Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults

You can read about how attention deficit disorder in children develops and proceeds in the previously published article “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD) in Children”.

This article will focus on the symptoms, course, and methods of treating the course of ADHD in adults.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not always detected in childhood. To be more precise, most likely, the signs of ADHD in childhood were ignored by adults – accordingly, there was no recourse to a specialist for help, and the diagnosis was not made. But there are cases when in early childhood the signs did not really appear.

Unfortunately, most adults do not understand what is happening to them. And if they turn to a specialist for help, then the reason for the appeal is problems at work associated with restlessness, inability to concentrate, and this destroys their career. It is difficult for people with ADHD to complete tasks on time, plan their own actions, and be punctual. They often have problems with building interpersonal relationships, high conflict in the family.

Of course, each of us has such problems from time to time, but if this happens to you systematically, then it is worth conducting an examination. If in most cases problems arise due to internal conflicts, then with ADHD we are talking about a violation of the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain area responsible for attention.

Today, the diagnosis of ADHD in adults is between one and five percent. In childhood, the diagnosis of ADHD is more often made in boys, in adulthood, the rates between men and women are approximately equalized.

In most cases, having ADHD brings their owner:

feeling of constant inner restlessness, fussiness;

forgetfulness, lack of sense of time.

This entails problems with employment and career growth, as a result of which low self-esteem, problems with controlling aggression can develop. People with ADHD are more likely than others to have criminal tendencies.

As a result, misunderstanding of one’s own “bad luck” leads to:

low stress resistance;

impulsivity, and it is already very high in people with ADHD;

frequent change of work, which in most cases entails low income and a decrease in social status;

problems in the family, which more often than others end in divorce;

abuse of alcohol and psychotropic drugs.

Diagnosis of ADHD in adults

Only a doctor has the right to make a diagnosis!

Psychologists conduct diagnostics and write a psychological conclusion!

It is very important to correctly diagnose ADHD. It is important to determine whether the symptoms observed in the patient are really related to ADHD (symptoms of hyperactivity and attention disorders are manifested not only in ADHD, the causes can be both mental and somatic). For a thorough check, it is necessary to conduct a series of tests and consultations with more than one specialist.

It is necessary to exclude the presence of bipolar affective disorder (BAD).

It is important to take into account the level of intelligence when diagnosing (people with a high level of intelligence may not show interest in unworthy, from their point of view, work).

It is important to take into account the possibility of the “anniversary syndrome” and the presence of immediate stressful situations.

It is important to consider the side effects of drugs when they are taken by the patient.

The diagnostician collects information not only from those who applied for help, but also asks, if possible, to come close relatives, friends, acquaintances. It is important to study the family history, how the birth proceeded, whether there were deviations and mental retardation (MPD) in brothers / sisters. Suffer / have suffered in the family of alcohol and other chemical addictions. Very valuable for diagnosis is the opportunity to observe the patient in a natural environment (as a rule, this patient is asked to keep a video diary).

Treatment for ADHD

After the doctor diagnoses ADHD, you will be prescribed a course of treatment. In cases of ADHD, an integrated approach is most often used. There are medicinal treatments for ADHD that normalize the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters that are disturbed in ADHD. An important component in the treatment of ADHD is

psychological counseling.

With a correct diagnosis, after taking medications, the patient’s condition improves, but it is very difficult to get rid of old habits. The need to function in the usual way constantly brings discomfort to the mental state of a person.

It is also almost impossible to increase self-esteem on your own, while information about past behavior remains in the memory of others, and they are waiting for your usual actions on your part, and this is not easy to come to terms with.

In order to receive high-quality psychological assistance, you need to determine for yourself how deeply you want to change yourself. And in accordance with your own request, choose a specialist.

Massage and physiotherapy

With the help of relaxation and massage, the level of anxiety is removed. Also contribute to the physical improvement of the state of yoga. It is worth paying attention to the body-oriented approach in psychological counseling. An osteopath also relieves muscle clamps well, which also has a positive effect on people diagnosed with ADHD.

The most important thing when choosing a specialist is that he has the appropriate education. Otherwise, you will not only waste your money, but you may be disappointed in the effectiveness of the technique, and the reason will be the lack of proper qualifications from a specialist.

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