ADHD Awareness

Written By CBTDenver

October is National ADHD Awareness Month. ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning it affects how the brain develops. ADHD symptoms typically begin in childhood and may continue into adulthood. Symptoms can include difficulty with attention, fidgeting, and losing things.

 People with ADHD do not lack attention; rather, they often experience difficulty controlling their attention or directing it to certain tasks. With ADHD, a person may hyperfocus on things they really enjoy. ADHD symptoms can make it difficult to function effectively; however, therapy and/or medications can manage symptoms and assist functioning.

 

ADHD Types 

  • Inattentive ADHD: This type involves difficulty focusing, finishing tasks, and being organized. With inattentive ADHD, there are usually few, if any, hyperactivity symptoms.

  • Hyperactive Impulsive ADHD: This involves difficulty sitting still, usually related to excess energy. You may be very talkative, interrupt others, and act quickly without first thinking about your behavior. You may have less obvious difficulty paying attention.

  • Combined presentation: This is the most common type of ADHD, where a person has both inattentive AND hyperactive-impulsivity symptoms.

  • Unspecified presentation: This is when you have ADHD symptoms that are severe enough to cause difficulty functioning in daily life, but the presentation of symptoms does not fit into a type listed above.

Symptoms

Inattention Symptoms:

  •  Avoiding tasks that require a lot of focus

  • Difficulty paying attention to details

  • Easily distracted/Trouble staying focused

  • Forgetting things

  • Difficulty organizing tasks

  • Losing things

  • Starting tasks fairly easily, then gets sidetracked

 

Hyperactive-impulsivity Symptoms:

  • Fidgeting

  • Moving a lot/Getting up often if meant to be seated

  • Difficulty doing tasks quietly

  • Difficulty waiting/being patient

  • Interrupting others/Very talkative

  • Seems like driven by a motor/Always on the go

  • Restless

Like many disorders, the severity of ADHD symptoms exists on a spectrum from mild to severe.

 

Causes

ADHD is genetic, which means a person is born with certain gene changes that cause differences in their brain development. More specifically, the frontal lobe of the brain is wired in a way that makes it more difficult to use directed attention, or the ability to focus on something that is not very interesting. Less ability to direct attention makes it harder to plan, multitask, and solve problems.

 

Associated Problems

ADHD can affect how someone feels about themselves and their ability to function effectively in certain environments. ADHD can be associated with low self-esteem, difficulty performing in school or at work, difficulty in social situations, possible increased risk of substance use, and more frequent driving accidents or injuries.

 

Treatment

Behavioral interventions are effective for managing ADHD symptoms and can include strategies to improve organization and time management, reduce unhelpful impulsive behaviors, develop more effective problem-solving skills, improve self-esteem, etc. Learn more about behavioral interventions at CBT Denver here.

Medications, such as stimulants, can also help manage ADHD symptoms, and a medical provider can discuss the benefits and possible risks of medications.

 

Not all available information about ADHD is accurate. This article from the Cleveland Clinic provides an overview of common ADHD myths and encourages getting in touch with a healthcare provider if you have questions about ADHD.

 

Please contact us at CBT Denver to learn more about effective therapy interventions for ADHD.

CBTDenver
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