ADD-ADHD

add can seem bad at the time but if your being treated for it things will soon even out if your not being treated then maybe you should,my son was diagnosed at 11 and was a nightmare but he is now 17 at full time college with a part time job and well on his way to being a personnal trainer or joining the marines as a pti instructor.life is not as bad as it seems and my son is doing fantastic.

add can seem bad at the time but if your being treated for it things will soon even out if your not being treated then maybe you should,my son was diagnosed at 11 and was a nightmare but he is now 17 at full time college with a part time job and well on his way to

The normal dosage of Adderall (amphetamine) varies from person to person. Factors such as age, tolerance, and weight all affect the required dose. To be safe, most doctors work from the lowest dose and increase it until side effects are seen.

Most doctors would probably say yes.

I say it depends on the child.

It is not easy for us parents to decide what is better or worse when it comes to our children and their medicine.

We are raised to trust doctors, and still we read and hear about so many doctors having done serious mistakes. (We do not hear so much about the not so serious stuff that is far more widespread)

Any good decent parent should read all the documentation regarding a drug that is prescribed for ones child. It is you that knows your child better, and if you believe your child can be helped with the drug after you have read about it, then you could try.

If you do not notice that the drug helps with the problems your child is having, then there is not much point in taking it. (Although do not expect to see changes right away.)

ADHD medication can help many children to "perform" better at school and back home. They might be a lot better at concentrating on problems rather than go furious because they can not figure out even the most easy problem.

ADHD medication can in some cases do so much to the personality of a child that you do not recognise it after a while. Then we have the big question. Is this "new" personality better or worse.

Being a parent is dealing with a lot of problems.

Being a child mean that parents are the most important things in life.

Children put infinite trust in parents (Often even if they don't show it).

Making a choise does not mean that it is wrong if your child does not like it.

Consult your doctor regarding the medication and ask him/her about the things you are unsure of. Write down a list beforehand so that you do not forget your questions.

If your doctor wants you to carry on with medication month after month even if you do not see positive changes, then go to another doctor.

If having tried medication and you want to stop it, then this should in most cases be done slowly over time. Smaller and smaller doses every day over a timespan of 30 days is a good idea.

I wish you all the best regarding your child.

Regards.

I think I've had OCD since I was 8. I think I might have OCD but I don't think my parents believe me cuz theyv seen sum of the habits I have and they tell me its something else like when I blink a lot at certain things they tell me I need to moisture my eyes. Blinking and breathing and looking up to blink are the worst habits for me, majority of them I don't remember and don't even notice. I cant breathe whilst looking at a person. Also I click the mouse a billion times and click the shift button for the I (when it's alone) a lot as you can see. I also backspace lots of stuff and rewrite them, I always rub random stuff 'just so' something bad happens. When I think about something I cant get it out of my mind and a month later I somehow remember it. I get frustrated when I do something or when I try to fix something like trying to turn a doorknob I have to do it again because my hand wasn't aligned up. I always have to tap things into rythym . Also I also get something into my head like something stupid like screaming something out or deleting something or punching someone . ( I think about what would happen when I scream hi out in public what would happen and I do it and sometimes if I don't I think something bad will happen.) Also when I'm sitting on the floor with friends and my hand touches their leg by accident, I feel like I have to do it 2 more times. (I usually do 3 or 7 . If I touched somewhere I would have to touch the right side of it then the middle) I hope you get me there. I also get really frustrated and when I do, I have to kiss my wrist (IK SOUNDS STUPID) or pound my hands together and keep pounding them together until the finger knuckles are aligned perfectly, those are my rituals and most OCD's rituals are to wash there hands. I also pull my shirt a lot which my brother tells me to stop doing, (He tells me lots of things not to do) . I also am a gamer (PS3) and play call of duty black ops. I always have to jump up for no reason and press triangle triangle and to just read the name. I also save the game so many times and keep pressing the x button which doesn't do anything whilst pressing it. On my phone I always press the end call button and always have to breathe out and turn the light away and then I can breathe again. I can't look at peoples eyes really when I talk to them or I sorta hold my breath if I do. I sometimes want to turn the light on, so I turn it on then off then on then off then on then off then on. ( My parents get annoyed) Whenever I'm busy doing homework or playing video games when I'm home alone I always check the door if it's unlocked. I don't like watching scary movies but I do watch them sometimes, but when I watch them my OCD REALLY acts up, like my blinking and for some reason I can't blink at the screen when a movie is playing (but if I get real into the movie I forgot :) ) . So when I'm walking in the mall there are always patterns in the floor and I always have to walk in one colour or one pattern. Again , I am a 14 year old boy who has had OCD for about 6-7years and I have lots of obsessions to do, I just ccan't think of them but I lay off once in a while so it doesn't affect my life as much (On average days I do some of it and on really bad days my OCD acts up bad) So I hope you enjoyed my story.

