Understanding and Treating of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder - Research Paper Example

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Introduction Being focused on to the important aspects of life is one of the main functions of the brain. In some diseases or disorders this special function of the brain is either lost or diminished. One such disorder which diminishes the functions of the brain is the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder was initially considered to affect only children but this is a misconception as this disorder is also noticed amongst adults. This essay will focus upon the Adult Attention Deficit hyperactive disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neuropsychiatric condition in which an individual is not able to concentrate or focus on a single aspect for a longer time. This leads to a lack of attention and it affects activities of an individual in everyday life. This essay would further revolve around the different psychological aspect of Adult Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder putting forward the characteristics of the disorder along with great emphasis on the medical treatment and other related issues. To be very particular this work will focus upon every aspect of the disorder relating to its evolution, treatment, etiology and evaluation. (Grosenbach 2000 & Whiteman et al 1995) Historical Context ADHD derives its roots from the early eighteenth century when it was diagnosed by George Still. The name however was not designated for the disorder in 1902 by Still. George Still found 20 children with problems of attention deficiency and postulated a theory which stated that the children may be suffering from some genetic disorder which accounted for their unusual behavior. At that time the disorder was named as the Defect of Moral Thought by George Still. These symptoms were then analyzed again in 1922 and they were named as “Post Encephalitic Behavior Disorder”. In 1937 Charles Bradley used stimulants to treat children who were supposed to be suffering from this disorder and it was because of this work that in 1956 Ritalin as a drug was introduced to treat the hyperactivity disorder. In early 1960 the disorder was named as “Minimal Brain Dysfunction” and still stimulants were used to treat the disorder. In the latter stages of 1960 the disorder became known as “Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood”. In 1970s more symptoms were joined with this disorder which showed how an individual would behave when he had ADHD. It was in 1980s that the name Adult Deficiency Disorder evolved and this was included in the DSM III given by the American Psychiatric Association. In 1987 the name was changed to Adult Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder and new medications which were not stimulants came into the market in the year of 2003 (Fitzgerald et al 2007; Londrie 2006). Assessment and Classification ADHD is diagnosed on the basis of psychiatric assessment and a detailed in depth discussion with the parents or teachers, and on the basis of a questionnaire taken by the child if he or she is old enough. The data collected is compared with a standard list of signs and symptoms, termed as "Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV" (DSM 4) for North America and with "International Statistical Classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD 10)" for European Nations, where ADHD is given the name of "hyperkinetic disorder" (Berger 2008). The signs and symptoms of the disorder in the adult usually include anxiety, irritability, lack of concentration and having difficulties while trying to complete organized work. The individual would not be able to decide on his own self and would naturally want the help of others while completing the tasks in his life (Whiteman et al 1995 & Grosenbach 2000). All these things can have adverse effects on the life on the individual because of which the individual might even catch diseases. It has also been found that adults who ADHD usually cannot tend to learn things in the same time as the normal individuals can. It is also seen that these individuals are not able to take care of themselves and they might face problems while choosing things for themselves. This can lead to problems if these individuals consume goods which are not hygienic for them and it would lead to other diseases. Individuals with the ADHD are also not able to complete their tasks, activities and goals in their lives. It is normally seen that these individuals usually tend to make a mess of whatever work they are carrying out. Moreover these adults are also not seen to be successful in relationships as it is very difficult for these individuals to relate themselves to others (Grosenbach 2000). Etiology According to the National Resource Center on ADHD, 5-8 percent of children of the school going age are affected with this condition and 2-4 percent of adults develop this disorder. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also indicated that 8 million children in the United States between the age of 3 to 17 years have been diagnosed by this condition and 11% of the diagnosed cases are boys whereas 4.8% of the diagnosed cases are girls. Thus this disease is more common among children and it has a higher rate of occurrence in boys than in girls (Grosenbach 2000). Treatment It is normally seen that the individuals who suffer from ADHD are not able to cope up with their cognitive skills with medications (Kassler et al 2008). Ritalin is one medication which is involved with the treatment of ADHD. And so in order to help these individuals cope up in life social therapies are suggested to these adults which can help them to excel in their life. These social therapies focus on the closest member of the family or friend to these individuals or to a group of professionals who can improve the individual’s condition. The goal of these social therapies is to encourage the adults suffering from ADHD so that these individuals can have moral support and self confidence (Ackerman et al 2008) Through these therapies the impulsive behaviors of these individuals are controlled, their time schedule is managed, their goals are set up and they are relieved of the stress and anger. Talk Therapy, Marriage Therapy and Cognitive therapy are important therapies for these individuals. All these therapies can help the individual to cope up with the general problems that they are facing in their lives. Through talk therapy the individual is encouraged to participate in all the general activities of life even though if the individual is failing repeatedly in completing these activities. Marriage Therapy can help the individual to cope up with the problematic relationships that the adult is having. And finally cognitive therapy helps the person to realize his weaknesses and strengths (Kassler et al 2008 & Whiteman et al 1995). The person with ADHD is generally demoralized all his life but through cognitive and behavioral therapy one can encourage these individuals regarding the problems they have faced all over their life. All these therapies altogether help to boost self confidence and motivate the individual to have faith in himself. Through these therapies the individual will be able to get over his emotional stress and would be able to lead a life which does not impair more of his brain functions (Ackerman et al 2008). Similarly coaching can also be prescribed to adults who are suffering with ADHD. This coaching would help the individual to prioritize his life according to his requirements and manage his time