Attention Defficit and ADHD

ADD and ADHD or Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has some stunning statistics behind it. Anywhere between one and three out of thirty children will have this learning disability as noted by Dr. Russell Barkley.

The statistics for adults with ADD/ADHD are a bit more scattered ranging anywhere between 2% and 7% of the population. Some people may describe having a child with ADD as having three kids in one and may find it difficult to grasp that their child's emotional development is about 30% behind that of his non-ADD peers.

Some of the many features of ADD include the inability to sit still for long periods of time, reading comprehension, a lag in verbal skills and fine motor skills, forgetfulness, lack or inability to concentrate for long periods of time and many others. Doctors and parents are certainly well aware of the implications this has for school performance as well as the child's social interaction.

Research has shown that children with ADD are more at risk for co-morbidity, or to be diagnosed with a mood or personality disorder such as major depressive disorder, bi-polar disorder, or dysthymia as they pass from adolescence to adulthood. Some have also stated that ADD may be a segway into one of these. They are also more at risk for dependency on alcohol especially when there has been a stressful family experience such as a divorce.

ADD can be hard to diagnose because there are many symptoms that overlap with bi-polar disorder such as impulsivity, sleeplessness, talkativeness, racing thoughts, and distractibility. These two disorders are commonly misdiagnosed and proper attention must be given during evaluation.

It is also interesting to note that parents of an Attention Deficit and or ADHD child are more likely to divorce. This is an unfair statement however and may reflect that it is not unusual for at least one of those parents to also have Attention Deficit Disorder which itself can cause much conflict in relationships and marriage.

Given these statistics it is difficult to grasp how there may be much hope for success for a child with Attention Deficit Disorder. It was just twenty years ago when all there was in the way of medication was Ritalin. Today, thankfully, we have others such as Aderal and Strattera to help parents and children cope and allow the child to adjust and grow along with his fellow peers. It is not impossible for him to go on to college and find a good paying job that he finds enjoyable.

These medications are thought to act on the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin by increasing it's presence in the brain. It is interesting to note that many of the drugs available to treat ADD and ADHD symptoms are stimulants but actually serve to calm the individual. However, there is potential for abuse with some of these drugs especially Ritalin.

With the ability to allow the individual to focus also come short and long term side effects. One side effect of Ritalin that is short and long term is loss of appetite which initially can cause weight loss but in the long run can cause malnutrition. Other side effects of Ritalin include toxic psychosis, psychotic episodes and dependency. Other long term side effects include irregular heartbeat and breathing.

As far as other short term side effects of Ritalin may include insomnia, headaches, and digestive problems just to name a few. In children it is vital that much care is taken to ensure that the correct medication, dosage and dosage times be monitored very closely. One thing to strongly consider when thinking about Ritalin is that the United States Army has denied people on a regular basis for the simple fact that they have been prescribed the drug. For simply having taken Ritalin the individual can be refused from serving their country.