No, people with Asperger's Syndrome are not retarded. They have average to high intelligence, but have difficulty understanding body language and other non-verbal cues.

(This is somebody else)

Aspies on average have above-average intelligence. It more-or-less is a mental condition where you think more intellectually and less socially. They may find things like small talk unimportant, or downright stupid. Aspies typically have difficulty doing things like maintaining eye contact, reading body language, understanding something in context, etc. A lot of the time they seem off in their own world simply because they are thinking about the bigger picture. They are often very eccentric, needing to eat certain foods or sleep in a certain position, although it oes from there to refusing to sleep in a hotel where the drain in the shower is in the center of it (one of Woody Allen's habits).

In a way, an Aspie is Socially retarded, but usually very mildly. In every other department, they have distinct advantages over the norm.

A few people I hope you have heard of with Aspergers:

World Leaders:

Adolf Hitler

Alexander the Great (supposedly)

Al Gore

Sarah Palin

Peter The Great

Louis VI

Abraham Lincoln

As well as more than half of the people that signed the Constitution

Celebrities:

Dan Akroyd

Keanu Reeves

Marilyn Monroe

Elvis

Michael Jackson

James Orwell

Tim Burton

Gary Newman

(The actual) Lawrence of Arabia (not the actor who played him)

Craig Nicholls (had an extreme case)

Woody Allen

Robin Williams

Geniuses:

Einstein, he failed almost all of his math courses and was beleived by his parents to be "a retard"

Nikola Tesla

Rowan Hamilton, you may not have heard of him, he was a mathematician

Archimedes (Supposedly)

Socrates (Supposedly)

McKinnon (He hacked several NASA computers, as well as the U.S Army and U.S. Airforce)

Artists (writers for the most part):

Isaac Asimov

Charles Schulz

Warhol

Graham Bell

H.P. Lovecraft

Mozart

Michelangelo

Beethoven

Charles Darwin

Mark Twain

I'm sorry there are literally hundreds of other important people; as in practically everybody who ever did anything remotely important. The unfortunate thing is that people who put them down by assuming they're retarded or just freaks cause about half of them to be depressed, or insane. A massive number of Aspies kill themselves, usually because they don't fit in.

I am an Aspie, just so you know.

EDIT: I did not have the heart to delete the entire post although it is largely fallacious, biased and wrong. First; Only one or two persons in this list was diagnosed by a doctor or a psychologist, all of the historical figures lived in time where the knowledge of autism or aspgers did not exist; therefore it is no accord of their own or doctors of the time that they had AS. Dan Akryod joked about having aspergers and AL GORE, Sarah Palin and other famous person listed have never been diagnosed with Aspergers nor have mentioned it before; the writer seems to see Aspergers as a joke or has a below average IQ. Speaking of which; intelligence is not affected by the disability. Those with Aspergers can be dumb, intelligent or average, they fall within the normal range of intelligence. The speaker is obviously biased as he contends "aspies" are special and more intelligent and accomplished than "normal" people. If you want to learn about Aspergers go to a medical website.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-topic-overview

