What is ADHD?
ADHD is a mental health disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD impacts your child’s performance at school and can lead to low self-esteem and relationship problems with peers and teachers.
ADHD is classified as predominantly hyperactive, predominantly inattentive, or combined.
Hyperactive and impulsive symptoms include:
- Fidgeting
- Trouble sitting still during class
- Constantly moving
- Running, playing, or climbing in inappropriate situations
- Trouble playing quietly
- Talking too much
- Interrupting others or blurting out answers
- Trouble waiting turns
Inattentive symptoms include:
- Making careless mistakes
- Trouble staying focused
- Doesn’t seem to listen
- Can’t follow instructions
- Poor organization
- Inability to finish tasks
- Frequently losing items
- Easily distracted
While many of these symptoms are simply part of being a child and developing new skills, when your child’s behaviors are disruptive at home or school, medical attention and management may be necessary to help your child succeed.
What causes ADHD?
Psychiatrists and medical researchers haven’t identified a specific cause of ADHD. However, they know that ADHD runs in families and that genetics may play a role.
Environmental factors such as lead exposure or maternal drug use may also contribute to ADHD. Studies also show that developmental issues in the central nervous system may increase the risk of ADHD.
Can adults have ADHD?
Around 2.5% of American adults have ADHD. While in many cases, ADHD symptoms subside with treatment as a child ages, they can persist into adulthood.
However, when an adult is diagnosed with ADHD, they could have had the condition for many years without being diagnosed.
Adults display ADHD symptoms slightly differently than children. Some of the common signs of ADHD in adults include:
- Reckless or impulsive behavior
- Poor time management
- Disorganization
- Trouble multitasking
- Poor focus or concentration
- Low frustration tolerance
- Frequent mood swings
- Trouble coping with stress
Adults with ADHD are more likely to have trouble at work, both with developing relationships with peers and performance. This can affect your self-esteem and lead to problems in your personal relationships as well.
How is ADHD treated?
At Unity Behavioral Health, Lexie begins with a comprehensive assessment and cutting-edge computerized testing to diagnose ADHD.
If you or your child has ADHD, Lexie creates a treatment program combining medicine, psychotherapy, and lifestyle modifications to help control your symptoms and help you lead a healthy, active, and fulfilling life.
If any of these symptoms sound like you or your child, call Unity Behavioral Health or schedule your telemedicine visit online today.
