A.D.H.D. Is It a Real Disorder or Just Poor Parenting? Part 1
/
Is A.D.H.D a myth or a real disorder? Are the parents just making excuses for their children’s “bad behavior”? Is your spouse really mean or just forgetful?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, (ADHD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs because of issues with the development of the brain. The people affected typically have problems with attention, restlessness, impulsivity and are accident prone. They are forgetful, easily misplace things such as their cell phones , keys, glasses, and wallets. For the most part, they do not keep to time. Some repeatedly suffer from injuries from falls and minor fender benders. More males are affected than females. Research shows that certain parts of the brain; frontal lobe, in people with attention issues matures slower than that of their peers without attention issues.
Recent studies also show that people who have it have low levels of dopamine in the brain. Many of the symptoms are controlled with activities, nutrition, or medication that increase dopamine. There are numerous clinical equipment that can scan the brain for impulsivity and attention issues such as
· Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
· Positron emission tomography (PET)
· Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
· Test of attention variance (TOVA). We use the TOVA clinical equipment in our clinics.
A.D.H.D. can be genetically transmitted and tends to run in families. It has nothing to do with intelligence as many who have it are quite brilliant.
Some kids just can’t sit still, from an early age, they get into a lot of trouble in school and with their peers. Some kids struggle with homework and completion of their assignments. For other kids, they do quite well in early childhood, but they start to crack under the demands of self-directed learning, and increase in work load and assignment in higher grades. I hear families complain that their once studious child, is now functioning below expectation particularly in subjects that require a lot of reading such as literature, government, and history. The kids, knowing that they cannot retain material studied as a result of poor concentration, they become frustrated, start to avoid tedious work and eventually give up. Who really wants to do what they are not good at? Many do well in computing, math and creativity. The typical compliant from parents is “Junior” did so well in elementary school, now he has become lazy and no longer completes his work. They tend to do well in things they enjoy. So before you give up on that child and kill that child’s spirit have you ruled out A.D.H.D.? When next your spouse loses their cell phone or house keys or forgets your birthday, ponder for a minute, could they have attention issues?
Not every attention issue is as a result of A.D.H.D. How do you screen for A.D.H.D? How do you treat A.D.H.D.? We will discuss these topics in the next blog.
For more information about A.D.H.D watch the YouTube videos below:
What is Wrong with Me, an ADHD Story created by Jenna Boyd (video credit Jenna Boyd)
The Answered Patient with Dr. Gereald Chodak (video credit from fairadventure)
Watch the YouTube videos below:
The Answered Patient with Dr. Gereald Chodak (video credit from fairadventure)
What is Wrong with Me, an ADHD Story created by Jenna Boyd (video credit Jenna Boyd)