Still can't concentrate for 10 minutes? ADHD can occur in adults too! Risk of depression rising?
ADHD is different from “being active”. Dopamine and norepinephrine imbalance is the main cause of the disease.
Many children are mistakenly thought to have ADHD by their parents because they are energetic and lively. In fact, ADHD and mischief cannot be equated. Doctors remind that after sufficient teaching and practice of behavioral norms, most children can show appropriate behaviors according to the situation, such as playing and running on the playground, sitting in the classroom and listening to the teacher, but if they have ADHD, Children do not follow the rules well, and some require medication to effectively relieve symptoms. In addition to hyperactivity, some children also have attention problems (or only attention problems). These symptoms can affect the patient’s life even into adulthood.
Dr. Jiang Huiling from the Psychiatry Department of Yadong Hospital said in an interview with healthorn that the full name of ADHD is “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder”, which is related to the imbalance of “dopamine” and “norepinephrine” in the brain, and is also related to the maturation of the brain. related to slower. More severe hyperactivity symptoms can begin to be observed in the preschool period, especially in boys. As for the symptoms of attention deficit, they are sometimes less obvious in young children and are mostly observed in elementary school. In addition, patients may also behave impulsively and restlessly.
1 in 10 people has ADHD? Attention deficit disorder may persist into adulthood
Dr. Jiang Huiling said that among school-age children in Taiwan, the proportion of ADHD is about 8-9%, and almost 1 in 10 people has ADHD symptoms. For most patients, hyperactivity symptoms become milder as they age, but by adulthood, half of patients still have ongoing problems with attention.
However, although symptoms of hyperactivity may subside over time, a certain proportion of ADHD symptoms continue into adulthood. Dr. Jiang Huiling gave an example. Adults suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often have poor memory and insufficient task completion when going to work or studying. Sometimes they cannot concentrate for more than 10 minutes. Although patients consciously want to maintain concentration, they are unable to control their attention. If a similar situation occurs, it is recommended to seek relevant psychiatric evaluation and improve the distraction situation as soon as possible.
How is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treated? Failure to control may cause more problems?
Dr. Jiang Huiling pointed out that in treating children with ADHD, in addition to regular follow-up visits and medication, the cooperation between parents, schools and medical units is also very important. Some children’s hyperactivity is only discovered in the education setting. Therefore, how to get them to receive early and proper treatment so that they can maintain stable performance in various life situations at home and school requires the joint efforts of parents, schools and hospitals.
Dr. Jiang Huiling reminds that if ADHD cannot be effectively controlled, it may develop into “oppositional defiance disorder”, “behavior disorder” and other diseases, showing low self-control, irritability, increased aggression, and even the occurrence of Acts of physical violence. In addition, some studies have shown that patients who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the past have a higher rate of depression in adulthood than the general population.
Good sleep and appropriate exercise can improve ADHD and attention deficit disorder
Dr. Jiang Huiling suggests that people with ADHD should maintain appropriate exercise and get enough sleep at night to help improve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Doctors remind people with hyperactivity that if they don’t get enough sleep, they will be more hyperactive and inattentive in class the next day. Appropriate exercise can improve concentration ability for most patients with ADHD. Through daily routine and stable treatment, the performance of patients with ADHD will not be inferior to that of normal people.
Finally, Dr. Jiang Huiling reminded that ADHD drugs are controlled prescription drugs and must be prescribed by a doctor. Do not obtain or abuse drugs through unknown sources. As long as you have relevant symptoms, you should seek psychiatric help as soon as possible. Whether a child or an adult, if you notice inattention, you should receive early evaluation and diagnosis and seek the right channels to improve your physical and mental health and interpersonal relationships.