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/aspergerssyndrome.html

Yes, a person (child or adult) can have both narcolepsy and ADHD. While these conditions can be independently present at the same time (i.e. one is not causing the other), it is often the case that the narcolepsy ends up creating the symptoms of ADHD. This is primarily because the poor sleep regulation and excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy can make it difficult to concentrate. They can also lead to various degrees of depression, which in turn can make concentration difficult. If your child has been diagnosed with narcolepsy, and you are concerned he/she may have ADHD also, you should have him/her evaluated for learning issues by a child psychiatrist. Alternatively, if your child has been diagnosed with ADHD and you now suspect narcolepsy, it would be best to have him/her evaluated by a sleep specialist. These people are equipped to administer either a sleep latency test or polysomnogram test to diagnose even mild cases of narcolepsy. Finally, if your child does end up having both narcolepsy and ADHD, you will want to monitor treatment carefully. Both disorders are treated primarily using psychostimulants like amphetamine or methylphenidate (Ritalin). The drug modafinil (Provigil) is also sometimes used to treat narcolepsy. Adequate treatment of both disorders will likely mean a higher than usual dose of stimulants (or a combination of stimulants)--definitely watch out for adverse reactions so the dose can be adjusted if necessary. If different doctors see your child for each condition, you should make sure the doctors communicate regularly to ensure they are on the same page with the chosen treatment.

it affects how the person thinks and percieves things. for exqmple if you ask a question and they dont get it then you ask the same one with different wording and they totally understand what you are asking. they cant sit still or if they do its very hard for them to. hard to pay attention. they percieve things differently than other people do it odesnt make them stupid most people with ADD/ADHD are very bright

my sister as ADhd and she is not a bad kid she just couldn't understand things as well and was full of energy all the time and if you think your kid might have ADHD then you should take he or she to the doctor to get tested.

Its mostly hereditary, passed on from parent to child. Please note a child can have ADHD even if the parents do not. On the other hand a parent can have ADHD and not pass it on to the child.

Physically ADHD is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain along with other factors.

tourettes affect the nervous system because tourette syndrome is a condition that affects a person's central nervous system and causes tics.Also, tourette syndrome is a neurological condition, which means it's a condition of the nervous system

ADD is a depreciated term for attention-deficit disorder. It is sometimes used to refer to the inattentive subtype of ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Attention Deficit disorder, currently known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Predominantly Inattentive, or ADHD-PI, is one of the three subtypes of ADHD.

Symptoms:

Children: Failing to pay close attention to details or making careless mistakes when doing school-work or other activities, Trouble keeping attention focused during play or tasks, Appearing not to listen when spoken to (often being accused of "daydreaming"), Failing to follow instructions or finish tasks, etc.

Adults: Often making careless mistakes when having to work on uninteresting or difficult projects, Often having difficulty keeping attention during work, or holding down a job for a significant amount of time, Often having difficulty concentrating on conversations, Having trouble finishing projects that have already been started, etc.

It all depends on what type of hyperness or anger they are feeling, and even then it goes into subcategories. Talk to the child to figure out what is best for them. But be careful, because I have ADHD and it makes me angry when people try to understand my condition.

the focus is on helping children improve academic performences

The question isn't whether a person will treat ADHD or not. Everyone treats it whether they know it or not. Either they treat it appropriately with a stimulant like Adderall or an all natural supplement like ADD-care or they treat it with drugs, alcohol, high risk activity, or sports.

no adderal is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy other than that it isn't prescribed for anything else but a lot of people use it as a recriational drug and snort it to get a speed like feeling out of it.

Actually, I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and have been prescribed Adderall XR as a way to counteract the zombie-like effects I feel from taking my antidepressants. The Adderall gives me the energy and motivation to get up in the morning and be productive, whereas the antidepressants elevate my mood but leave me feeling lazy and lethargic. So yes, Adderall is an effective treatment for my bipolar disorder, when takin in conjunction with other medications. I've heard that takng Adderall alone may cause some bipolars to go into a manic phase, but I personally haven't had that experience.

Yes; Venlafaxine has been prescribed off-label to help treat ADHD with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety as it belongs to a class of drugs known as SNRI's (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors). The drugs action on norepinephrine is believed to contribute to the positive effects it exhibits for individuals with ADHD. Norepinephrine is believed to play a role in ADHD and focus; thus the drug increases the chemical in the brain by preventing the brain and helps some patients with ADHD.

There is no recovery for ADHD, since the person has had ADHD their entire life they have nothing to recover back to. Although ADHD doesn't go away as the person grows up, many of the symptoms do tend to midigate with age.

The most effective treatment for ADHD is medication and therapy together. Medication by itself can only take you so far and therapy by itself can only take you so far.

