People with ADHD have trouble focusing on tasks and managing their attention, which can make completing a project, for instance, challenging. ADHD can limit a person’s capability to study or work, and it can result in anxiety, stress, and depression. Some individuals with ADHD also find it hard to sit still. They may be fast to act on impulse and become distracted easily. While kids of any age can experience impulsiveness and distraction, these traits are more obvious in those with ADHD.
Hadar Swersky says that individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life. But, without identification and appropriate treatment, ADHD can have serious consequences, including family stress, school failure, and depression, disruption, substance abuse, problems with relationships, accidental injuries, delinquency, and job failure. Early identification and treatment are very significant.
Children with ADHD frequently experience postpones in independent functioning and can behave younger than their peers. Several children affected by ADHD can also have mild delays in motor skills, language, or social developments that are not part of ADHD but frequently co-occur. They tend to have problem controlling their emotions, low frustration tolerance, and frequently experience mood swings.
Children with ADHD are at risk for potentially serious issues in adulthood and adolescence: delays or academic failure, driving issues, social situations and difficulties with peers, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse. There might be more severe pessimistic behaviors with co-existing conditions like conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder. Adolescent girls with ADHD are also more susceptible to eating disorders than boys. ADHD persists from childhood to adolescence in the vast majority of cases even though the hyperactivity may reduce over time.
Individuals with ADHD can also have difficulties with executing function, maintaining attention, and working memory. Of late, deficits in executive function have emerged as vital factors affecting academic and career success. Executive function is the ability of the brain to prioritize and manage thoughts and actions. This ability allows individuals to think about the lasting consequences of their actions and guide their behavior across time more efficiently. Individuals who have problems with executive functioning might have issues finishing tasks or might forget significant things.
Hadar Swersky says that in spite of multiple studies, researchers have yet to find out the exact causes of ADHD. But, scientists have found a strong genetic link as ADHD can run in families. Over 20 genetic studies have shown evidence that ADHD is strongly innate. Yet ADHD is a complicated disorder, which is the result of numerous interacting genes.
Other factors in the environment might increase the possibility of having ADHD:
- brain injury
- pesticides in early childhood or exposure to lead
- low birth weight or premature birth
A range of approaches can help a person manage ADHD. A doctor can work with the individual to develop a treatment plan that suits them best. Therapists can also assist parents develop constructive ways to react to the behaviors that can result from ADHD. Teachers, parents and other caregivers can help kids navigate the challenges of ADHD.
