Five ADHD Myths Debunked

Of the many psychological conditions that emerged in the 21st century, none has elicited more discussion and controversy than attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). Until today, a surprising number of people continue to believe in mistaken beliefs about the disorder. Here are five ADHD myths and five good reasons why they are not true.

ADHD does not exist

The notion that ADHD is a made-up disorder is expressed by people who believe that doctors, together with pharmaceutical companies, diagnose kids with ADHD to boost sales of stimulant medications. However, an international community of doctors, psychiatrics, and researchers do agree that ADHD is a real disorder with serious consequences. Children with ADHD not only have higher chance of having related psychiatric conditions like anxiety or depression; if the disorder is not treated, kids with ADHD are at risk of dropping out of school, have fewer friends, experiment with drugs, or get in trouble with the law. Children with ADHD have real problems, and they need real help before the consequences of the disorder start to manifest.

ADHD is over-diagnosed

In conjunction with the first myth, it is often thought that most children diagnosed with ADHD don't actually have the disorder. There is no hard evidence that suggests that ADHD is over-diagnosed; in fact, many experts believe that ADHD is under-diagnosed, especially among women and adults. Additionally, there is nothing wrong with getting diagnosed with ADHD, because it provides parents and children with a deeper understanding of what's wrong. The real issue is that too many doctors prescribe stimulant medications at the slightest signs of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. While it's likely that some children are quickly labeled with ADHD, without going through proper testing, it doesn't mean that ADHD is not a real disorder or that these children don't need help.

ADHD is caused by poor parenting

When an ADHD child says inappropriate things, it has nothing to do with how he was raised; it's because kids with ADHD have a hard time controlling their symptoms. Although genetics and parent-child conflicts do aggravate ADHD symptoms, there are also a number of factors that contribute to the onset of ADHD. These include poor nutrition, exposure to toxins (e.g. cigarette smoke), and birth complications.

ADHD is a childhood disorder

One of the most misleading notions about ADHD is that it's a disorder that children eventually outgrow in their teens. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Studies show that 70% of children with ADHD will continue to experience symptoms in their teens, while up to 50% will struggle with the disorder during adulthood. This is why there is no "cure" for ADHD - like diabetes, ADHD is a disorder that needs to be managed throughout one's lifetime.

Medication is the best treatment for ADHD

While popping a pill can instantly calm down a hyperactive child, ADHD medications are only a band-aid solution to the disorder. Not only do medications have a short-lived effect; they can also cause side effects like poor appetite, insomnia, and headaches, which interfere with a child's attention, concentration, and overall neurological function. In addition, there are many causes of ADHD that have nothing to do with biology and thus cannot be treated by medication. The "best" treatment for ADHD varies from child to child, but it is recommended that a variety of interventions be used for a more complete approach to the disorder.

Recognizing and Managing ADD Symptoms

In many cases, it is assumed that ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder is only a condition that affects children between infancy and their adolescent years. The truth of the matter is that ADD symptoms can continue well in adulthood. When they are left untreated, they can hinder one's completion of their daily activities and tasks as well as negatively impacting their relationships.

Although ADD can affect adults as well as younger children, ADD symptoms will vary considerably. For instance, instead of the hyperactivity factor that typically exists with children, the adult may experience restlessness. Another problem that the adult has which children do not is that they will have difficulties with employment and their relationships. What is important is that you not only have to learn to recognize ADD symptoms, you have to know how to manage them as well.

The types of ADD/ADHD

ADD symptoms have been classified into three subcategories of the disorder which are:

Combined ADD/ADHD - this is the most common form of the disorder and involves all of the symptoms

Hyperactive-Impulsive ADD/ADHD - characterized by hyperactivity without the inattentiveness factor

Inattentive ADD/ADHD - this type was previously diagnosed as ADD and is characterized by impaired attention and an inability to concentrate

For the disorder to be diagnosed properly, some of the impairment causing ADD symptoms must be present by the time the child has reached the age of seven. Additionally, this impairment must be present in multiple settings. For example, the individual needs to be experiencing the impairment in school or at work as well as at home. Finally, there needs to be clear cut evidence that the ADD symptoms are interfering with the individual's ability to function properly at home, in social environments, and at school or work.

Possible signs of ADD

If you think that a child in the home has developed ADD/ADHD, you might want to ask yourself the following questions in order to determine if these are actually ADD symptoms. Is the child:

o acting out before considering the consequences of their actions
o blurting out or speaking out of turn
o disorganized most of the time?
o distracted easily?
o encountering difficulties when they are concentrating on only one thing?
o encountering difficulty when trying to find things around the home or misplacing items
o experiencing difficulties with prioritizing?
o feeling antsy and/or restless regularly?
o forgetting things such as schoolwork and tasks around the home?
o frequently taking risks?
o getting bored easily?
o getting impatient easily?
o having difficulties paying attention to others in conversations, listening to other individuals, or whenever they are reading?
o having difficulty managing their time or losing track of time?
o having problems following multiple steps in a set of directions?
o making careless mistakes whenever they work on difficult or tedious projects?
o procrastinating more often than not?

