wiring have differences in development. Basically, while our brains are developing, things might not develop regularly, which can cause us to have problems with our working memory, flexible thinking, managing emotions, self-regulation, organization, and planning.

ADHD has different effects on everyone and can become harder to diagnose over time. It is best to visit the doctor as soon as you notice some symptoms of ADHD in yourself or your child. In the United States, about 8.4% of children and around 2.5% of adults are diagnosed with ADHD. Symptoms might decrease as a person reaches adulthood, but unlike what was believed a couple of decades ago, ADHD does not necessarily disappear when the child becomes an adult.

While the exact cause of ADHD is hard to determine, we do know that it is the result of a brain dysfunction that cannot be ‘fixed’ by simply disciplining your child or brushing it off as ‘kids being kids’. Many adults who are uneducated about ADHD think that an adult will only claim to have ADHD to be able to get prescribed the drugs that make them focus better. This often makes the adults who actually suffer from ADHD, feel self-conscious about mentioning the hardships of their condition.

Children and adults with ADHD will experience so much more than difficulty with focusing. An inability to pay attention to something even when they know they have to, might make the person feel incompetent or stupid. This can cause major issues with their self-esteem and cause them to unfavorably compare themselves to others all of their lives.

ADHD interferes with more than one just aspect of someone’s life. For inattention to be considered as a symptom of ADHD, a person has to find it hard to pay attention at work, school, home, and their social life. For example, if your child does not sit still during class, talks, and interrupts while the teacher is speaking but seems to have no problem at home during dinner time or when he is with his friends, they might just have an attitude problem. If your child shows similar behaviors at home, school, and during social activities however, this is a strong sign of ADHD. This inability to control their behavior and remain attentive can cause a myriad of issues, such as poor performance at school, and issues with making and retaining friendships.

Common Myths about ADHD

People who have ADHD can find life to be a little bit more difficult than others. Everyone procrastinates on the big tasks like homework or work projects, but ADHD takes that procrastination to the next level. People with the condition may find it impossible to gather their attention and will to do the work on time. Along with the struggles associated with ADHD, they also have to deal with the stereotypes and misinformation surrounding their disorder. There are multiple myths about ADHD that people often bring up. These myths have all been debunked by respectable scientists and their studies. Here are some of these myths surrounding ADHD:

●  ADHD is not a real thing! It’s all in your