I've
been wanting to start a blog for quite some time now. I finally have a few
minutes it get the ball rolling! This is a blog with medical information, but
is meant for informational & entertainment purposes only and is not
intended as medical advice. Please contact your doctor, or better yet, your
nurse practitioner, for medical advice, because after all, you pay them, not me.
My inaugural blog is not in my practice specialty area, but is something I have learned a lot about through personal experience. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a disease process I never imagined I would have to learn so much about. After all, I practice geriatric dermatology & work as a nurse educator. However, it is my lovely, sweet daughter that has led to my need to acquire a vast amount of knowledge on this disease process. It would be time wasted if I did not try to impart this knowledge on to others. So here we go...
It is a common misconception that the only issue or the most significant issue of those with ADD is inattention. There are five main presenting symptoms with ADD. They are; short attention span, poor impulse control, disorganization, procrastination, and distractibility. We'll discuss more about these in future blogs.
The disease process would actually be quite easy to manage if the problem stopped with these symptoms. But as those with ADD can tell you, these symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg.
Did you know that kids with ADD are 30% developmentally behind their peers? This obviously makes school an incredibly complex situation since they are expected to learn at the same pace & the same material as their non-ADD peers (forget about excelling, these kids struggle to keep up!). Additionally, they are about 1 1/2 years behind peers socially as well, which can lead to social issues & isolation. They have a deficit in higher level functioning and struggle day to day because of this.
What about the high incidence of overwhelming anxiety those with ADD struggle with? There is an extremely high rate of substance abuse in these individuals, not so they can feel 'high' but so they can feel 'normal'. Let us not forget to discuss depression these ADD individuals deal with as well. We're not talking 'I've got the blues today' type of depression, but the 'I can't stop thinking about killing myself and I don't know why' type of depression. Let that thought resonate in your mind for a few minutes.
In addition to the suicidal thoughts and ideations a person with ADD may have, there's also often an issue with nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior common in particular in girls with ADD. You know, cutting, eating disorders, burning her own skin, the list goes on and on. If only inattention were these young ladies' biggest issue.
Did you know that by the time a child with ADD reaches the age of 12, he/she has experienced more than 20,000 additional negative messages than their non-ADD counterparts? I wonder what this does to the child's fragile self-esteem. No wonder they want to hurt themselves.
What about the incidence of other learning differences those with ADD experience? Dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, just to name a few! We've already touched on comorbid conditions associated with ADD, such as anxiety and depression, but did you know that about 20% or so of males with ADD also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder? More on that later...
If a child with ADD is lucky, they will have a parent who learns as much about the disease process as possible and will work hard to ensure the best care for their child. A parent can spend countless hours looking for psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and pediatricians who ‘treat’ the disease. There will be countless calls and emails to the school of the child ensuring the child's learning differences and needs are close to being met (which let me tell you, doesn't happen in a public school system). The hours spent researching alternative therapies, gluten free diet, elimination diet (who on Earth can do that?!?) disease pathology and evidence based medical treatments. Supplements, supplements & more supplements!!! I once had Nevia trying 6 different supplements at a time. I figured with that and a little bit of prayer she'd find relief of her symptoms without having to take a controlled substance. Unfortunately, neither the supplements nor the prayers worked.
What about the hours a child spends in tutoring, in therapy, at doctor's visits? Time (and money) one hopes is well spent, but realistically one often finds is not.
Oh, and we haven't even scratched the surface on medication! I'm sure every parent finds it easy to put their kid on a controlled substance that is HIGHLY abused by those who don't need it! Yes, after experiencing my child being on medication and not on medication, I can certainly see the benefit. Through researching medications I have found that meds like Focalin have been found to have a neuroprotective effect on those with ADD. Good news for them! Their symptoms may lessen years later after struggling through the side effects! I guess that is something to look forward to. But what about those kids with variations of ADD who react negatively to stimulants? Treatment needs to be individualized, but how often does this happen?
Through all of my reading of books, journal articles, websites, blogs, community forums, etc. the most useful information I have found about ADHD/ADD is from the ADHD Experts podcasts. In particular, listen to any podcast in which Dr. Ned Hollaway is speaking. He is a psychiatrist who has ADD & considers it a gift. He helped me see my daughter's ADD as a gift as well. Those with ADD are often the most creative, most loving people out there. They have bigger hearts than anyone can ever imagine. I've learned more about love, kindness, and generosity through my sweet daughter than I could have ever imagined possible.
I wish the 'lack of focus' issue was all a person with ADD dealt with. It sure does make the disease process seem a breeze! But any person with ADD & any parent of a child with ADD will tell you, that isn’t even the beginning.
