Sunday 8 May 2016

Hyperactivity And Add Attention Deficit Disorder Psychology

By Yahya Awan

Hyperactivity and A.D.D. Attention Deficit Disorder is a diagnosed and common behavioral disorder that begins early in childhood. Even though considered a childhood disorder once,it is now much more clear that many of the children that have ADHD will continue to have it when they become adolescents.While the symptoms decrease with the progression of age,impairments like social, occupational and familial are observed to increase in adolescence.The disorder has unclear biological underpinnings, it is stressful to live with and places a burden on social, occupational and familial life.adhd
Although A.D.D has a varying array of degrees and types, the effects are roughly the same.The effected have trouble forming and maintaining relationships,they have a hard time concentrating which is a handicare in their occupational life, they are particularly weak in self expression and have communication problems and often face harsh consequences due to acting without thinking.
While it's causes are variable and not exactly known,they are roughly related with genetics, environmental effects, extraordinary conditions occurring during the development of brain. Psychological or medical treatments are available,of course,and former of which are usually the first choice while the latter is for more intense cases with heavier symptoms.Other treatments include academic, and behavioral interventions.
Hyperactivity and A.D.D. is a common seen case at people,starting from childhood.It is not a disease,it is defined as a behavioral disorder by health experts,while psychiatrists define it as a neurobehavioral developmental disorder.
It should be noted that being Hyperactive does not mean being less qualified, so much that; most hyperactive people have higher IQ rates compared to other people.This means these individuals can be, and are actually as qualified and as intellectually potent as everyone, or even more.
ADHD makes certain things harder for the one’s affected by it, like making it more difficult to focus on things for a long time without distraction. Patients also struggle controlling what they are doing or saying, and also have harder time on controlling the frequency of their physical activities, compared to somebody without ADHD.To say in other words,hyperactive individuals are more impulsive and restless.
There are other disorders that may be related to A.D.H.D. Backing that up,"ADHD is also associated with many other conditions including learning disabilities,  conduct disorder, anxiety, mood, and substance abuse disorders." States M. Simionescu, from the State University of New York.

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

  • Not paying attention to detail
  • Mistakes due to carelessness
  • Failure to pay and keep attention on task
  • Not listening
  • Inability to follow and understand any instruction
  • Avoiding effort involving tasks
  • To be distracted a lot
  • To forget things a lot
  • Losing objects that are needful to complete the tasks
  • Hyperactive-Impulsive Type symptoms include:
  • Fidgeting
  • Squirming
  • Getting up often when seated
  • Heavy physical activity (running,climbing) in inappropriate times
  • Having trouble playing or tasking quietly
  • Talking excessively and impatiently
  • Interrupting
For a certain diagnosis,symptoms must be observed for a consistent six months, and to a greater degree than other children at the same age.adult-adhd

Results at Real Life

Most people display some of these symptoms and behaviours, but it is not always to a degree where they interfere with their lives significantly. And due to this absence of significance, diagnosis are often inaccurate. Some people with ADHD experience considerable difficulties with social and academic skills, such as forming or keeping relationships or performing adequately at work. Moreover, most children with A.D.H.D experience rejection and exclusion by their peers, compared to the 10-15 percent of healthy children of the same age. A significant rate of adolescents are observed to have difficulties during the process of nonverbal and verbal communication.

Causes

Genetics

  • Studies show that, in about 75 percent of the cases,genetics are a factor and the disorder is also highly heritable between ancestral genes.

Executive Functions

  • Significant amount of symptoms arise from a primary deficit on 'Executive Functions', which refers to cognitive processes that regulate and control other cognitive processes.The most obvious examples of this are planning, working memory, attention, inhibition and mental flexibility.

Evolution

  • For more than 1 percent of population,researchers stated that high generality of ADHD may be due to natural selection,probably because the individual traits might be beneficial on their own and only became dysfunctional where these traits combine to form ADHD.

Environment

  • Environmental factors usually contribute a small role to the origins of ADHD.Exposure to tobacco smoke or alcohol intakes during the pregnancy may impair the development of nervous system which can end up with a diagnosis of ADHD.  This is why it is important to quit drugs and go into Rehab especially if you are about to become a mother. Nihan Rehab excels in addiction treatment. Environmental lead also remains as a valid factor, since former studies at relatively high levels of lead exposure showed that the exposure and low levels of IQ as well as attention problems, other disorders such as autism or hyperactivity.

Conclusion

We at Nishan believe, As a common case, hyperactivity has many effects on patients who bear it,  though it does not pose any serious threats or problems on health. It makes life harder, in a social and academic/occupational sense, but that does not mean that it is completely bad and hard to live with it. The majority of hyperactive individuals are reported and observed to have higher IQ levels and creativeness compared to those who aren't. They also think and act differently, and outstand in a general crowd, in a good sense.
However, this disorder can be treated and reduced, even though it can not be completely removed, but then again, since it does not have harmful effects on human health, it is not necessary. But then, having a more stable mind and physical stand and posture may help individuals to have a more successful social and occupational life. At Nishan, we treat this disorder by teaching our clients how to manage this disorder. Through extensive therapy and the right medication we believe any client can live their life normally just like others.
One should not simply stereotype or confuse hyperactive individuals with mental patients. It can be both a blessing, and a curse, depends on the perspective. After all, they are just humans like us, maybe a little more restless, reckless and impatient. But again, there is nothing wrong with standing out of the crowd, in a good way, and without even trying as hard as everyone else!

By Yahya Awan

Psychologist

Nishan Rehab , Islamabad

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