What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that usually includes a combination of issues relative to maintaining focus and attention, impulsiveness, and/or hyperactivity. Symptoms of ADHD may become apparent in childhood as parents struggle to re-direct their children or to help them with their impulsive actions. In other cases, people may remain undiagnosed until late adolescence or even adulthood due to symptoms being explained away as something that an individual will “grow out of”. Delaying diagnosis and ADHD treatment may have a negative impact on an individual’s ability to perform well at school, socially, or in their chosen career. At Agave Psychiatry our team of skilled clinicians understands the importance of an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
6-8% of the population suffers from ADHD
Children and Adolescents with ADHD
Almost all children and teens will experience occasional symptoms of poor attention, impulsiveness, or hyperactivity. However, the presence of these symptoms must be interfering with functioning in multiple places (school, home) in order to have a diagnosis of ADHD. Some children will outgrow their symptoms but they may continue to impact people when they become adults. Children who display symptoms of ADHD may have difficulty making friends or keeping their friendships because they frequently struggle with following rules, making inappropriate comments, or controlling outbursts.
Their performance in school may be negatively impacted by losing assignments, difficulty studying due to issues with maintaining focus, and struggles retaining information despite making a good effort. This is frustrating for parents and teachers who may believe that a child or teen is not engaged in class or “they just don’t care enough”. It is important to realize that individuals with ADHD do not have a lower IQ than their peers and that their academic, social, and work-related issues are potentially due to the symptoms they are experiencing.
There are three main classifications of ADHD:
ADHD, Inattentive and Distractible Type:
This classification of ADHD will be noticeable as there will be issues with forgetfulness, short attention spans, and becoming easily distracted by seemingly harmless stimuli. It may appear that there are poor study habits and organizational abilities.
ADHD, Impulsive / Hyperactive Type:
Hyperactivity is typically seen in kids by the time they are 7 years old. These kids find it very difficult to “just sit still” and may make impulsive decisions without considering if there will be any negative consequences for their actions. Boys are up to 3 times more likely to have hyperactive or combined type ADHD symptoms.
ADHD, Combined Type:
This diagnosis requires people to display symptoms of both ADHD types. There will be elements of impulsive and hyperactive behaviors as well as periods of distractibility and inattention.
What Causes ADHD?
ADHD has a genetic component, which means that it tends to run in families. Some parents will realize in hindsight that they also had symptoms of ADHD that may have played a role in issues learning or interacting with others earlier in their lives. It is a biological, brain-based disorder but a specific cause for ADHD has not been found.
Common Symptoms of ADHD include:
- The inability to sit still for prolonged periods of time
- The inability to sit still in a calm environment
- Difficulty engaging in quiet activities
- Constant fidgeting
- Absent-mindedness
- Forgetfulness
- Excessive talking
- Inattentiveness on a task
- Lack of organization
- Becoming easily distracted
- Difficulty listening to or following instructions
- Excessive movement
- Inability to wait their turn
- Acting without thinking
- Impulsivity in action or speech
- Inability to correctly assess danger/ Lack of a sense of danger
- Interrupting conversations
- Short attention span
- The decline in performance at school or work
- Easily excitable
- Constantly energetic
- Lack of restraint
- Emotional outbursts of any kind (anger, excitement, etc)
- Irritability
- Aggression
- Becoming easily bored
- Unpredictable mood swings
- Frequent repetition of words or phrases
- Self-focused behavior
Adults and ADHD
There are a large number of people who have lived for many years with symptoms of ADHD without a formal diagnosis. Although ADHD is considered a childhood disorder (meaning symptoms were first present as a child), many factors may have prevented people from being evaluated by a psychiatrist or other mental health professionals. Some families were against having their children formally assessed for the ADHD-related symptoms they were enduring. Unfortunately, this may have led to long-term issues. Others were able to ways to limit their struggles. This includes high-functioning professionals who were able to “find a way around my issues in school”. We treat a number of adults who have found great benefits with the treatment options that are available.
Adults with ADHD typically experience issues with focus, and concentration, completing tasks on time, and becoming easily distracted. Adults with ADHD are also more likely to suffer from anxiety, insomnia, and periods of irritability.
Evaluation and ADHD Treatment
Our psychiatrists evaluate each patient individually with a combination of a clinical interview, comprehensive history of symptoms, and in-depth screening tools. Patients may also complete neuropsychological testing in order to arrive at the proper diagnosis and guide ADHD treatment options. When appropriate, medications utilized for the treatment of ADHD have very high response rates and this allows patients to optimize their performance at work and school and improve their personal relationships at home.
Begin Online ADHD Treatment in Arizona
ADHD can impact every aspect of your life, making it impossible to function normally. However, there is hope. If you are struggling with the symptoms of ADHD our team of skilled clinicians is here to help you understand and manage them effectively. At Agave Psychiatry we are committed to providing the best quality care to our clients so they can move forward with their lives in a positive and meaningful way. Follow the steps below to get started on your journey to healing.
- Get to know our skilled team of Clinicians here.
- Fill out our convenient online mental health contact form here.
- Begin your journey to healing!
Other Online Mental Health Services offered at Agave Psychiatry
In addition to anxiety treatment, we also offer a wide variety of other mental health services. These include treatment for Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia, PTSD, Eating Disorders, and Nutritional Psychiatry. In fact, we offer online treatment for both adults and children, and adolescents in the state of Arizona.