Usually the doctor will prescribe stimulant medication including Amphetamines(Adderall, Vyvanse, etc.) or Methlyphenidates(Ritalin, Concerta, etc.)

Your doctor will take a physical exam including an ECG, and a drug test to make sure these medications are safe for you.

Treated ADHD takes a lot of effort, medication, therapy, parent involvement, teacher involvment, and personal effort.

IMHO if it were normal it wouldn't be considered a mental , developmental disorder.

ADD presents a way to learn differently. Many people with ADD have above-average intelligence.

A patient may have ACT scores like Composite: 26, Scientific Reasoning: 28, get an 'A' in Chemistry Lab, but get an 'F' in Chemistry Lecture.

ADD evaluation is made from observations. Only a psychologist or psychiatrist generally has the training to put the ADD label on a person.

Your family doctor can make preliminary diagnosis, and help you try treatments, yet allow you to avoid stigma associated with societal stereotypes that many associate with people that seek a mental health professional.

You should ask your family doctor to refer you to a mental-health professional, if your results with your family physician do not fully help.

Be aware that antidepressents and central-nervous-system stimulants are not a complete treatment. CNS stimulants merely extend the amount of time you can focus, as when studying a boring subject.

The individual must still choose the task, open the book, and put effort into learning. No pill will do that for you.

Antidepressents can help supplement the brain to allow you more freedom to choose, but decreasing feelings of apathy and despair.

As an alternative, nutritional supplementation with chelated magnesium can also boost production of brain chemicals which decrease depression. Also, the herb, Damiana (Nature's Sunshine) works as a mild antidepressent. It does not work for bi-polar, or manic/depression.

But it can help someone go from staring at walls, to getting up and thinking that life is okay.

Young children learn well using visuals and manipulatives. That is, through pictures and things they can touch. Abstract thought is beyond their grasp.

An ADD person also learns best, visually, and with stuff they can touch. On-the-job training is much preferred over reading books on difficult subjects.

They can learn purely mentally, but must exert much more effort to concentrate, than do their peers. A college degree is well within their ability.

2:

People with ADD/ADHD often have an accompanying disability (or disabilities) such as dyslexia, depression, and LD unspecified.

The opposite of ADD or ADHD is OCD.

The brain is split into hemispheres. Between the two hemispheres, there is a gland that transmits information back and forth between the two sides. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls personality, attention, and the ability to make wise decisions (this is the last part of the brain to develop, which usually takes place around the age of 25 years old). AD(H)D is simply an under-active (or under-stimulated) gland.

The part of the frontal lobe that is saying "hey, this is a really bad idea", is getting outweighed by the side of the brain that says, "this is going to be really fun". Because the gland creates an uneven distribution of thoughts, decision making abilities are seemingly easy, but frequently unwise. This is often referred to as impulsive behavior (also attributes to the "behavior problem"). In addition to the impulsive behavior. If you're able to understand the root cause, then it is easy to see how there are many, many more things that are associated with ADD, than simply the inability to stay focused on a general topic for any length of time.

Without writing a lengthy paper on it, I'll explain how OCD is, in fact, the opposite of AD(H)D. Before I do that, I would like to say that I believe the hyperactive part of AD(H)D is likely something other than ADD. They are frequently associated with each other, but I believe they are not necessarily directly linked. This, I can certainly be wrong about, but from what I've studied and experienced, I'm getting a strong indication that they are not one in the same. One thing is certain; every person is different, and experiences a significant variation in symptoms, with a significant variation of degree.

If an under stimulated gland causes a person to not be able to concentrate on a given subject or task for any length of time, causes the mind to have reduced inhibitions, impulsive behavior, poor hygiene, an unctroloable desire to express his or her thoughts immediately as they come, and so on, the over stimulated gland is quite the opposite.

