ADHD Guide

likeanangel asked:


Does any one know the differences between the two? I have a 5 yr old that was diagnosed with ADHD and the pills are making him act more high then anything. He is only on 10mg and I was told by another mom at soccer practice a little about ODD. She said that one of her kids has it but didn’t say much about it.
So if anyone can help I would apprecate it thanks.

Rita

Lisa asked:


I’ve suspected my daughter has had ADHD since she was 3. She can’t seem to sit still and is always on the go. When other kids sit calmly, she just doesn’t seem to be able to. She is 5 now and in school. I’d like to have her tested for ADHD. How do I go about this? Do I take her to her regular doctor to get this started?

Alvin

Felicia asked:


I have to write a paper on whether or not children should take ADHD med. Im still on the fence about it and I would really like to have a firm opinion on the subject before I write it. Please Help! Thanks.

Marie

Aliza Adar Levine asked:


Although ADHD has been researched and studied for over a century, there are still aspects of it that are not understood by the general public. ADHD is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to pay attention and focus. Although this sounds simple enough, the disorder shows up in different ways. Some cases of ADHD involve hyperactivity, while others do not.

Some people are better than others at keeping their hyperactivity under control. Also, the general public tends to forget that impulsivity is part of ADHD as well. Impulsivity covers a wide range of behaviors, from verbal blurting to drug abuse. Because the description of symptoms has changed so much over the years, many people were not diagnosed with ADHD until they were adults. In such cases, secondary problems often accompany ADHD, such as depression and anxiety.

Some of the main signs of ADHD are when individuals are unable to pay attention to the task at hand, lack follow through, lose things easily, make careless mistakes, have trouble paying attention to details, encounter difficulties organizing, interrupt others, are restless and overly active. Not all persons have each and every symptom; additionally, some of the symptoms may be more severe in some people than in other suffering from the same disorder.

Consequently, the disorder can be very difficult to discern. Also, many people have problems with various issues at one time or another; but people with ADHD have such a hard time that it affects them emotionally and developmentally. We still cannot explain exactly why people are born with ADHD. It is known that many cases are genetic, but not all. Doctors do know that the way your brain is wired will determine whether or not you have ADHD.

Individuals suffering from ADHD have a low level of dopamine in their brains(Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that affects focus and attention).
With regard to the treatment of ADHD, it is very true that medication is helpful: it helps you focus longer, get things done and evens out emotions as well. But it is by no means a cure all. It is very important to get individual counseling, and possibly family counseling as well, where needed. ADHD can make you feel like the oddball, and it can make adolescence particularly difficult. Get as much help as you can. Most importantly, help yourself.

It has been shown that regular exercise is very good for relieving the symptoms of ADHD. Exercise stimulates endorphins in the brain and calms the internal restlessness that people with ADHD have. Meditation is also extremely beneficial. Starting off each morning by meditating can be calming for anyone, but particularly for individuals who have trouble focusing and slowing their minds down. Take a few minutes each day and breathe. It costs nothing and it can affect your life in a very positive manner.

Lucy

Angie Dixon asked:


Saying my ADHD son doesn’t wake up well would be like saying Old Faithful is a pretty big geyser. This child, age 10 and with severe ADHD, wakes up like a rock.
Morning has always been a difficult time for us, even before the ADHD diagnosis. He whines. He grumbles. He shrieks. He goes back to bed. It’s like having two of me in the house!
I have come up with a morning routine that takes into account his ADHD and the fact that he’s not only tired and grumpy but hasn’t had his ADHD medication yet. This routine might not work for everyone, but maybe you can use it as a starting point for a routine with your ADHD child. The main thing, I think, is to have a routine.
Before I wake my ADHD son, I start the shower and put his clothes on the bed where they’re easy to find. I wake the ADHD monster, usher him into the bathroom, and wait.
If I don’t hear him get in the shower after a couple of minutes, I go in and prod him. I know his ADHD makes him distractible and he’s more than half-asleep. After a few minutes of shower time I urge him to finish up, then I tell him when time’s up.
Even with ADHD, my son does a pretty good job of taking his own shower most of the time. Sometimes he has shampoo in his hair when he gets out, but usually he’s clean.
Because of his ADHD, he doesn’t sleep well, or enough. He catches up on his sleep on the weekends. So during the week I let him put his clothes on and get back in bed for 15-20 minutes before he brushes his teeth, takes his ADHD medication, and puts on his shoes and socks.
While Jack’s back in bed catching up on ADHD-deprived sleep, I get his sister in and out of the shower and dressed.
When it’s time to brush teeth and take ADHD medicine, I wake Jack again, usher him back into the bathroom, and lay out his medicine and toothbrush. I stand there as much to make sure he brushes his teeth (he forgets) as to make sure he takes his ADHD meds. Then he puts on shoes and socks and gets ready for the bus.
When I make Jack’s lunch, I fix him a “snack baggie” of dry cereal, usually frosted shredded wheat. I put this in the top of his lunch bag and he eats it on the bus. This makes up for the fact that my ADHD son can’t wake up enough for breakfast.
Again, this routine may not work for everyone with an ADHD child. But the point is to have a routine. It’s what helps my son get up and get going every morning, in spite of his ADHD.

