ADD-ADHD

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.

The same way you interract with a child without ADHD. The only difference is, if your doing a task with the child that needs a lot of focus (such as homework) you may need to redirect them a few times and make sure you two stay on topic. Also make sure to be as patient as you can be. Besides that, children with ADHD are often very fun to be around :)

Good question. We are not sure of the answer. At least half of cases are genetically related.

People who think it has to do with TV or other societal factors probably have it wrong. While it is true that ADD is recognized and diagnosed more often now studies where psychiatrists have gone out and looked for it have shown remarkably consistent rates (usually 5-10% of children) going back to the 1920's in many different cultures, including native and aboriginal cultures.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a person that is labeled with ADHD, have seen symptoms that are disruptive in relationships, home and in school. The symptoms must also not be caused by any other issue. A person must also have the six common symptoms of the disorder, occurring for six or more months.

The medication varies for most people. I take strattera, fish oil, and concerta. The amounts will also vary depending on age, weight, and other factors. Some people may also take melatonin, but that is only to help you sleep at night, and is not restricted to people with ADHD. I am uncertain of strattera and concerta are Class A drugs or not, but you can only take this medicine if prescribed by a doctor.

My eyes do it looks like I'm taking heroin

According to the CDC, as of 2007 North Carolina has the highest rate of diagnosed ADHD in children(4-17) at 15.6%.

ADD/ADHD is a genetic trait. Thirty years ago, there was no diagnosis or treatment. While people exhibited the symptoms, they merely had to cope.

During the 1980s, treatment involved a Central Nervous System stimulant, believed to be a norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor, which allowed such students to focus upon boring subjects, for a longer period of time.

During the 2000s, clinicians found that ADD/ADHD children often did not outgrow the symptoms. For instance, a child that was physically hyperactive as a child may simply talk incessantly, as an adult.

Incidence, therefore, has not increased. Only diagnosis & treatment has increased. ADD is not a genetic defect. Neither is it a disease.

Consider that some people get thin on carbohydrates, while others become obese. Some people have brown hair, others blonde. Some like football, others like chess.

ADD is simply a different wiring pattern in the brain. It multi-tasks quite well. It acquires information through vision, and and observation.

Our modern society, however, tends to require long hours of focus, upon single boring subjects, tying people to a desk, using books that have few pictures.

Thus, ADD/ADHD people were wired properly for "beginning of time" to 1900, but poorly for 1901 until Present.

They tend to excel at Entrepreneurship, Military Service afield, and rapid troubleshooting. They tend to get an 'A' in chemistry Lab, but an 'F' in Lecture.

You can find additional information at: http://www.AmenClinic.com http://www.Chadd.org

You have asked a lot of questions about ADD, try and calm down go to this website http://www.oneaddplace.com/addcheck.htm it is a little test to see if you have a tendency towards ADD. If you do, then go and see your doctor and discuss appropriate medication.

Most people with ADHD, including children, suffer from some type of sleep disorder or experience higher than average difficulty in falling asleep. This may due to the fact of the lack of control of attention, causing a person with ADHD to have a hard time 'shutting' off their thoughts to be able to sleep.

I'd like to start by saying different medications have completely different effects on different people. I've taken Ritalin/Concerta in many different dosages since 3rd grade, I'm now in college; I've also tried Adderall, Adderall XR, and Focalin. For all of these, there is a sort of "crash" when it is wearing off, more apparent in higher dosages and for some more than others. the crash from Ritalin and concerta (both methylphenidate) last about 15 minutes, and consists of severe irritability, short temper, heightened emotions (only bad emotions, e.g. sad, frustrated, angry), and more severe rage. The shortened temper and more irritability are more common for any dosage, but the others usually just when I've taken a higher dosage. Focalin, however, worked wonderfully for me for about the first 30 minutes (of about 4 hours) then I was just furious with anyone and everyone who tried to talk to me for the rest of the time, it was a very bad feeling. I was a freshman in high school when I tried it, and told my mother not to open the door to my room or say anything to me until I told her it had worn off because just hearing someone try to talk to me angered me even more. On the other hand, my friend and his father both have had great results from Focalin, with none of the aforementioned.

Now I'm only going to talk about methylphenidate, because that's what I've taken consistently since I was younger. I'm not really hyperactive, just ADD, and something that's always been very hard for me is the mellowing effect of Ritalin. If I take as much as I feel I need to feel on par with everyone else in the world, it severely mutes my emotions and outgoingness. It's quite a shame, I never take medication if I want to have a good time and relax because I'm boring around my friends if I take more than just a very small amount, I even bore myself. But this also means that I'm not as aware of what's going on because I'm unmedicated. This has always been the hardest thing to find a balance for. However, this may seem contradictory, but because it's a stimulant, taking enough feels like I've had 3 cups of coffee. Taking TOO much for your body can make you very jittery, and cause uncontrollable ticks.

When I first started taking Ritalin, my psychiatrist (I will hate this woman for the rest of my life because of this) prescribed me I believe 15 mg (mind you, I was in 3rd grade, and now almost 20 y.o., I take 10 mg when I have a lot to do and really need to focus) and I uncontrollably twitched different muscles in my face, neck and shoulder for a very long time. Because of this, I still do twitch when I get extremely stressed or overstimulated. My father, who is about 5'8" and takes 54 mg Concerta, once forgot he had taken it already and accidentally took two, and his head was jerking uncontrollably for the 12 hours it lasted; he locked himself in a room because any outside stimulation was more than he could handle. So my point in saying all this is just be careful not to take too much.