Remember, we all lose focus and can be easily distracted at times. Merely exhibiting these symptoms does not equate to an ADD diagnosis. It’s a much more complex disease process. One I hope to continue to educate others on as I continue to educate myself.
My inaugural blog is not in my practice specialty area, but is something I have learned a lot about through personal experience. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a disease process I never imagined I would have to learn so much about. After all, I practice geriatric dermatology & work as a nurse educator. However, it is my lovely, sweet daughter that has led to my need to acquire a vast amount of knowledge on this disease process. It would be time wasted if I did not try to impart this knowledge on to others. So here we go...
It is a common misconception that the only issue or the most significant issue of those with ADD is inattention. There are five main presenting symptoms with ADD. They are; short attention span, poor impulse control, disorganization, procrastination, and distractibility. We'll discuss more about these in future blogs.
The disease process would actually be quite easy to manage if the problem stopped with these symptoms. But as those with ADD can tell you, these symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg.
Did you know that kids with ADD are 30% developmentally behind their peers? This obviously makes school an incredibly complex situation since they are expected to learn at the same pace & the same material as their non-ADD peers (forget about excelling, these kids struggle to keep up!). Additionally, they are about 1 1/2 years behind peers socially as well, which can lead to social issues & isolation. They have a deficit in higher level functioning and struggle day to day because of this.
What about the high incidence of overwhelming anxiety those with ADD struggle with? There is an extremely high rate of substance abuse in these individuals, not so they can feel 'high' but so they can feel 'normal'. Let us not forget to discuss depression these ADD individuals deal with as well. We're not talking 'I've got the blues today' type of depression, but the 'I can't stop thinking about killing myself and I don't know why' type of depression. Let that thought resonate in your mind for a few minutes.
In addition to the suicidal thoughts and ideations a person with ADD may have, there's also often an issue with nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior common in particular in girls with ADD. You know, cutting, eating disorders, burning her own skin, the list goes on and on. If only inattention were these young ladies' biggest issue.
Did you know that by the time a child with ADD reaches the age of 12, he/she has experienced more than 20,000 additional negative messages than their non-ADD counterparts? I wonder what this does to the child's fragile self-esteem. No wonder they want to hurt themselves.
What about the incidence of other learning differences those with ADD experience? Dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, just to name a few! We've already touched on comorbid conditions associated with ADD, such as anxiety and depression, but did you know that about 20% or so of males with ADD also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder? More on that later...
If a child with ADD is lucky, they will have a parent who learns as much about the disease process as possible and will work hard to ensure the best care for their child. A parent can spend countless hours looking for psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and pediatricians who ‘treat’ the disease. There will be countless calls and emails to the school of the child ensuring the child's learning differences and needs are close to being met (which let me tell you, doesn't happen in a public school system). The hours spent researching alternative therapies, gluten free diet, elimination diet (who on Earth can do that?!?) disease pathology and evidence based medical treatments. Supplements, supplements & more supplements!!! I once had Nevia trying 6 different supplements at a time. I figured with that and a little bit of prayer she'd find relief of her symptoms without having to take a controlled substance. Unfortunately, neither the supplements nor the prayers worked.
What about the hours a child spends in tutoring, in therapy, at doctor's visits? Time (and money) one hopes is well spent, but realistically one often finds is not.
Oh, and we haven't even scratched the surface on medication! I'm sure every parent finds it easy to put their kid on a controlled substance that is HIGHLY abused by those who don't need it! Yes, after experiencing my child being on medication and not on medication, I can certainly see the benefit. Through researching medications I have found that meds like Focalin have been found to have a neuroprotective effect on those with ADD. Good news for them! Their symptoms may lessen years later after struggling through the side effects! I guess that is something to look forward to. But what about those kids with variations of ADD who react negatively to stimulants? Treatment needs to be individualized, but how often does this happen?
Through all of my reading of books, journal articles, websites, blogs, community forums, etc. the most useful information I have found about ADHD/ADD is from the ADHD Experts podcasts. In particular, listen to any podcast in which Dr. Ned Hollaway is speaking. He is a psychiatrist who has ADD & considers it a gift. He helped me see my daughter's ADD as a gift as well. Those with ADD are often the most creative, most loving people out there. They have bigger hearts than anyone can ever imagine. I've learned more about love, kindness, and generosity through my sweet daughter than I could have ever imagined possible.
I wish the 'lack of focus' issue was all a person with ADD dealt with. It sure does make the disease process seem a breeze! But any person with ADD & any parent of a child with ADD will tell you, that isn’t even the beginning.
Remember, we all lose focus and can be easily distracted at times. Merely exhibiting these symptoms does not equate to an ADD diagnosis. It’s a much more complex disease process. One I hope to continue to educate others on as I continue to educate myself.
Dr. Donna Poma Fife DNP, MS-ARNP
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