What Is ADHD & What Makes You Have it?

Are you or your child constantly impulsive, always restless or constantly unable to pay attention? Is it causing real problems for you or your child in school, work or at home? You may want to see a doctor and ask if attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD, often called attention deficit disorder or ADD) is the cause of this behavior.

What is ADHD?

• Only a medical doctor of psychiatrist can officially diagnose ADHD, but its primary symptoms include difficulty staying on task, impulsiveness, inattention and hyperactivity.

  There are three subtypes of ADHD: inattentive type, hyperactive type and inattention and hyperactivity combined, where symptoms appear fairly equally. The main psychological textbook and resource in the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV), gives very specific criteria for diagnosing this condition.

Warning Signs for Inattentive Type

• If for 6 months or more you have noticed a persistent inattention in class, work or social settings, and it's causing serious problems, a doctor should evaluate these warning signs of inattentive-type ADHD .

  Examples of inattentive-type ADHD symptoms include not paying attention, making careless mistakes, difficulty with "following through," losing things, avoiding jobs, chores or schoolwork that require concentration. All of us are familiar with these behaviors. Yet if they're serious enough to cause problems for you or your child, seek a doctor's opinion.

  In children, remember that these symptoms have to be persistent and not just because your child is young. You might not expect a 5 year old to be able to sit still for 50 minutes in class, but you would expect it of a 15 year old.

Warning Signs for Hyperactive Type

• If you or your child have difficulty staying quiet during the movies or at the library, fidget constantly (with hands or feet), squirm in a chair at school, often get up and walk around in class or meetings when it's clearly not appropriate, always run or climb, feel "constantly restless" or on the go, or blurt out answers or butt into conversations more than socially appropriate, pay attention and document the extent. If these behaviors occur consistently and persistently for 6 months or more, seriously enough to cause problems for you or your child, see if a doctor believes hyperactive-type ADHD is the root cause.

Criteria for Diagnosis

• When evaluating the symptoms discussed, a doctor will need a lot of information to make an informed judgment. For example, a child may constantly display all the symptoms described in school, but be perfectly fine while at home or playing with others. That child would not meet criteria for ADHD, but might need to be evaluated for other conditions.

  You may display all of these symptoms without them significantly impairing your life in any way. You wouldn't meet the criteria for ADHD. Tell your doctor about any other conditions you may have, as other developmental, psychotic or anxiety disorders can show ADHD-like symptoms. Only your doctor or a mental health professional is qualified to make a final judgment.

What Causes ADHD?

• No one knows the exact causes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, though the National Institute of Mental Health cites numerous studies that have shown that genetics plays a large role. Parents pass the genes that cause ADHD to their offspring in much the same way they pass along genes causing baldness or alcoholism.

  In non-hereditary cases of ADHD, trauma, prenatal smoking or alcohol use, or head injury may lead to ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD may mirror symptoms of another condition, however, so consult a professional.

I or My Child Might Have ADHD. What Now?

• The most important step is talking to your doctor. You can also consult sources on the Internet. The National Institute of Mental Health and the Attention Deficit Disorder Association have resources that can tell you more about the causes and treatment of adult ADHD.

  Treatment may include cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a mental health professional works with the patient to identify ways behavior is causing problems and ways to fix it. Or treatment may include medication therapy with stimulant drugs such a Ritalin or Adderall, non-stimulant drugs such as Strattera or some combination of the two. Every person is unique and what works for one may not work for another.