Attention Deficit Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment
An overview of ADD and how it can be successfully treated and should never be ignored.
Attention Deficit Disorder commonly known as ADD is a very real and can be very debilitating to those afflicted. Until about 20 years ago, not much was known about the disorder and thousands went untreated. There is no reason to struggle with ADD today due to the various medications and therapies available.
ADD is thought to have genetic components in conjunction with environmental factors. Signs and symptoms of ADD can be short attention span, irritability, moodiness, hyperactivity, racing thoughts, and poor social and academic skills. If ADD goes undiagnosed it can cause severe depression and other more serious consequences.
If you suspect your child or friend may be suffering from ADD it is important to intervene and encourage them to seek help. In most cases, a Psychiatrist can successfully treat patients suffering from ADD. In addition, some General Practitioners may be willing to treat the disorder with great success.
Medications typically used in treating ADD are, Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Ritalin (methylphenidate), and Adderall (amphetamine & dextroamphetamine mixture). The medication helps the condition by stimulating the center of the brain that controls, emotion, thought process, impulses, and sensitivity to hot & cold. Amphetamines actually work in reverse in people with ADD. Amphetamines normally stimulate a person and make them overactive. Patients suffering from ADD actually receive a calming effect from taking the stimulant medication.
ADD can be successfully treated; it will never go away and shouldn’t be ignored. A person can live a successful and productive life as long as the disorder is recognized and prompt treatment is sought.
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The Attention Doctor | Mar 16, 2009 | Reply
The psychotherapeutic and psycho-educational treatment of ADD is a much-neglected topic. Part of this is due to an inexact definition of ADD that overemphasizes dysfunction. Part is due to a fragmented and under-trained psychotherapeutic workforce. And part of the neglect stems from a complex and variable clinical picture that overlaps and is complicated by other conditions. A great deal of work is just beginning to create therapies specifically targeted to the true nature and common clinical course of ADD. Two different sorts of problems must be addressed: the neurophysiological situation in and the accumulated effects of living with ADD. Understanding the variability in the level of functioning of affected individuals seems a likely place to start when looking for clues to effective treatment.