ADD-ADHD

Many parents have tried nutritional methods, such as taking sugar out of the child's diet, before they seek medical attention. A small body of research has suggested that some children may benefit from nutritional treatments, but there are no well-established methods that have consistently shown to be helpful to most children with ADD/ADHD.

Monitoring a child's diet gets more difficult as a child gets older and more independent, making the research difficult. Also, delaying the use of proven, effective treatments, while trying things with unknown effects may be harmful to children.

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

An appropriate diet, when combined with supplements, such as Omega 3 fatty acids, and a structured lifestyle, with a system of rewards, and punishments, such as removal of privileges, helps a great deal.

An increased incidence of abuse of cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal meth, and other amphetamines has been reported among users of Ritalin, and other amphetamine related medications, which may well predispose them to later abuse street drugs, with all the adverse consequence it entails.

Take at least 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or its FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or if it is synthetic, avoid it.

Eliminate, or minimize sugar use, replacing with xylitol, or stevia which you can get from the health food stores. Avoid artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, and monosodium glutamate.

Minimize highly processed grains, and use of alcohol .

Suggested books for reference:

1. "The A.D.D. and A.D.H.D. Diet! A Comprehensive Look at Contributing Factors and Natural Treatments for Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity" by Rachel Bell,

2. "Ritalin Is Not The : A Drug-Free, Practical Program for Children Diagnosed with ADD or ADHD" by David B. Stein.

3. "HOW TO BEAT HYPERACTIVITY WITHOUT DRUGS Reversing ADD and ADHD in 20 days" Michael Sichel & Greta Sichel. 2001. Bookbound Publishing.

Answer: You need to talk to a pediatrician. That could be serious.

There are many drugs that can be prescribed to treat ADD/ADHD. There are stimulant drugs that dramatically increase attention and focus. Some of these are Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Provigil, to name a few. There are SSRIs (seratonin re-uptake inhibitors)like Wellbutrin and Paxil. These drugs improve overall well-being and can diminish the symptoms of depression. Feedback on the efficacy of these drugs for treatment of ADD/ADHD is mixed. There is also a drug called Strattera, which is an adrenaline re-uptake inhibitor. It works much the same way SSRIs work; preventing re-uptake of adrenaline. Since all people react differently to medications, I reccommend keeping a brief journal (great for us ADD/ADHD folks!). I also recommend that you talk to your doctor, visit websites of drug makers for a concise list of side effects, and continue to visit the forums. I also recommend that you visit www.addvance.com This site focuses on living with ADD/ADHD. It is primarily for women and girls, BUT it has wonderful advice for men and boys, too! I also recommend subscribing to ATEENTION magazine. Great for families dealing/living with ADD/ADHD.

Yes; there is no study that has shown it worsens symptoms for individuals with ADHD.

adhd isn't necessarily a "contractible" disease; it is a mental illness. it is not communicable, and most people who have it are born with it. however, some studies suggest that certain people can attain adhd-like symptoms from long term drug abuse.

Has anyone studied this? I have the same question... Also wondering if a hematoma at birth can lead to short term memory/processing issues later in life.

ADD is exhausting. It affects my work life, my home life, my social life. Plenty of people don't believe it really exists and I hear dyslexic jokes when people make mistakes.

It is definitely fatiguing and I can see how someone could suffer from a paralysis of will. I keep trying to reboot, keep trying to keep up and other people can do things easier and faster.

I would call the fatigue and paralysis depression. But call it what you want. ADD is exhausting.

All I can say is thank goodness for Adderral and exercise. I think that the fatigue that is experience by the ADD/ADHD brain comes from doing anything that has lost it's initial thrill or taking care of responsibilities that you just don't like doing. When the brain no longer feels stimulated by the sameness, for example of a relationship, sex, work or play, or you begin taking things for granted the duldrums set in. I find that I can compensate for this by trying to anticipate a head of time those times that sometimes get mundane. Planning in advance, or looking at whatever is making me feel paralized for the moment and trying to play a game with my head by rewarding myself for example with a 5 min break after I complete reading for an assignment or going to the movies when I complete a mundane task or pretending I'm on a date with my husband for the first time. By far the best remedy I've found is exercising. It helps me fight that exhausted bored feeling and keeps me from getting depressed. This is the best medicine, the least expensive, and the healthiest. I find it easy to stay motivated by focusing on how much better I will feel after or by keeping it interesting and new by sometimes exerciseing with a friend or using music or changing the routine. For wasn't dignosed with ADHD till I was 40, I believe that up till then exercise was my medicine now I've added some adderral which helps alot but I compensated in the past with what I've written above.

I have suffered from paralysis of the will (for lack of a better term) for years without knowing what it was. At times, I would go completely catatonic, unable to move or speak. This would last until someone else stepped in and got the situation resolved. It seemed that whenever my brain had to make an immediate choice in a painful situation, it just went numb instead. It also affects me on a day-to-day basis. Facing some task I really do want to do, and knowing it should be/needed to be done, I will start, then abruptly stop and walk away. I am grateful for any information fellow sufferers have to share about this phenomenon.

my friends call this "deer in headlights" syndrome. It's a lot like having a sudden short curcuit within the brain. I think it has something to do with not producing the right chemicals that help deal with sudden increases in stress and anxiety. I've often wondered if it might not be related to the natural animal instinct to "freeze" until the "danger" (basically whatever is causing the sudden stress or anxiety, usually a tense situation or confrontation of some kind) is gone (being as how most predatory animals see motion, this makes sense to me.)

I used to have this happen to me when ordering food in restaurants, and especially when calling someone on the phone.