One last side effect I'm aware of is that if your body is used to having the stimulation every day of an ADHD medication, and you'd rather not take it on weekends or for a day whenever (as I do because I can't relax if I take very much of it) then it can make you feel very lethargic. This effect is similar to someone who is used to having 2 cups of coffee every morning...they practically can't function without the caffeine. So on those occassional days you don't take it, assuming you've been taking it daily, some caffeine or other stimulant may be needed to get yourself up and feeling normal. Again, this isn't ALWAYS the case, and if it is it only lasts a day or two if you stop taking it for a bit.

The attached link has a complete list for you. Most drugs used on ADHD children are also used on adults but with different dosages and sometimes different formulas. See link below. If you or someone you know needs to be treated for ADHD there should be an added benefit to treatment of personal help for organization and behavior modification by a counselor or social worker. Ask the doctor for this type of help too.

Sugar, simple carbohydrates like white flour based products, other refined (processed) carbohydrates, additives, aspartame, sucralose, artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, MSG, and other glutamates.

Risperdal is the brand name for the drug risperidone; risperidone is used to treat schizophrenia and sometimes to treat aggression in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Risperidone has no use for ADHD, and can cause worsening attention. Risperdal should not increase aggression.

ADD is a depreciated term for attention-deficit disorder. More appropriately, ADHD is used meaning attention-deficit hyperactivity-disorder. There are three subtypes of ADHD: predominately inattentive, predominately hyperactive, or a combination.

It depends on the strengths of each disease and how old you are. ADHD is really bad for young people like teens because they could not focus well.

Not to good when I'm feeling the side effect of drowsiness. When I don't feel that effect I guess I feel the same as I did before I started taking it. I've been taking it for nearly a month now by the way.

Not a smart thing to do, I quit cold turkey for Bi-Polar, and Depression and I regret being off them. Been there; done that. You become a popular breakfast cereal..... "Fruit Loops." You can only be bi-polar if the chemistry in your head becomes imbalanced; your meds are supposed to re-balance your scrambled head. Going without your meds is only good when you are appearing before a Social Security Evaluation Board to get on SSI, but not really recommended. Bi-polar IS A DIRECT RESULT FROM BIOLOGICAL PARENTS PROCREATING THESE CHILDREN AT CERTAIN, PREDICTABLE, AVOIDABLE TIMES. The only problem is that people never heard of this Theory, or the Genetic Law behind it This same Law affects EVERY child born.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) refers to a family of related cognitive disorders that interfere with a person's capacity to have normal activity levels (hyperactivity), hold back on impulsive behaviour (impulsivity), and focus on tasks (inattention) in developmentally appropriate ways. ADHD is a neurobiology disorder, meaning the problem affects brain function (thinking, learning and memory) and behaviour.

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can have difficulties at home, at school, and in relationships with friends and other children their age. ADHD has also been shown to have long-term adverse effects on school performance, career or job success, and social-emotional development. Because children with ADHD are not able to sit still and pay attention in school, they may have disciplinary problems, and they can be viewed as troublemakers by teachers and other students. They experience peer rejection and show a broad range of disruptive behaviours. Their academic and social problems can have far-reaching and long-term effects. These children have higher injury rates. As they grow older, children with untreated ADHD, in combination with conduct disorders, are at risk for abuse, antisocial behaviour, and injuries of all sorts. Up to 70% of children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to have symptoms into adulthood.

What is the relationship between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other disorders, such as learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, or depression?

Most children treated for ADHD have other conditions. ADHD can co-occur with learning disabilities (15-25%), language disorders (30-35%), conduct disorder (15-20%), oppositional defiant disorder (up to 40%), mood disorders (15-20%), and anxiety disorders (20-25%). Up to 60% of children with tic disorders also have ADHD. Problems with memory, cognitive processing, sequencing, motor skills, social skills, control of emotional response, and response to discipline are common. Sleep disorders are also more common.

[The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder information above is based on source material from the National Institute on Mental Health entitled "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - Questions and Answers," published in March 2000.]

To elaborate on the previous answer, since ADHD and ADD have a significant biochemcial component, it is not surprising that those with ADHD find it varies in intensity over time, from day to day, and even during different times of day. The environment also plays a role in how easy it is to concentrate and refrain from fidgeting. Many, if not most people with ADHD and ADD learn to cope with it with the various aspects of the disorder, by compensation or practice. However, some of the ADHD deficits are not cope-able, meaning one needs to learn to live and work them. It will not actually go away, but it can become less of a problem as one learns to compensate for it. The most effective ways to deal with it usually include a combination of medication (for the biochemical part), behavior modification, and coping strategies.

No, ADHD is not infectious. It is not a virus, but a lack of growth in certain regions of the brain; a person with ADHD has underdeveloped brain regions that control focus, attention, and planning.

We tend to be totally off subject almost all of the time. For example, let's say Jiminy Cricket had ADD and was trying to help Pinocchio with a girl problem, suddenly he started talking about the old TV show "Get Smart."

it depends on there person and the medicine the right ADHD med could be great for you or your loved on but be unaffected or bad reaction for me. your gunna have to go though old fashion trail and error.