Article Orange » Disease & Illness

Children ADHD and you

ZenoSEO — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:33:28 +0000

If you have a child with ADHD or you suspect your child has ADHD there are things you can do to make life easier for both of you.

It is important to try to understand how your child works. To help you do this try keeping a diary. It will help you see patterns in your child’s behaviour and it will be useful to help the professionals diagnose correctly. Talk to your GP and your child’s teachers so that you get a better understanding of ADHD and the help that they can provide. Communication is important and should be ongoing.

Have clear structures in your child’s life. Be consistent, make sure you follow the rules you set all the time. This will help your child understand what is acceptable and what is not. There must be rewards and consequences to endorse this understanding. However, it should not be bribery or harsh punishments, you must never forget that your child has a problem that they can’t help, however hard it gets for you.

Arrange your child’s room simply so that there are not a lot of distractions. Try to make it a calm, quiet place, their heads are busy enough. Always show them how much you love them and encourage them in everything they do. ADHD children are often very clever or artistic so enjoy what they do. Let them have plenty of exercise and fresh air and give them wholesome food, avoiding artificial colours and over-refined foods. Try to keep control of the situation and accept help when you can. A child with ADHD can be exhausting.

There are many self help organisations and support groups who can help. Speaking to other parents who know what its like to have a child with ADHD can bring a lot of comfort. You may think you are a bad parent and talking to others will help you understand that there is no such thing as a bad parent. Other parents may have good parenting ideas that you can take on board and benefit from their experiences.

Children with ADHD are often in trouble at school and find it hard to make and keep friends. They tend to suffer from low self esteem and their life can be full of frustration and difficulties. Inevitably, some of these frustrations and difficulties overflow into the whole family’s life and it can be hard to stay positive. Your child can be very demanding but however hard it is for you, never lose sight of how hard it is for your child.

Succeedwithadhd.com is a self help company who understand the impact of living with ADHD. They provide advice and help on managing the effects of ADHD.
Tom Jacobs is a writer for www.Succeedwithadhd.com He has worked with people with ADHD for many years.

Do I have a child with ADHD?

ZenoSEO — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:31:11 +0000

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common behaviour disorder in children, affecting up to seven per cent of school age children. ADHD often coexists with other disorders such as learning disabilities or anxiety disorders or even substance induced mood swings.
Some of the symptoms are distractibility, irritability, poor concentration, hyperactivity, impulsivity, insomnia. As children grow in to their teens the hormonal changes in adolescence can intensify the symptoms.

Children With ADHD tend to be constantly moving and fidgeting. They don’t seem to listen and often talk excessively. They have difficulty playing quietly and they will often interrupt or intrude on others. They are easily distracted and don’t finish tasks.

Some behaviours can appear to be ADHD but aren’t. Some causes of similar behaviour to ADHD are a sudden life change (a divorce or death of a family member), undetected seizures, medical disorders affecting brain function, anxiety and depression.

Diagnosis of ADHD is not easy. If you suspect your child has ADHD you should speak to your GP. It is worth speaking to your child’s teachers too, they may have noticed different symptoms than you have. Both your GP and your child’s school can arrange for you to see a specialist, usually a child psychiatrist. They will assess your child and start treatment. Unfortunately this process is not simple as ADHD is very hard to diagnose as there can be very similar disorders. If you believe that your child does have ADHD then do try to pursue it, keep talking to your GP and the teachers until you feel your child is getting the best care. It may help to keep a diary of your child’s behaviour so that when you see a specialist you have examples that can help with diagnosis.

It can often be frustrating waiting for your child to get a diagnosis. It may be worth getting in contact with a support group of parents who have children With ADHD and who know what you are going through.

ADHD can have a devastating effect not only on the child, but on the whole family. There are many organisations that can help children and families with the effects of ADHD.

ADHD Adults and Relationships

ZenoSEO — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:41:28 +0000

It is a common misapprehension that ADHD is only a disorder in children. Up to half of children who have ADHD carry it through to adulthood and don’t ‘grow out of it’.

The same difficulties that make it tough for children to have a fulfilling life are carried through and often magnified in adulthood. Low self esteem and depression are quite common and all the symptoms of childhood can remain in an adult.

Often ADHD Adults has not been diagnosed in adults, they may have been written off as naughty children, so it is harder still to address the issues. If you don’t know you have ADHD you have a mountain to climb. Diagnosis will lead to treatment which can change your life. Understanding the condition will lighten the load and help you succeed in life and relationships.

All the tell tale conditions of ADHD can reek havoc on a relationship. Having difficulty listening and paying attention can make it seem like you don’t care and you don’t want to hear what your partner is saying. The difficulty you experience in completing tasks can make you seem forgetful and unreliable. You may forget birthdays and anniversaries and this might be seen as a lack of commitment. You might find it hard to take on responsibility and this may affect your ability to work. Impulsive behaviour is another symptom that worsens into adulthood, it might be that you drive to fast and cause an accident or that you drink too much and lose control. People with ADHD tend to overreact and this can cause arguments within a relationship. You will not have the ability to rationally talk things through and keep calm.

If you think that you or your partner has ADHD and it has not been diagnosed, the first step is to see your doctor. He will be able to refer you to a specialist (either a psychiatrist or psychologist) who will be able to diagnose your condition and recommend treatment. This may include stimulant medications, talk therapy and behavioural therapy.

Try to make your life easier by writing down important things so that you don’t forget. Keep your house tidy and clutter free and don’t try to take on to much at any one time. Get into a routine, it may be easier for you to keep a timetable of jobs you have to do around the house like dusting every Saturday. Structure in your life is important.

There are many support groups and self help organisations that can help you, you are not alone, ADHD is more common than you think, and it may help to talk to someone else who has experienced it themselves.