Adult attention-deficit disorder
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- This article is intended to focus on the condition in adults. Please see also main article Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Adult attention deficit disorder (AADD) is a term commonly used to describe the neurological disorder attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when it is present in adulthood, following the same diagnostic criteria. Although the exact prevalence in adults is unknown, epidemiologic studies thus far reveal that the condition, marked by inattentiveness, difficulty getting work done, procrastination, or organization problems, probably exists in about 2-4% of adults.[citation needed] ADHD is a lifelong disorder, but the prevalence in adults is difficult to gauge because individuals differ in their abilities to compensate for their difficulties as they get older, and many stop seeking treatment in adulthood. Over time, they may develop coping skills and other forms of adaptive behavior which make symptoms less noticeable to themselves and others.[citation needed] Those whose symptoms do continue to significantly affect their functioning in adulthood can be labeled as having the adult version of ADHD. Although the disorder may not have been diagnosed in an individual during childhood, adults with the disorder must have had symptoms in childhood.
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[edit] History
A watershed event in the history of this condition occurred in the 1970s as researchers began to realize that the condition now known as ADHD did not always disappear in adolescence, as was once thought. At about the same time, some of the symptoms were also noted in many parents of the children under treatment. The condition was formally recognized as afflicting adults in 1978.[citation needed]
[edit] Controversy
As with childhood ADHD, the diagnosis is controversial and has been questioned by some professionals, adults diagnosed with ADHD, and parents of diagnosed children. They point out the positive behaviors that some people with ADHD have such as hyperfocus. Others believe ADHD is a divergent or normal variant of human behavior and use the term neurodiversity to describe it.[citation needed]
Further, critics suspect ulterior motives of the medical industry, which both authorizes the psychiatric definitions of mental disorders and promotes the use of pharmaceutical drugs for their treatment.[citation needed]
[edit] Symptoms
Adults are more likely than children to realize that they might have ADD/ADHD. However, it is still very important to seek a professional diagnosis. In the book Driven To Distraction[1], Edward M. Hallowell described an experience of the disorder from a patient's perspective:
...It's like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, what do you know, but you've got another idea before you've finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, but of course a third idea intercepts the second, and you just have to follow that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of impolite words that miss the point completely. Because you're trying really hard. It's just that you have all these invisible vectors pulling you this way and that, which makes it really hard to stay on task.
The "combined subtype" of ADHD is characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity with childhood onset, although the condition may not have been diagnosed then. Hyperactivity symptoms tend to be less noticeable in adults. Those who do not exhibit hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms fall under the "predominantly inattentive" subtype and the rare adult who exhibits only hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms falls under the "predominantly hyperactive/impulsive" subtype.
ADHD in adults leads to extreme difficulties in functioning at work, home, or school[2]. The disorder is characterized by inattentiveness, impulsive behavior, and restlessness, and in adults the problem is often manifested in an inability to structure their lives and plan simple daily tasks. Generally, symptoms may manifest themselves differently in adults than in children. Adults with hyperactive-impulsive symptoms feel restless and constantly "on the go" as they try to do multiple tasks at once. They are often perceived as not thinking before they act or speak. Generally, the biggest problem is developing self-regulation, which is often not necessarily expected of young children. This self-control affects an adult's ability not just to do tasks, but to determine when they need to be done.[3] Symptoms of ADHD can vary widely between individuals, and throughout the lifetime of an individual. The most prominent characteristic in ADHD often is difficulty with executive functioning, which is the brain activity that oversees the ability to monitor a person's own behavior by planning and organizing. Other symptoms include inattention, impulsivity, and restlessness as well as frequently accompanying behavioral, learning, and emotional problems.
Studies have indicated that adults with ADHD are much more likely to have substance abuse problems than adults who do not have ADHD.[citation needed] They are also more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, be fired from jobs, and get divorced than non-ADHD adults.[citation needed]
[edit] Diagnosis
The diagnostic criteria for ADHD in adults are identical to those for children. It is important to note that adult diagnosis requires establishing whether the symptoms were also present in childhood, even if not previously recognized. [1] Diagnosis must also exclude other medical or psychiatric causes of symptoms. The diagnostic criteria[4] require multiple symptoms observed in multiple settings (school, home, work, etc.) within the preceding 6 months.
Assessment of adult patients seeking a possible diagnosis can be better than in children due to the adult's greater ability to provide their own history, input, and insight. The therapeutic process may also see more benefit in behavioral solutions because they can be designed more collaboratively with mature individuals.
[edit] Treatment
Generally, treatments which have proved effective for children were observed to work equally well or better in adults with similar diagnosis.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ Hallowell, Edward M, and Ratey, John J. Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood
- ^ http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/604_adhd.html
- ^ http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/604_adhd.html
- ^ http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/adhd.htm
[edit] See also
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder for main article
- Controversy about ADHD
- Attention
[edit] Further reading
- Amen, Dr. Daniel G., Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the Six Types of ADD
- Hallowell, Edward M, and Ratey, John J., Answers to Distraction
- Hartmann, Thom, Attention Deficit Disorder: A New Perspective
- Hersey, Jane, Why Can't My Child Behave?
- Lawlis, Frank, The ADD Answer
