What Is ADHD Disorder? Learn More About This Often Misunderstood Condition

When asking “What Is ADHD Disorder” it would be easy to give the standard response that it is a mental disorder characterized by difficulty paying attention and a high degree of restlessness and impulsive behavior that begins before the age of 7. While this is a good start in understanding what is ADHD disorder there is much more to learn. If you have a few extra minutes to walk with me through a more detailed analysis you just might find a few surprises while gaining a better understanding of ADHD. 

There are three primary symptoms of ADHD; inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity/restlessness. In order for a diagnosis to be made all three symptoms do not have to be present. That said, signs of inattention must always be present for a diagnosis. Signs, must be present in two or more situations (for example family and school), must last for at least 6 months, and must interfere with social of academic functioning. 

The current numbers indicate that that the condition is either increasing in numbers or the methods of diagnosis are becoming more efficient. The current best guess estimates are that 10 percent of school aged children have the condition and 5 percent of adults. Other interesting statistics are that 20 percent of children with ADHD have learning disabilities and about 80 percent have academic problems. About 40 percent of ADHD children have issues with self esteem, depression, anxiety, or resistance to authority by the time they reach adolescence. About 60 percent of young children have such problems as temper tantrums, and most older children have low tolerance for frustration. 

As an ADHD child moves through the adolescent and the teenage years into adulthood they carry with them many of these problematic symptoms. While some symptoms such as hyperactivity morph into the less destructive restlessness other symptoms don’t improve with age. While many adults have developed strategies to deal with the symptoms, they still can come back to haunt them. The best example of this is the primary symptom of inattention that if left unchecked or untreated can negatively impact relationships, finances, and job performance. 

In asking “What Is ADHD Disorder” one cannot gain a full understanding of the condition without exploring the biological aspect at the core of the problem. The bottom line is that attention deficit disorder is a problem with self regulation that starts deep within the brain, probably in the prefrontal cortex. It is a problem of balance between the activities of the brain messenger chemicals  dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemical are responsible for bridging the gaps between synapse allowing the brain to effectively and normally communicate both thought and physical actions. When norepinephrine dominates this process a person becomes easily agitated or frustrated. When dopamine is in charge a person is stuck in the a repetitive cycle where boredom is unlikely no matter how many times the task is completed (example watching movie multiple times or eating the same foods every night). As far as that goes if enough dopamine was present you could watch the same television show and eat the same dinner every night and never get bored. 

Most prescription medications focus on this imbalance and try to find a middle ground. 

What Next? Hopefully this article has helped you better understand what is ADHD disorder and has compelled you to start looking for solutions. The most common form of treatment for ADHD are stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects or perhaps lack of success with stimulants has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.