ADD: What is ADD or AD/HD?

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ADD: What is ADD or AD/HD ?

ADD: What is ADD or AD/HD ?

October 19, 2011 at 17:37

ADD: What is ADD / ADHD?

ADD, most commonly referred to as AD/HD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a biological, brain based condition that is characterized by poor attention and distractibility – ADD, and/or hyperactive and impulsive behaviors – AD/HD. This disorder is often misdiagnosed, because the symptoms present in brain processing issues that do not fit the typical brain pattern of ADD. This is one of the more commonly diagnosed mental disorders prevalent in children, but is also quite commonly discovered in adults. If left untreated, the symptoms can negatively affect school/work performance, social relationships, and may lead to a general feeling of frustration and low self esteem.

ADD: Click here for Case Study

ADD and Common Symptoms:

A person with ADD may have some or all of the following symptoms:

difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities; producing work that is often messy and careless
easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others
inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities
difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration
frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
procrastination
disorganized work habits
forgetfulness in daily activities (for example, missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)
failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores
frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one’s mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations

Hyperactivity symptoms may be apparent in very young preschoolers. Symptoms include:

fidgeting, squirming when seated
getting up frequently to walk or run around
running or climbing excessively when it’s inappropriate (in teens this may appear as restlessness)
having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities
being always on the go
often talking excessively

Hyperactivity may vary with age and developmental stage.

Do I have ADD?

ADD and Brain Function:

What we observe in the person with ADD can be compared to the part of the iceberg that sticks out of the water. However, just as more than 90% of the iceberg is invisible, the neurological reasons for these behaviors are not visible without a qEEG or Brain Map. The symptoms associated with this disorder lie more broadly in the issue of how the brain organizes its attentional and regulatory areas. In the person with ADD, we observe “disregulation” in brain function, particularly in those areas that monitor and regulate attention and impulse control.

ADD and Treatment Options:

There are a variety of treatment options for this disorder. They include medication, nutritional, counseling, and neurofeedback interventions.

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