by Joe Bomb

Created on: April 27, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder affects millions of people worldwide.
Some causes for the brain disorder have been attributed to complications prior to child birth.
Boys seem to express more symptoms than girls. However the disease affects them the same. The ADHD personality is usually impatient and impulsive causing stress in their family as well as teachers and students at school. Untreated, the ADHD patient is disruptive to society and often goes undetected as a mental illness. Without treatment the subject may find it difficult to cope with normal situations, such as employment, school, marriage, friends etc.. These individuals have a higher rate of drug and alcohol use and can wind up behind bars. Children with the disease seem to have much difficulty with teachers and students in school and are often labeled as disruptive. The illness is actually a slow down in the brain. This is why the subject is unable to learn properly. Drugs such as Ritalin are prescribed to increase brain function, which allows the subject to control their thoughts, which enable them to calm down. Stimulants are often used to increase brain function and help the individual gain better control of their thoughts. However, there are some risks associated with stimulants, so it's best to check with your doctor to find the best treatment. However, along with medication, counseling must be implemented as part of the therapy. A good combination of psychology and medication can help the patient live a somewhat normal life. However, misdiagnosis can create more problems. Some patients have been known to experience what is now called; A-typical symptoms. These kinds of subjects display symptoms which are ADHD coupled with mild schizophrenic type symptoms. The subject may seem paranoid, depressed and delusional, believing things which are not real, are real, or believing that people hate them OR talk about them, when they do not or have not, along with the ADHD symptoms. In more serious cases, patients may claim to hear voices or believe they are being watched, (paranoid). In such cases, a combination of anti-depressant drugs with stimulants and counseling may be prescribed. However, the sooner the subject obtains psychiatric and psychological treatment, the better the person can live their life and the better their family members will be able to live. Some treatment has been known to actually slow down the brain cell deterioration, allowing the subject to nearly heal and live a normal life. Time is of the essence...

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