Lifelong A.D.H.D. Can Pose Serious Risks Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT MOST OF MY YOUTH WAS NEGATIVE, TOWARDS ADHD SPECIFICALLY. JEFFREY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD AT THE AGE OF 5. MADE ME FEEL VERY MUCH LIKE AN OUTCAST, MADE ME FEEL VERY STRANGE. I REMEMBER BEING ONE OF THE FIRST KIDS WHO HAD TO TAKE RITALIN DURING SCHOOL AND I WOULD GET MADE FUN OF. PART OF IT WAS AIM FIDGETY. I HAVE A HARD TIME SITTING STILL. I NEVER THOUGHT I'D HAVE A CAREER, GET MARRIED. ACCORDING TO THE C. D. C., 6.4 MILLION AMERICAN CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 4 AND 17 HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD. IT REGARDED AS A BEHAVIORAL PROBLEM FOR THEM, BUT IT'S MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT, SAYS DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALIST DR. WILLIAM BARBARESI OF BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. PEOPLE ARE OFTEN SURPRISED TO REALIZE THAT IN REALITY ADHD IS A CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION. AND IT CONFERS RISK FOR PROBLEMS ALL THE WAY THROUGH INTO ADULTHOOD. BARBARESI IS THE LEAD AUTHOR IN A LONG-TERM STUDY ON ADHD, PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS IN 2013 THE STUDY FOLLOWED A LARGE GROUP OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD INTO ADULTHOOD, AND FOUND ONE-THIRD OF THEM STILL HAD ADHD. AMONG THOSE WHO STILL HAD ADHD, 80% HAD AT LEAST ONE OTHER PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER. EVEN FOR THOSE WHO NO LONGER TECHNICALLY HAD ADHD IN ADULTHOOD, ALMOST HALF OF THEM HAD ONE OTHER PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER, A QUARTER HAD AN ALCOHOL PROBLEM. 15% HAD DEPRESSION. 15% HAD ANXIETY. 16% HAD HAD A DRUG PROBLEM. THE SOBERING FACTS, TWO-THIRDS OF THE STUDY PARTICIPANTS WERE DEAD, INCARCERATED OR HAD ADHD WITH OR WITHOUT ANOTHER PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER. FEW CHILDHOOD DISEASES HAVE THAT MANY ADVERSE EFFECTS IN ADULTHOOD, HE SAYS. TREATMENT INCLUDING BEHAVIORAL AND MEDICAL INTERVENTION CAN REDUCE THESE OUTCOMES. BOYS WITH ADHD WHO ARE TREATED WITH STILL LANLT MEDICATION HAVE -- STILL LANLT MEDICATION -- STIMULANT MEDICATION HAVE A REDUCTION IN THEIR DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROBLEMS. READING SCORES ARE HIGHER IN THOSE TREATED WITH MEDICATION. CHILDREN WHO ARE SUCCESSFULLY TREAT CANDIDATE HAVE A LOWER RISK OF ADVERSE EFFECTS IN ADULTHOOD, BUT ONLY IF THOSE AT RISK FOR OTHER PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS ARE IDENTIFIED. THE PROBLEM, INSURANCE WON'T COVER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AS PART OF AN ADHD EVALUATION MUCH. THE GENERAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF ADHD ON RELATIONSHIPS, ON MENTAL HEALTH, CLEARLY POINTS TO THE NEED TO CHANGE OUR APPROACH. SO THAT WE'RE PROVIDING MORE COMPREHENSIVE ACCESS TO THE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT, FROM CHILDHOOD, THROUGH ADULTHOOD. JEFFREY CHAMPAIGNE HAS GONE THROUGH SOME DARK DAYS STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION AND PAN ACHE TAX, BUT THINGS ARE BETTER NOW THAT HE ACCEPTS HIS ADHD. IT'S A HUGE PART OF WHO I AM. IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE MOST DEFINITIVE PARTS OF WHO I AM, BUT I'M OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T TREAT ME LIKE THEY DID BACK THEN. NOW PEOPLE WILL MAKE JOKES LIKE OH, JEFFREY IS DISTRACTED, I'M LIKE YEAH, OF COURSE I AM, AND THEN CONTINUE WITH MY DAY. HE WORKS AT THE HELP DESK OF A BOSTON HOSPITAL AND GOT MARRIED LAST YEAR. NO LONGER ON MEDICATION, HE HAS DEVELOPED SOME USEFUL STRATEGIES. I'VE WADES JUST ENJOYED SINGING LITTLE SONGS, AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND I'LL DO THAT DURING A TASK, AND IT WILL KEEP ME ON TRACK FOR THAT TASK. I'M LIKE DOING THE DISHES, GOTTA PUT THE BOOKS AWAY, YEAH, AND I'M SINGING EVERY LINE. IT DIFFICULT TO MULTITASK, BUT A BIG PART OF IT FOR ME WAS TAKING A HUGE STEP BACK, LOOKING AT MYSELF, EVEN SITTING ON MY COUCH, THINKING, NO NOISE. HE SAYS HIS ADHD MAKES HIM MORE OUTGOING AND COMFORTABLE TALKING TO JUST ABOUT ANYONE. SO LOOKING BACK, WHAT WOULD HE SAY TO HIS 9-YEAR-OLD SELF? IT'S NOT AS BAD AS YOU THINK IT IS. IT'S GOING TO GET A LOT BETTER. 9-YEAR-OLD JEFFREY NEEDED A LOT MORE FROM HIMSELF THAN HE GAVE HIMSELF. AND I WASN'T WILLING TO GIVE ME SELF THE HELP I NEEDED, AND NOW I AM. I'M SO MUCH HAPPIER WITH IT. THERE IS A GENDER DISTINCTION HERE TOO, BOYS ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD AND OFTEN GIRLS END UP GOING UNDIAGNOSED AS A RESULT. ADD AND ADHD, THEY'RE THE SAME THING, NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE HYPERACTIVITY PORTION OF IT, BUT OFTENTIMES BOYS TEND TO ACT OUT MORE ON THE HYPER PART, SO THEY'RE MORE IN THIBLE IN CLASS. GIRLS TEND TO DAY DREAM MORE, BUT THEY DON'T ACT OUT, SO THE TEACHERS DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW. AND THEY'RE JUST UNDERACHIEVERS.

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