Is adult ADHD real?

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   phtechposted 10 years ago

   Is adult ADHD real?
   
   If so, how would you help someone with it function?

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   Yvonne Decelisposted 10 years ago

   I do not know for sure but I think it is real. Hope you get good answers on how to help someone who has it!

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   annartposted 10 years ago

   As I understand from having had a few pupils with ADHD as a secondary problem (dyslexia being the first in this case but the two don't necessarily go together), if someone has ADHD they have it for life.  Attention Deficit can come alone without the hyperactive bit but usually because someone finds difficulty with his/her attention span, then the hyperactivity can kick in (or seem to be so) because behaviour can then become a problem - if a teacher or other person is not able to deal with a short attention span then problems can become worse.
   Teaching or dealing with a person with ADHD involves the 'treatment' or approach needing to suit the person - it's no good giving tasks which require long attention and expecting them to be able to do it.  Short tasks, then something different, then back to something else; it can sound confusing but will not be if the plan is good and executed well.  It's all about trying to keep interest going - even on the same subject, this is possible if you look at it from different angles, say 3 or 4 within 30 minutes or so.
   Providing 'tags' or 'attention reminders' or appropriate rewards can be useful; they don't want to be annoying so anything that keeps them on track is great. For example, give them an object or squeeze ball to play with - it helps to keep the hands busy.  A reward of being able to get up and change position, or go for a little walkabout after a successful session at something can work too.  This might not always be practical so you have to suit the approach to the situation - a little imagination can work wonders!  Hope this helps a little!

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      annartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the vote phtech; much appreciated!

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   Codebreakposted 10 years ago

   My father in law has it since a child and has never realy controlled it. I agree with all the sugestions by annart...He is still working on controlling it at 65.

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   PaigePixelposted 10 years ago

   As someone married to a man with adult ADHD, I can say definitively: YES.
   
   Aside from drugs, consider getting the books "Driven to Distraction" and "Answers to Distraction." They give some practical advice about coping, setting up your day to be better prepared, meditation and organization.
   
   On top of that, he was prescribed Ritalin about a decade ago, and although he'd resisted taking drugs for a long time, now he kicks himself and talks about what he might've been able to do if he'd known these things when he was younger.  As a writer and editor at Fortune magazine for years, trying to "keep it together" just about gave him a nervous breakdown every deadline...so, pretty much constantly.
   
   One fascinating thing about Ritalin is that if you're ADHD, it calms you down. If you're not, it hypes you up, which is a good way to tell if you're a good candidate for it or not.
   
   I can tell immediately if he hasn't taken it. He can be positively manic, unfocused, more aggressive, particularly in things like driving, which is typical ADHD behavior. I refuse to drive with him if he hasn't had his Ritalin- risk taking is one of the markers, and although he hasn't had an accident in years, it scares the bejabbers out of anyone else in the vicinity.
   
   Hope that helps!

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   delleaposted 10 years ago

   First, I think that ADHD is severely "over-coined" today. My wife (who was a teacher's aide for 10 years) worked with many kids who were dubbed as ADHD and probably shouldn't have been. It seems that the medical industry has cashed in on this label as well, over-drugging some of our youth into oblivion. I'm not saying that ADHD isn't real, I'm just saying that it's over-used. It's safe to say that ADHD in adults, especially in American adults, is more of a side-effect of our culture. Our culture here in America is over-loaded with too much randomness, too many worries and concerns, and in my opinion much of it is over-blown by the mass media. For example: One minute you hear that CFL lights cause cancer, then the next minute they are sold by the billions to people to reduce our electric bills and usage. Another example is all of the hype about famous people, movie stars, singers, etc.. when it comes down to the bare facts none of that stuff is really important but a big chunk of Americans feel the need to waste time and mental capacity chattering about that crap. And also consider all of the car accidents that are caused by people texting or talking on the phone while driving! Overall, as Americans we are too distracted by cellphones, fame, commercialism, politics, Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc... so in summary I think it's safe to say that all of us Americans suffer from ADHD at some level.

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      annartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You're so right about the drug side of it.  My personal feeling is that ADHD, like so many other things, is an extreme of something we all have in us.  We need to treat a person according to his/her needs and that's the main thing.

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   phtechposted 10 years ago

   I appreciate all the answers and information that was provided. I will try a few of these ideas and see if I can get mine under control.

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      annartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If you can sit down and write such well-presented, well structured thoughts in a hub (which you do) then your ADHD is not preventing your success.  I'd be interested to know how you create a hub - a few sections at a time or all in one go?

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