Attention Deficit Disorder Essay

Living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is an incredibly difficult thing to live with, it is almost as difficult as trying to describe a lifelong battle with said disorder in 500 words or less. Living with ADHD has altered my entire life, and it was not until February 2013 that I understood why I acted a certain way.

There are two types of attention deficit disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Undifferentiated Attention Deficit Disorder.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), a mental illness in which every American thinks they seem to have at times. Many people seem to think they have ‘ADHD brain’ or say they are ‘so ADHD’. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder which is characterized by the DSM-V as impairing one's attention, shifting tasks constantly, and displaying hyperactive behavior (European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of Adult ADHD: The European Network Adult ADHD). Although some people seem to think ADHD is just something kids experience nowadays, recent research is showing perhaps ADHD is a product of natural selection, and at one time needed to survive

Living with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be complex and no two individuals are exactly alike. Symptoms and problems are often unique and may vary in type, number and intensity from person to person. (Akron General) Some indicators suggestive of ADD are: Being easily distracted, forgetting things, procrastination, difficulties making decisions, verbal impulsiveness, expressing thoughts in speech or in writing, having periods of depression or low self esteem, frequently late or rushed, reading comprehension or retention, emotionally sensitive, easily upset, low frustration tolerance, easily bored, impulsive spending, personal or family history of substance abuse, depression or anxiety, strong need to have things their way and a intense need for excitement.

ADHD or ADD, a mental illness in which every American thinks they seem to have at times. Many people seem to think at times they have ‘ADHD brain’ at times or say they are ‘so ADHD’. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder which is characterized by the DSM-V as impairing one's attention, shifting tasks constantly, and displaying hyperactive behavior (European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of Adult ADHD: The European Network Adult ADHD). Although some people seem to think ADHD is just something kids experience nowadays, recent research is showing perhaps ADHD is a product of natural selection, and at one time needed to survive in nomadic settings. Many people afflicted with ADHD seem to think they were biologically wired in a certain way and recent research is pointing to the fact that this

ADHD is another term I believe is loosely used and thrown around like Bipolar Disorder because some people are just not good at holding a focus. It takes a lot to begin with to hold our focus on something for a good amount of time and a lot of people immediately resort to saying they have ADHD when focus is limited. That’s unfair to those who are actually diagnosed or suffer the same symptoms but are not diagnosed yet. I cannot say I have every experienced what it is like to have

For a typical person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) sitting down to do a task such as homework can be agonizing, the physical act of staying in place, being as difficult as concentrating on the work. The person with ADHD may go on in life to have social problems because symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, are mistaken as laziness or self-centeredness (14). The problems of ADHD often develop further manifesting as compulsive disorder, depression, school and job failure, relationship trouble, and substance addiction (5). ADHD is a psychiatric disorder, first documented by the medical society in 1902, that is diagnosed in 3%-5% of

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is the most commonly diagnosed disorder among children (1). The disorder affects approximately 3-5 percent of children of school age (1), with each classroom in the United States having at least one child with this disorder (1). Despite the frequency of this disease in the United States, there still remains many discrepancies about the disorder itself, starting from the diagnosis and frequent misdiagnosis of ADHD, as well as the question of whether or not ADHD is an actual medical condition, or just a "cultural disease" (3).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, most commonly known as ADHD is a condition characterized by an ongoing pattern of hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity which interfere with functioning and development (National Institute of Mental Health). In attention refers to a child not paying close attention, lack of organization, and gets easily distracted and is forgetful. With hyperactivity a child can’t stay in assigned seat, fidgets, and talks excessively. Impulsivity describes a child who interrupts, yells out answers, and has a hard time waiting for a turn (Woolfolk, 2013). About 9% of children between the ages 3-17 are diagnosed with ADHD. More boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls. Genetics is said to have a large contribution in ADHD. It can run in the family in some situations and in others there are trends in specific areas of the brain that contribute to attention (National Alliance on Mental Illness). The effects that ADHD has on a student’s education is noticeable compared to those who don’t suffer from this condition.

Imagine having your mind run at a million miles a minute, hands fidgeting, feet tapping and your whole body being filled with anxiety. It is hard to put into words what your body is feeling and kids with ADHD have this exact problem. When I was a child I had a very hard time focusing on school work and paying attention. The everyday noises were constant distractions and I would lose myself in daydreams. My teachers were frustrated because they did not understand why I was the way that I was, although to me I felt perfectly normal. Now 27 years later and I find that it is easier to focus and concentrate it can still be difficult at times but I am able to manage.

There are thousands of children diagnosed with disorders daily. Some are easily seen and tested for others are not. The most exponentially growing disorder over the past five years is one that easily mistaken for normal child hood misbehaviors and the hardest to test for. Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD, is the most misused, over diagnosed. This is due to outdated information, under developed testing and high pressures placed on educators to meet to state scores for funding.

“This group of disorders is characterized by: early onset; a combination of overactive, poorly modulated behaviour with marked inattention and lack of persistent task involvement; and pervasiveness over situations and persistence over time of these behavioural characteristics.” (Mulhauser, 2015, p.1) The hyperactivity aspect of this disorder is most prominent in younger children, and may decrease in intensity as a child ages, highlighting the inattentiveness and impulsive behavior in adolescence. Today, those that do not display this hyperactive trait but still experience the same problems with inattention are typically diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. However, this term as a diagnosis has only been used in recent

Children with ADD or attention deficit disorder can be described as difficult when following directions, unable to pay attention, unorganized, and sometimes even described as uncooperative and unengaging. Children with ADHD can also be described as above but also

In the early 70s, the main focus started to shift towards attention deficit rather than the concept of hyperactivity (Lange et al., 2010). In fact, 4 years after the implementation of the DSM-II, Douglas (1972) argued that deficits such as sustained attention and impulse control deserved more notability. Also, these symptoms responded better to stimulants treatment than hyperactivity (Douglas, 1972). For this reason coupled with the influence of the scientific community, a complete reconceptualization of “Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood” was considered. In 1980, the DSM-III was published and renamed the disorder “Attention Deficit Disorder” (ADD) (Barkley, 2006). The disorder could now be diagnosed with or without hyperactivity. Attention deficits and impulse control were considered more important than hyperactivity as determinants for diagnosis (Lange et al., 2010). Moreover, the DSM-III contained “an explicit numerical cutoff score for symptoms, specific guidelines for age of onset and duration of symptoms, and the requirement of exclusion of other childhood psychiatric conditions” (Barkley, 2006, p.19). A lot of controversy emerged from these changes, as little empirical evidence existed to support the concept of “Attention Deficit disorder” (Barkley, 2006). Confusion arose concerning the similarities of both types of ADD and it was not clear if they should be considered as the same disorder or two different psychiatric entities. Seven years later, a revision of the DSM-III (DSM-III-R) was published based on empirical validation. The subtype component was removed and the disorder was renamed “Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (APA, 1987).

It is a brain disorder, marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.