Manuel

Tellman Knudson & Stephanie Frank asked:


I love to tell this story about an ADHD child who went from F’s to A’s in science using hockey cards.
There was this kid with ADHD symptoms that I worked with clinically who was a brilliant kid (as anyone with an ADHD child can relate to). He was getting really bad grades in science class. I mean, he was getting F after F, whereas he was able to get A’s in other classes. This is a phenomenon we find often with the ADHD child.
He said it was because he really didn’t like the teacher…the teacher was really boring. That’s what the ADHD child will often say. However, I wouldn’t doubt it, because he had done well in that subject in previous years.
I said, “Do you or don’t you want to get better grades so you don’t have to have your parents bothering you all the time?” He said, “Yes.”
I said, “If you could do it and not really have to think about it, how about that?”
“Sure.”
I said, “Here’s what you do. What are you interested in? What do you think about all the time? What are you able to focus on?” He said, “Nothing.”
His parents came in, and I said, “Mom and Dad, what is this kid able to focus on like nothing else?” They said, “He can’t focus on a thing. He has an auditory-processing disorder, ADHD symptoms, and everything else. His brain doesn’t have the ability to focus. He can’t focus on anything for more than 30 seconds.” A common response from parents of an ADHD child.
I finally said, “What is the one thing that you always yell at him about doing, about getting distracted by, when he should be doing something else?”
They said, “Hockey, the sport. He loves hockey.” I said, “Wait a second. This kid loves hockey?” I asked him, “What do you think about when you’re in science class?” He said, “Hockey.”
“You’re thinking about hockey when you’re in science class. Do you ever have dreams about hockey?”
“Almost every night.”
“Interesting. What do you watch on TV?”
“Hockey.”
“Is there anything you like to collect?”
“Hockey cards.”
“What sports do you play?”
“Hockey.”
Are you starting to notice a pattern?
I said, Aha! This kid’s so focused on hockey that his brain is completely occupied by it. He’s not able to think about anything else and stay interested, because he’s so excited about hockey. That’s not an inability to focus. That’s an over-ability to focus…again, a common but overlooked ability that the ADHD child has, in fact anyone with ADHD symptoms usually has.
How can we take that interest, love, passion, excitement or fun that is associated with hockey, and plug it into boring science homework?
There are a few things that we can do.
Number one is that we can make science class more fun.
I said “You live in a small town. Can we have a talk with the teacher?” His parents said, “The teacher might be boring, but is very understanding, and would love it if he had some techniques to deal with his ADHD symptoms.”
I said, “Look. Number one, tell the teacher that this boy is allowed to always have hockey trading cards with him in class and to be playing with them.”
Then I turned to the ADHD child and said, “The next thing you want to do, for your bookmarks for all your textbooks at school, is start using duplicate hockey trading cards. The extras that are just sitting around, start using those as your bookmarks in school.
“The other thing I would like you to do is go ahead and get a hockey poster, and use those hockey posters of your favorite sports figures as your book covers, instead of paper bags. Use those as your book covers. While you’re in class or while you’re studying these books at home, stand up your hockey cards all around so if you’re going to be thinking about hockey anyway, have it be a direct connect to the work you’re doing.”
Then I said, “When you’re doing homework, crank up your favorite music, and wear your hockey jersey. Actually get fully dressed if it’s not too warm. Get fully dressed in your hockey uniform that you play games in while you’re doing homework.”
Guess what happened? A couple of weeks later, this ADHD child was getting an A in the class because we associated every aspect of science with hockey.
He was smart enough, because he’s an ADHD child and all people with ADHD symptoms are much smarter than average. He just needed to be shown a way to solve the problem. He immediately understood.
In fact, this ADHD child was even smarter, because he figured out how to apply the same principle to his other classes, and he’s still doing great to this day.
The first premise for being successful with the ADHD child or anyone with ADHD Symptoms is you’ve got to let them do things that work for them. Very often, the things that work for them are things that the ADHD child has been taught or told not to do.
Who tells you to go take hockey cards and put them in your books, make them into book covers, and get dressed in hockey clothes so you can do better in school?
No, they just say, “Work harder.” That’s just not okay. It does nothing to help the ADHD child improve.
The second premise is to go with what the ADHD child’s brain is already focused on anyway, and just simply integrate that into their life.
If you have an ADHD child, or even have ADHD symptoms yourself, think about how you could make this work for you. And if you’d like to find out more about how to help an ADHD child or someone with ADHD symptoms use their ADHD symptoms to accomplish anything they want in life, see below!