If you notice any of these symptoms or a combination of them, consult with your child's pediatrician or the family physician so they can evaluate them.

What Is ADHD Disorder? - Getting The Facts About Diagnosis And Treatment

The answers to the question about what is ADHD disorder are neither simple nor straightforward. If they were, I would not be writing this article!

If you have noticed some strange behavior in your child and his symptoms have been present for at least six months and is noted in both home and schools settings, then you might well want to see if it is indeed ADHD or something else. I mention something else because very often the ADHD symptoms mimic those of other childhood disorders. They should be eliminated first by a visit to your family doctor.

Let us imagine that your child has been diagnosed with ADHD. What is ADHD disorder? Brain scans of normal children and those with ADHD show considerable differences in the frontal lobe areas. These are the areas which control our inhibitions, impulses, our executive functions and how we act and plan things. These neurotransmitters are not firing properly and the messages we would take for granted are just not getting through. Think of it as a rather weak mobile phone signal in the shopping mall or on a noisy street.

What does this mean in practical terms? It simply means that your child is going to have difficulty with certain tasks and he needs help. That help is not always medication and in some cases, it may actually hinder his development in that there are nasty side effects and in many cases, these meds do not even work.

The tasks that your child may find difficult are:-

• paying attention
• is distracted
• restless and hyperactive
• talks out of turn
• has a very short attention span
• cannot follow directions very easily
• cannot concentrate but at times can hyperfocus and remain on one task or activity for hours on end.

Let us look at what the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommendations are about treatment. It is interesting to note that they only recommend medication when behavior therapy fails. It is a great pity that most doctors do not seem to follow these guidelines and prescribe psychostimulants as the first option. It should be the last!

Let us examine NICE's guidelines because they are based on sound research and experience with parents and children who have ADHD. They home in on the parents because they are key to the child's development and how he can be given the coping skills he needs. The child has difficulty with certain tasks so it is both the parents' and teacher's job to help if they can. In the latter case, many teachers opt out and refuse to deal with bad behavior. They recommend medication as an easy way out for them to have a quiet life and even put pressure on parents to do so.

Parents should be offered help with parenting skills, how to cope with stress and how to give their children the life skills they need, given that they have a few minor problems with getting their act together. It is only when this fails that medication should be sought or if there are very severe ADHD symptoms.

As we have seen, the answer to the question, what is ADHD disorder is a rather complex one but medication with psychostimulants should never be the first option.

Could Symptoms Of Alzheimer's Be Reduced With Nasal Spray?

Encouraging news on Alzheimer's. There's a new study, small yet convincing, led by a Department of Veterans Affairs team that suggests an insulin nasal spray might be able to help those with minor memory problems improve their symptoms of alzheimer's.

However, even the study authors believe a lot more research is required before doctors will be able to say for sure that such a product would help patients. But we do know that insulin found in the brain works differently than it does within the body, so there may be more to the connection than insulin's influence in glucose uptake.

We also know that there is currently no way to delay or prevent dementia and Alzheimer's.

Earlier research has suggested an association between Alzheimer's disease and conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. This latest work supports the links between troubles with insulin in the brain and mental decline.

For the current study, researchers recruited 104 adults who had mild memory problems from either Alzheimer's disease or another cognitive impairment called (aMCI).

The participants were divided into three groups, 36 subjects who got 40 international units (IU) of insulin per day, another 38 subjects who got 20 IUs and the final 30 participants who took a saline filled placebo. The insulin was delivered through a nasal spray.

The team looked at insulin effects on thinking, general day to day functioning and the metabolism of glucose in the brain. When the study concluded, those who had been taking 20 IUs a day showed improved ability to recall a story, better ability to remember details right afterward and again after a short time lapse. Those with the higher dose, and those given the placebo showed no improvement in story recall.

Also, those who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's and received either of the two doses of insulin had better mental function compared with Alzheimer's patients who were given the placebo. Placebo takers showed some small declines overall.

And then, there's this. The outcomes of a dementia test the subjects took before and once the study had finished showed no decline for any of the subjects in either insulin group in comparison with those given the placebo.

In the initial stages, Alzheimer's disease brings trouble thinking, with memory loss and language difficulties. Insulin problems are believed to play a part in these symptoms. And while the biggest risk of Alzheimer's is getting older, this is not a disease of old age. Patients generally live an average of 8 years after their symptoms have been noticed by those around them, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.

While much more research into the symptoms of alzheimer's is needed, the findings are promising and may lead to novel ways to treat all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's. While medical science can't stop these diseases from progressing, there are treatments that can temporarily slow down symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.