With the over stimulated gland, you get what is most commonly referred to as obsessive compulsive behavior. Depending on the frontal lobe of the given person (what's important to that person), he or she can experience a strange ability to read lengthy books from start to finish in virtually one sitting. He or she may have an extremely difficult time making a decision because their mind is stuck weighing out all of the pros and cons, without the ability to come to a final conclusion. He or she may have extremely high anxiety because their natural insecurity is exaggerated because a single situation that would make him or her slightly nervous gets stuck in his or her mind, being played out in every single worst case scenario possible, until it is completely thought out... then it's all thought out over again... and then again (hyper paranoia). If this person is left alone, he or she can create a fictional scenario that he or she truly believes is real and there is nothing they can do to get their minds to shift gears or change to something else. It can create a severe anxiety attack or even a nervous breakdown. If a person is naturally a clean person or has a fear of being sick (maybe a natural hypochondriac), that person can be so fixated on what germs can do if they are not under control that they become to the unknowing world to be a germaphobe, who obsessively washes or sanitizes his or her hands and everything around him or her. If a person grew up in an environment where holiness and purity is the focus, and the child grows to really respect and want to pursue holiness and purity, the over stimulated gland will cause that person to spend his or her entire life pursuing nothing but that. He or she will never, and I do mean never, do anything to break any rule at all, ever. That person would virtually martyr himself or herself over not telling his or her wife/husband that he or she looks fat in the outfit that was just put on. Even the simple "white lies" are far more than simple to this person.

It is because the gland is over active that the brain is overwhelmed by "this or that" statements or "if/then" statements, that never get resolved. The OCD type of person could listen to the same song over and over and over again. They are frequently completely oblivious to their surroundings. We can go on and on and on, just like with the ADD.

When we understand that the gland between the two hemispheres is either under stimulated for the ADD, or over stimulated for the OCD, it is very easy to see many, many symptoms that are associated with each.

Before, when I was offering my opinion that the hyperactivity is not necessarily associated with ADD, I believe that the person who naturally has a lot of energy, simply expresses that energy without reservation or discipline, because the impulse to express it is significantly outweighed by the thought of "this is not the appropriate time or place to express this energy". It's an expression or inhibition problem, not an energy problem. To further support this, look at an ADD child or adult who is naturally lethargic. (Unfortunately, the lethargic people with ADD often slip through the cracks, as children, because their behavioral problems do not present themselves in a disruptive form, thereby reducing the attention drawn to and therefore given to the problems) He or she will take every chance he or she can get to take advantage of the opportunity to relax or veg-out. He or she will often create the opportunity, even to their detriment, in the same way as the hyper-active person, only it usually flies under the radar.

So now, if we were to say "ADHD", it would be like saying Attention Deficit (Hyperactive or Lethargic) Disorder, which simply isn't logical, based on what we know to be the root cause of ADD/OCD. It's simply ADD (perhaps ADD with hyperactive expressions, or ADD with lethargic expressions).

I hope this makes since.

If you're ADD and you made it all the way through this, congratulations... I know it was hard, and probably took a long time. Medication will change your world.

For both the ADD and the OCD, don't let anyone tell you that "you can do it without medication". They have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. No one who legitimately has ADD would say something so ignorant, and unless he or she has ADD, there is no way they can possibly understand your struggle. They'll probably say something like "if you just work a little harder or if you just ____, I know you can ___". If only it were that simple. Someone who tells you that you can "manage" your condition without medication would be like someone telling the person with bi-polar disorder that he or she can simply manage the condition without medication. We all know how foolish that statement would be, and the two conditions are very similar, in that they are neurological, not psychological or behavioral. There is no trained behavior that can correct the stimulation between the hemispheres of the brain. Although you can somewhat mask the condition, and somewhat manage it, you will never, ever, EVER perform at your true potential without the medication. (This comes from 13 years of experience working with these conditions.) Along with the medication, however, I cannot more strongly recommend cognitive behavioral therapy. The two will work hand-in-hand.

Yes, Edison was a regular user of Vin Mariani, and commended its stimulating effects, claiming it helped him stay awake for longer hours.

Vin Mariani contained cocaine, assorted coca alkaloids, and ethyl alcohol.

He is also known to have kept morphine, strychnine, and opium at his personal residence in Menlo Park, and although it is not known whether he used them personally, he is known to have supplied them to others for use.

(sources: Musto, David - The American Experience with Stimulants and Opiates (1998); Inciardi, James A. - The War on Drugs II (1992); Dyer, Frank L. & Martin, Thomas C. - Edison, His Life and Inventions (1929))

I learned that ADHD is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Being married to my wife who has dyslexia has taught me that the subject can be saying just the opposite of what they actually mean. Dyslexia is where the brain does not process information correctly and turns things around when they speak or think.