ADHD is an acronym which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (formerly known as ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder).
It is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with significant impairment in academic, occupational as well as social functioning.
Features include:
Answer the 6 Question Screener on my Links page if you are concerned the above applies to you and you may have ADHD.
It is a neuropsychiatric disorder associated with significant impairment in academic, occupational as well as social functioning.
Features include:
- Inattention- Difficulty remaining focused on an activity. Difficulties in organizing activities, following through and completing tasks, prioritizing tasks, forgetfulness, and time management (for example, missing appointments or deadlines).
- Impulsivity- Excessively involved in activities or speech which has a high potential for consequences.
- Hyperactivity- Adults with ADHD may report feeling restless or fidgety, talking too much and/or interrupting others.
- Executive Dysfunction- Symptoms of inattention in Adult ADHD are also classified as deficits in executive function which can be defined as, "Self-directed actions needed to choose goals and to create, enact, and sustain actions toward those goals."
- Emotional Dysregulation- Adults with ADHD may have difficulty managing uncomfortable emotions when necessary and to engage in appropriate behavior (for example, go to work, engage appropriately in social relationships) when distressed.
Answer the 6 Question Screener on my Links page if you are concerned the above applies to you and you may have ADHD.
Consequences of Adult ADHD are
Serious and Pervasive.
Stigma exists surrounding ADHD as an established disorder exists within the general public as well as among professionals.
Some professionals express fear of treating a 'non-existent disease' or even causing addiction with stimulant medication (despite evidence to the contrary).
The general public often characterize people suffering from ADHD as lazy, weak in character, or unintelligent rather than as people having a mental health disorder that needs treatment.
This arises in multiple contexts including a lack of understanding or awareness of available data.
Possible impairment ranges from educational, occupational, and criminal, to social and may even impact your driving and money management behavior.
Some evidence that illustrates how broad and significant impairment from ADHD may be:
Some professionals express fear of treating a 'non-existent disease' or even causing addiction with stimulant medication (despite evidence to the contrary).
The general public often characterize people suffering from ADHD as lazy, weak in character, or unintelligent rather than as people having a mental health disorder that needs treatment.
This arises in multiple contexts including a lack of understanding or awareness of available data.
Possible impairment ranges from educational, occupational, and criminal, to social and may even impact your driving and money management behavior.
Some evidence that illustrates how broad and significant impairment from ADHD may be:
- ADHD was associated with increased mortality rate (5.85% versus 2.21%) in a 2015 study in the Lancet using data from 1.92 million individuals. The excess mortality in ADHD was mainly driven by deaths from unnatural causes, especially accidents [1].
- Adults with ADHD have been shown to have higher levels of unemployment compared to control groups.
- Adults with ADHD who are employed have been shown to have reduced productivity as well as having increased risk of accidents, trauma, and workplace injuries.
- Adults with ADHD have been shown to have experienced a number of problems in a higher percentage of previous jobs compared to those without ADHD. These problems were related to getting along with others, being fired, quitting out of boredom, and being disciplined by supervisors.
- ADHD has been associated with increased criminality and use of ADHD medication may reduce this increased risk by 32-41% [2].