What Are the Symptoms of ADHD?
All children experience moments where they run around too much, have difficulty waiting their turn, or space out during a boring class. You yourself may have found it hard to sit still when you have to pay attention to a boring presentation at work. So where do you draw the line between a child who has ADHD and a child simply behaving the way children do? Are there any other symptoms which suggest that your child may be suffering from attention deficit hyperactive disorder?
The symptoms of ADHD as we know it come from the eighteen diagnostic criteria as indicated in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, version IV revised. According to this medical textbook, ADHD has three core symptoms - inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Each major symptom contains a list of behaviors describing the ADHD child, such as being unable to sit still, unable to do tasks that require sustained mental activity, fidgeting, forgetfulness, and excessive talking. If a child meets at least 12 out of these eighteen diagnostic criteria, he or she is said to have ADHD. Additionally, these 12 or more symptoms must have been present before the age 7, must be disruptive in two different settings, and must have been consistently causing problems for at least six months. But did you know that these eighteen diagnostic criteria only describe one facet of ADHD? In fact, children with ADHD also experience more problems than just uncontrollable inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
There is empirical evidence that shows that more than half of children with ADHD also get diagnosed with other disorders, such as learning disorders, anxiety problems, depression, and oppositional behaviour. Children with ADHD suffer more frequently than other children from allergies, asthma, motor coordination problems, insomnia, upper respiratory tract infections, and difficulties regulating emotions. These additional symptoms emerge because ADHD is not simply a disorder caused by a brain chemical imbalance; it is the result the interaction between specific environmental factors and the predisposition towards the disorder. The symptoms of ADHD emerge as signs of an imbalance in the child's body and mind.
If you suspect that your child may be suffering from ADHD, observe your child carefully. If you notice that he or she experiences these other problems along with the three core symptoms, you need to seek the help of a specialist immediately. Failure to properly treat ADHD will lead to more serious difficulties later on such as the risk of repeating a year at school, drug abuse, contracting a teenage pregnancy, failure to keep a job, or more risk of committing suicide.
However, ADHD treatment should not be limited to prescription drugs. In fact, it will be beneficial for your child if he or she does not take any medication at all. Since ADHD is indeed caused by environmental factors and the genetic predisposition to the condition, the best medications can do is to suppress the symptoms. They never address the root cause of the disorder. Besides that, ADHD medications have been shown to cause serious side effects like heart problems, hallucinations, and even death in extreme cases. Only through a natural, holistic treatment plan can your child overcome the symptoms of ADHD and lead a normal and happy life.
