How To Explain ADD And Treatment To Your Mom
How To Explain ADD And Treatment To Your Mom
Blog Article
ADD and Treatment
ADD and treatment is typically connected to problems at home, school or at work. The psychiatric disorder isn't easy to identify and treat.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common name for this psychiatric condition. Mental health professionals use brain imaging using SPECT to diagnose ADHD.
The signs of typical ADD include being easily distracted, forgetful and disorganized. Antidepressants and stimulants can aid in overcoming.
Limbic ADD
The most common form of ADD, also known as classic ADD or hyperactive-impulsive ADD, is characterized by inattention, a lack of organizational skills, difficulty staying on task, and trouble with memory. Brain scans show that people suffering from this type are able to maintain normal activity during concentration and at rest in the prefrontal cortex, but they are less active in their cerebellum and the basal ganglia. These regions help to produce dopamine, an important neurotransmitter that is that is responsible for motivation, tranquility, and focus. This type has a limited attention span, is easily distracted by sounds and other stimuli and is unable to shift attention. They also have difficulty falling asleep and often wake up during the night with nightmares or anxiety. They are easily frustrated and can be easily angry.
People with Ring of Fire ADD have all the symptoms of the classic ADD, but they also struggle to shift their attention from thought to thought and from task to task. They are sensitive to light, noise, and touch and talk too fast and are impulsive and easily triggered to a negative behaviors. They are susceptible to low energy, moodiness, and anger. They can also get caught up in negative thoughts and guilt-related feelings.
Limbic ADD can be confused with depression, however it is different than depression because it has increased activity in the limbic region of the brain (the part that determines our emotional tone and controls how happy or sad we are) and decreases activity in the prefrontal cortex at both rest and during concentration. It can be treated with supplements like L tryptophan (5-HTP), saffron and inositol, which improve alertness, mood and clarity. Amino acid GABA can also be helpful to calm neural activity, inhibiting nerve cells from firing irregularly or excessively.
It is essential to differentiate between ADD and mood disorders such as Bipolar Disorder, which also can cause frustration, irritability and low self-esteem. The difference between ADD with Limbic Symptoms and Bipolar Disorder is that ADD has a more consistent degree of irritability throughout the course of time. Bipolar Disorder tends to have symptoms that come in waves.
Overfocused ADD
Overfocused ADD patients tend to get caught up in negative thoughts and behaviors which cause excessive worry. This is due to rigid behaviors similar to people who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). These individuals often become threatened emotionally when asked to shift their attention from one task to the next and may respond with argumentative or oppositional behavior.
These people tend to have a short fuse, with their irritability coming from a chronic low-grade sadness or negativity "glass half-empty syndrome," and frequent feelings of hopelessness and desperation. They may also have trouble learning, have memory issues, or experience severe anger and aggression.
People with overfocused ADD might be rigid when it comes to changing tasks and may become absorbed in their job or pastime. They are at risk of missing deadlines at work, and not remembering appointments at home, and they might not finish chores or school assignments. They may also be extremely stubborn and resentful when disapproved of by their parents or teachers.
Children with hyper-focused ADD have a high degree of irritability and stubbornness, and are prone to throwing inconsolable tantrums when their interests are trampled on. They can be obsessive about specific activities, toys, and video games. They can also have difficulty expressing their feelings and be very sensitive to rejection or criticism.
This type of ADD can be difficult to recognize, especially when it affects children. Children often don't realize that their issue is due to their inability to shift their focus between different things. This is why it's essential to seek help from an expert, since children website with this type of behavior are more likely to be misdiagnosed by family doctors and even psychologists. This kind of ADD is treatable with nutritional modifications, supplements and cognitive-behavioral therapy. This kind of ADD is hard to treat, even with stimulant medication due to the fact that it can cause the intensity of hyperactivity. Functional neuroimaging is sometimes used to differentiate the seven distinct types of ADD and is especially useful for diagnosing hyperfocused ADD.
Anxious ADD
Many people with ADD experience high levels of anxiety. Comorbidity, also known as having more than one disorder at the same time, is common and affects up to 50% of people suffering from ADD/ADHD. Stress and anxiety can mimic the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. A misdiagnosis can cause inappropriate treatment and anger.
Anxious ADD can cause issues with work, school, and social situations. This kind of ADD may result in low performance and feelings of inadequateness. People with anxiety ADD avoid difficult tasks or events because they fear they won't succeed.
They also fear being criticized or judged. Because of this, they tend to hide their issues from others. They can become so stressed and anxious that they experience panic attacks. They can be extremely life-threatening and cause a pounding heart, sweating and breathing problems. Anxious ADD is different from Classic ADD because it has an increased activity in the basal ganglia and the amygdala. These areas are instinctive and prioritize safety. This causes a shutdown of PFC and can make it difficult for people with this disorder to focus.
If a person suffers from anxiety and ADD/ADHD their symptoms are more difficult to manage. This is because treatments for ADD/ADHD, which are designed to stimulate brain activity, can increase anxiety in people who have anxious ADD.
Amen Clinics psychiatrists use functional neuroimaging techniques like SPECT scans to determine the areas of the brain where more or less activity are occurring. This allows them to distinguish between the seven types and determine the best method of treatment.
A psychiatrist will collect an entire medical record and conduct a physical exam to determine if the patient suffers from ADD/ADHD. He or she might also inquire about mood and behavior in order to evaluate the patient's overall performance. Sometimes, medications are prescribed to treat ADD/ADHD. However, in many cases, patients require other treatments, like cognitive behavior therapy as well as diet, exercise, sleep strategies and desensitization. This can improve their ability to control their emotions and improve their overall functioning.
Temporal Lobe ADD
This kind of ADD affects the temporal lobe in the brain which is responsible for memory and mood. This type of ADD is manifested by a lack of learning and keeping information in memory, mood instability and severe anger or aggression. They also suffer from various sensory issues, like experiencing a sense of deja vu, or seeing shadows or objects change forms and hearing sounds that other people can't hear. They tend to be sensitive and irritable, and often become overstimulated by certain things, such as computer screens or crowds.
This kind of ADD has similar symptoms to Classic ADD. These include inattention spans that are short and disorganized. It also presents with difficulty in staying focused or following directions. This kind of ADD is not associated with an excessive amount of impulsivity or hyperactivity. This kind of ADD is more common in females. People suffering from this kind of ADD might have low levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, which contributes to their feelings of depression and low self-regulation. The symptoms can include sleep problems and feelings of irritability or anxiety.
In this case QEEG scans of the ADD brain reveal that people with Overfocused ADD have difficulty shifting gears. They show normal activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (the brain's "gearshifter"). They aren't able to shift from one task or thought to the next and are stuck in negative thoughts and behavior.
This is a type of ADD in which people are extremely motivated and productive but are unable to focus on important tasks. They can get lost and feel embarrassed or exhausted by their behavior. They may have difficulty in relationships due to their tendency to be impulsive and reactive. They also have trouble managing multiple tasks and working with others. In some instances, they might experience anxiety or depression. They may be susceptible to panic attacks and susceptible to hallucinations. The use of medications for this kind of ADD are not usually recommended, as they do not address the root cause of symptoms.