Norma

ihateaccounting asked:


I notice that people with ADD or ADHD always have to sit in the same spot in a classroom everytime. What the hell is that?
This is college students I’ve noticed doing this. One girl even said “I just really like this seat for some reason” and this other boy freaked out silently because someone took his seat.

Rachel

Angie Dixon asked:


Having more than one child is a challenge. Okay, having one child is a challenge, having two or more is a monumental challenge. When one of those children (or more than one) has ADHD, the challenge multiplies exponentially. Below are some tips for handling ADHD in the family.
1. Be fair to all of your children. This means treating the ADHD child as equally as possible, of course. It also means treating the non-ADHD children fairly. Sometimes I let my son get away with things I shouldn’t because I know he’s having a bad day. That’s okay, I think, as long as I’m willing to make the same allowances for my daughter, who doesn’t have ADHD. Alternately, sometimes I’m harder on my son and react more strongly, because his ADHD makes him harder to cope with some days. It’s a matter of finding balance and being fair.
2. Talk to all of your children about ADHD, not just the one who has it. My daughter was a toddler when my son was diagnosed with ADHD, but as she got older, we began talking with her about Jack’s ADHD and what it meant. She understands a little more now, and when we make allowances about something because of his ADHD, we explain that and make allowances for her in another area, coming back to Tip 1 and being fair.
3. Don’t talk to your ADHD child about his problems in front of his siblings. The exception to this would be at a family meeting when you’re talking about issues related to fairness, equal treatment or helping the ADHD child cope with his disability.
4. Make sure your ADHD child is doing what he’s supposed to be doing, treatment-wise. If you’ve decided to take the medication route, set up a routine and make sure he follows it. My ADHD son doesn’t wake up very well, so I lay out his medicine and toothbrush right before we put on shoes to go to the bus, and I stand there while he takes it. At 10, this is a good solution for him. At 16, it might not work so well. Similarly, if you’ve decided to use diet or coping strategies to deal with your child’s ADHD instead of or in addition to medication, make sure your child is doing what you’ve laid out for him to do.
5. As parents, present a united front, with your ADD and non-ADHD kids alike. My husband and I don’t always agree on everything related to our kids. Sometimes I say things I shouldn’t, and sometimes I disagree with how he handles something. We never say this in front of the kids. If we absolutely must correct the other, we say something like, “Maybe we could…” or “Maybe your mom should have said…” but we don’t argue about the kids in front of the kids. This is a crucial tip for raising an ADHD kid, because they notice and react ot everything.

Christian

lv2dance asked:


i think i have adhd, well actually im like positive so how do i tell my parents (though they already really know)? do i have to go to a certain doctor or just a regular one?
advice
=D

Javier

Alvin Toh asked:


ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is commonly diagnosed among children, particularly those in the United States. Drug medications such as Ritalin, Adderall and Trileptal are often prescribed to help alleviate ADHD symptoms. Most of these medications have mild to severe side-effects and can become habit-forming.

A new research study has found that pine bark extract, marketed as Pycnogenol, may be an effective ADHD treatment. Pycnogenol has been shown to reduce hyperactivity in children. It also helped to improve focus and attention span and aided motor skills coordination in the children tested.

Pycnogenol is a natural herbal supplement which has long been used to reduce stress. It is known for its strong antioxidant properties. It actually serves to extend the antioxidant properties that are found in other sources such as vitamin C. It has also been used to help treat inflammation as well as to improve circulation. The latest findings showed that Pycnogenol can be a natural supplement to improve ADHD symptoms.

Pycnogenol has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment for children with ADHD. What’s more, the treatment is natural and therefore produces none of the harmful or annoying side effects that other medical treatments often do. This is a tremendous finding for parents who are uncomfortable giving their children traditional prescription medications for ADHD. Many of the current medications are stimulants that can be addictive. For this reason some parents have concerns about giving them to their children for the long term.

The new study which will be published in the Journal of Nutritional Neuroscience, is a continuation of a recent study done by scientists in Slovakia. The new study takes the research even further to measure the hormone levels in children using blood samples. Stress hormone levels dropped in children who took Pycnogenol, which accounted for improved attention span and other ADHD symptoms. Pycnogenol naturally lowers adrenaline levels as well as dopamine levels, thus reducing ADHD symptoms.

Research testing found that children with ADHD have higher levels of stress hormones that can increase heart rate and blood pressure. This can cause irritability, lack of focus and increased excitability. The study shows that children who took Pycnolgenol had decreased levels of the stress hormone and therefore exhibited reduction in ADHD symptoms. The study also shows that the children’s ADHD symptoms returned a month after they stopped taking Pycnolgenol. This confirms the scientific evidence that Pycnolgenol works to actually change hormone levels in the body.

These findings are particularly important for those who have children with ADHD. It gives parents an alternative treatment for ADHD

Matthew