accordingly so that the activities which he previously could not do are now possible enough. Coaching is an alternative for the therapies but it might not be as efficient as the therapies are. These individuals can also be prescribed to keep a professional organizer who helps the individual to organize his things accordingly. He sees over every aspect of the individual’s life and then works as an accomplice of the individual so that he is not facing any problems in his life. Lastly it can be seen that several support groups have been made only to support people who are suffering from such disorders. With the support of different individuals one can get relieved of the emotional stress that he possesses and can also learn about other individuals problems. Knowing the problems of others the person would get a sense of security as he will now feel that he is not the only individual who is facing such problems. Moreover in these support groups different strategies are also proposed by the group members, which can then be implemented by the adult suffering from ADHD (Kassler et al 2008). Ethical Considerations While describing ADHD it is important that some aspects are taken into consideration. Individuals with this disorder are not supposed to be called mentally retarded or segregated from the society as they usually are in some places. These individuals are normal individuals just with a lack of attention. Some ethical issues have arose over the diagnosis of the disorder as individuals believe that this disorder is being over diagnosed. ADHD is a disorder which is characterized by many symptoms which are hard to differentiate from the normal behavior. Some children would be normal but would show some signs which would seem to be linked to the patients suffering from ADHD. This is the very reason that it has been found recently that ADHD is being wrongly diagnosed by many doctors. The over diagnosis of ADHD in United States of America was noted by a child doctor Gretchen LeFever. A study conducted by her showed the percentage of the drugs used by children who were assumedly suffering from ADHD. It was found that the percentages of the incidence rate of children in her study were quite higher than that of the national estimates. This clearly showed that something was going wrong in the states and it was either related to the expertise of a doctor or to the inefficiency showed by them (Lefever et al 2001) Not only this it has also been noticed that gradually with time the prescription of drugs associated with ADHD to children has increased. Ritalin is one of the drugs commonly prescribed to the children who are suffering from ADHD (Diller 1998; Sinha 2001; Health Care Financing Administration 2001). ADHD was defined as a disorder in which the intelligence level of the individual would be very deviant and the probable symptoms of the disorder would be to an extreme. It is found that the symptoms identified in ADHD are also found in normal children. The doctors put forward the view that such extreme symptoms can only be showed in 3-5 % of the population and not more than that. However it is found through different research methods that the number of diagnosed patients is much higher than the statistical limit given by the experts. Thus it is necessary that all medical therapies are used first to derive as to if the patient is really suffering from ADHD or not. Even if an individual is suffering from the disorder it is necessary that because of ethical implications these individuals are not segregated out of the society. Discussion A child who has close relatives and siblings suffering from ADHD is at a high risk of developing this condition. As already indicated by the statistics of the Center for Disease Control and prevention boys possess a risk of developing this disorder and they possess a more than two time greater risk of this illness. Damage to the brain through direct brain injury also makes a child more susceptible to have ADHD. Pregnant women, who consume alcohol, smoke and are exposed to other toxins like lead and chemicals that create hindrances in normal brain development may give birth to children possessing very high risks to suffer from this psychiatric condition. Not only this but also children who are exposed to harmful chemicals such as lead are also more vulnerable. This is because these chemicals prevent the normal growth of the brain and also affects the neurotransmitter release. Deficiency of calcium in the child also poses as a risk factor of ADHD and a clear indication can be perceived if the child does not like consuming calcium in his diet. Another factor which makes a child more inclined towards this condition is when he does not receive a proper atmosphere at home that is parents play a key role in decreasing the risk for this disease. Parents who are educated are able to maintain a healthy atmosphere for the child at home and hence these children have low chances of suffering from this neuropsychiatric condition. Another important factor includes the behavior and personality of the child and children who are violent and do not mingle with other people and also have changes in their moods every now and then are also predisposed to have ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition which affects a person’s day to day life. Proper care and attention is required for these patients and they can be cured with the help of medications and Talk Therapy, Marriage Therapy and Cognitive therapy are important therapies for these individuals (Grosenbach 2000; Whiteman et al 1995; Berger et al 2008). Bibliography Grosenbach, M. (2000). Adult Attention Deficit Disorder: Clinical psychology approach. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 4 (3), 171-173. Top of Form FITZGERALD, M., BELLGROVE, M., & GILL, M. (2007).Handbook of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chichester, England, John Wiley & Sons. Londrie, K. (2006, June 10). History of ADHD. Retrieved May 17, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?History- of- ADHD&id=217254 Bottom of Form Whiteman, T., Novotni, M., & Petersen, R. (1995). Adult ADD: A reader friendly guide to identifying, understanding, and treating adult attention deficit disorder. Colorado Springs, Colo: Pinon Press. Berger, I., Dor, T., Nevo, Y., & Goldzweig, G. (2008). Attitudes Toward Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Treatment: Parents' and Children's Perspectives. JOURNAL OF CHILD NEUROLOGY. 23 (9), 1036-1042. Neimeyer, R., Kazantzis, N., Kassler, D., Baker, K., & Fletcher, R. (2008). Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Depression Outcomes Predicted by Willingness to Engage in Homework, Compliance with Homework, and Cognitive Restructuring Skill Acquisition. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. 37 (4), 199-215. Zylowska, L., Ackerman, D., Yang, M., Futrell, J., Horton, N., Hale, T., et al. (2008). Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults and Adolescents With ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders. 11 (6), 737-746. LeFever, G. B., Arcona, A., & Stewart, D. (2001). Analysis of U.S. Ritalin consumption: 1997-1999. Norfolk, VA: Center for Pediatric Research Diller L (1998). Running on Ritalin: A physician reflects on children, society, and performance in a pill. New York: Bantam Books. Sinha,, G. (2001, June). New evidence about Ritalin: What every parent should know. Popular Science, 48-52. Health Care Financing Administration. (2001). National health expenditures projections: 2000-2010. Retrieved from http://www.hcfa.gov/stats/NHSProj/proj2000/default. html. Read More