I also seem to have times however, when I can stop thinking and focus entirely on what I'm doing, and when I can, I can usually do incredible things. I hae to have a strong motivating factor, confidence in my knowledge and ability, and usually I have to have a feeling of pressure. i.e. when I "Have" to do it, (if it was my decision and it's something I feel strongly about) and I know how to do it and what to do and have all the resources to do it, and it's not mundane and repetitive, that's about the only time I can actually do it.

the one thing I hate about this is that it oftentimes makes me look absolutely pathetic (not just to others, but to myself as well) which just makes it worse.

I would guess that it's not uncommon. I experience both fatigue and what I would guess is your "paralysis of will" on a regular basis. When I experience it, it's as if certain mental processes are put on autopilot, and my will/attention evaporates. For example, if I'm reading, I will actually continue to read, usually even sounding off each word in my head, but for most intents and purposes I am asleep. After a varying amount of time, I will suddenly snap to my senses and realize that I have absolutely no clue what I've been reading or even how many pages I've missed. I'll also regain awareness if something unexpected happens near me. It's very frustrating, and it's definitely not limited to reading. It happens when I'm walking, programming, rarely when I watch a movie, very often in meetings, and sometimes when my fiance is speaking to me. I struggle very, very hard with it on a daily basis, and it leaves me feeling more or less dead and/or "fried". You can't completely beat it, but you can definitely make headway if you try hard enough-- even without toxic meds.

Others have given you good advice that I'll repeat because it's helped me a lot. Exercise helps a lot to improve the fatigue and the vanishing awareness. I've also been sticking to a vitamin/supplement regiment for the past 6 months or so, and it's been helping me considerably. Keeping a regular sleep schedule also seems to help, but that's not always easy, at least for me. Sometimes the brain just doesn't want to shut off, even though all the circuits are fried...

ADD is categorized as a mental health disorder, and most all mental health disorders have a connection to depression. It may be mild or more severe, as clinical depression, but none the less, it will likely present itself as well.

The controversy surrounds the most common group of drugs used to treat ADHD, psychostimulants. Psychostimulants can be addictive and abused, and some groups have feared the unknown side effects they may have. However, most medical research has shown that treating a person who has ADHD with stimulants lowers their risk of drug abuse.

There is also controversy of the legimitacy of ADHD diagnoses. Some believe it is over-diagnosed while others believe that doctors are just more informed and able to recognize it.

My son has been diagnosed with ADHD,which stands for "Attention Defficit Hyperactivity Disorder". ADD stands for "Attention Defficit Disorder".They are both stemmed from the same disorder. ADD means without the hyperactivity. ADD itself is far more uncommon.Both disorder's are serious and require support. If it is you or your child that is experiencing these difficulties,treatment and support are the best answer. Yes, there is, and I have it. In recent years you'll hear people refer to ADHD and not ADD, and I think this is unfortunate, for there are definitely people who don't have hyperactivity but have all the other symptoms. The prior post said that it's much less common than ADHD, and I'm not sure this is true. More likely, people with ADD don't get diagnosed because they're not doing things to draw attention to themselves. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 20. ADD is also more common than ADHD in girls.

No. Acetaminophen is Tylenol.

There is no number. ADD is not harmful in anyway. unless you count short attention spans dangerous

It's not. It's coded on Axis I

Adderall is a psychostimulant used to treat ADHD. The active ingredient in Adderall, amphetamine works by increasing the amount of dopamine available within the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in memory, focus, and motivation. By increasing dopamine within the brain, individuals with ADHD can experience greater focus and more impulse control.

Yes, it's manufactured by the same company as the stimulant drug Ritalin, only in extended release form.

For ADD? Well, the typical "behavior modification" schools probably won't be a good solution for ADD. In fact, some of those places are extremely abusive. I'd recommend some kind of alternative education that is less structured and restrictive, because ADD kids seem to do better in places like that. Something like Summerhill or Montessori. I'm adding some related links about everything I've mentioned.

yeah. just get him tested

Most fungal infections of the skin can be treated with over the counter medicines like creams and powders for athlete's foot. Some become severe enough to require prescription medication. Yeast infections are another common type of fungal infection. These are also most often treated with over the counter creams or suppositories.

ADHD means that you have trouble sitting still, being organized, following directions and you might do things without really thinking about them, even if they could be dangerous. It is because part of your brain, the part that sorts things out for you and calms you down, is not working as well as it might. When you take a medication for ADHD, it pokes that part of the brain and makes it work better.

ODD means that you stuck in the terrible twos and say no a lot and have trouble getting along with authority, even if it is in your own best interest to do it. You might resist authority even when you really want to do it, just because someone told you to do it.

ADHD is disgnosed at a higher rate than is was 50 years ago

yes not only spongebob but other shows if your little because it brain washes you

Immature question? Ill answer it anyway..

Cant.

If you're on meds - probably.

Enhanced answer:

Actually, it depends on the State in which you purchase the policy. These days most private carriers will cover INPATIENT treatment of mental and nervous disorders but will not cover OUTPATIENT treatment or, if they do, will do so only on a limited basis.

For instance, in Colorado the polices will not raise your rate because INPATIENT treatment is treated like any other illness, but they will not cover OUTPATIENT treatments.

Yes, children can be diagnosed with ADD at any age but it is a difficult diagnosis to make. Most kids have extra energy but ADD children exhibit some very noticeable odd behaviors at home.

That depends on the girl. ADHD does not control how she is in every way or affect maturity. There are also different levels of ADHD and how she has been raised and plays a big part. ADHD can be medicated so they have a easier time to concentrate and focus but that has nothing to do with maturity. A 17yo is not an adult yet but more adult than a child. So it depends on the person.