ADD symptoms
The parents of hyperactive children have for years wondered if their child may not just be over active or hyped up on sugar an caffeine but may, instead, have something called attention deficit disorder (or ADD). ADD is a disorder in which a child or adult is unable to pay attention, focus and concentrate for long periods of time. In addition, some people with ADD also have hyperactivity is a part of the disorder.
ADD Causes
ADD can be caused by many different things. In some cases, a chemical imbalance could be the cause. If this is the case then the chemicals in the brain are forcing messages through that cause the child to lose their focus and begin paying attention to other things. Often, the child with chemical imbalances will also have hyperactivity as a part of the condition. It can also be caused by a head injury or brain changes that reduce the child’s brain function.
ADD Symptoms
ADD symptoms have a wide range and include some symptoms that you might not expect. People and children with ADD will be primarily identified by their inability to focus or concentrate for long periods of time. This can be very frustrating when you are attempting to teach the person or child something. In addition to the lack of focus, the person with ADD may have ADD symptoms like: low self esteem, impatience, interrupting, fidgeting, anxiety, excessive talking, forgetfulness, frequent periods of daydreaming, poor organizational skills, anger management problems, mood swings, boredom.
As you can see, the ADD symptoms that patients can suffer are varied and disturbing. Unfortunately, many people who exhibit ADD symptoms are called lazy when in reality they are unable to function as other people do. Even some cats and dogs have been diagnosed with ADD. These hyperactive pups and kittens may not actually have ADD, but instead may just be too hyper for their owner to handle.
ADD Diagnosis
The major problem in diagnosing ADD symptoms as attention deficit disorder is that it is very subjective. For instance, a child or animal with normal activity levels may seem hyperactive to someone with a low tolerance to activity. This does not mean the child or animal have ADD, but they could be diagnosed as such.
In general, ADD is evaluated not just on the basis of exhibited ADD symptoms but also by the recent events that may have occurred and would have spawned the onset of the ADD symptoms. People and children who do not finish projects, are fidgety and have trouble focusing who have also suffered a head injury or a sudden life change may be considered to have ADD.
ADD Treatment
There are some behavior modifications that are used to teach people who exhibit ADD symptoms discipline. These behavior modifications include teaching them organization skills, teaching them to prioritize, helping them learn how to develop habits that are beneficial in combating ADD symptoms and assisting them in reducing major projects to small, easy to complete tasks. Other training includes social interaction and teaching the patients how to listen to others, how to tell when it is a good time to talk or interject, and how to enjoy the company of others by developing relationships.
If these behavioral modifications do not alleviate a good portion of the ADD symptoms then prescription medication may be called for. These drugs are generally stimulants like Ritalin, although some non-stimulant ADD treatments do exist. The non-stimulants may only be good for those ADD patients who have a chemical imbalance because they work by either blocking receptors in the brain or reducing some of the chemicals that are produced that result in ADD symptoms. Non-stimulant medications are less habit forming than those that are stimulants.
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