Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

September 19, 2005

Recently I was telling a friend, who is a psychic and therapist, about someone I had been dealing who has a very annoying habit. The person in question is a woman in her 30's, very nice and helpful, no attitude, educated, and seemingly balanced, yet when she would tell me she was going to call me, or make other future plans, she would forget. I quickly ended the friendship, as my time is valuable, particularly as I am such a time oriented person.

My friend explained that it may not necessarily be the woman's fault. She seems to be displaying symptoms of ADHD, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a chemical imbalance in the brain, in which the brain often does not process time correctly, and if the woman is busy, she would forget. It's all about the ability of the brain to focus. Once recognized, the person can be treated, or can find ways around this disorder, in other areas of their life that require focus and proper attention.

ADHD is considered by some to be a problem in the industrialized world, although in no other country are children diagnosed with this disorder as often as in the United States. But there are 2 things to consider.

1. Americans are into healing issues and have become more aware of mental illnesses and learning disorders, so children can grow up and function.

2. We realize the genetic predisposition to ADD and other disorders.

I researched ADD / ADHD / AADD in Wikipedia. This is a growing field with new information bringing better diagnosis and treatment each year.

One more thing .. please do not label, or view, these children as 'Indigo Children', enlightened, so therefore they cannot function normally, or use any other metaphysical expression that masks their challenges. Indigo, Schmindigo! I read alleged Indigo Children and their often overprotective parents.

Everyone wants to be more spiritually evolved, or have children who are special, but this is the physical plane and must be addressed as such. I taught Special Ed for many years. I know the patterns.

Parents tell me their children are more sensitive, loners, and seemingly more intuitive, but at the end of the day, they are in the norm when it comes to spirituality. These children are not here to bring the planet into its new evolution any more than other children, and often lose their so-called 'special abilities' as they grow up and must function in the world of 3D.

Recognize limitations, psychological, psychiatric and behavioral problems, and address them for what they are. Then determine a course of action that best works for that soul. It is the only way to create balance. There are degrees of ADD. An evaluation will determine the correct course of action. I am not saying this is easy, there are many challenges are, but it is treatable.

If you are adult who cannot get, or hold down a job, have problems focusing, thinking, making decisions, and so on, please find out the nature of the problem. It may be ADHD.

The official definitions of ADHD according to the US Surgeon General and ICD-9-CM (International Classification of Disease Revised Edition 2005) is a neurological deficit classified as "metabolic encephalopathy" affecting the release and homeostasis of neurological chemicals and the functioning of the limbic system.

The official definition of ADHD found in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR), defines three subtypes of ADHD:

Predominantly Inattentive
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive
Combined Type

Although most diagnoses of ADHD are made for children, the DSM definitions of ADHD do not confine the disorder solely to childhood and in fact many adults are also diagnosed. Current theory holds that approximately 30% of children diagnosed retain the disorder as adults. Although the disorder may not have been diagnosed in an individual during childhood, it is also currently thought that all adults with Adult attention-deficit disorder (AADD) had it in childhood. Hyperactivity and other symptoms may be less noticeable in adults with ADD/ADHD who have learned better coping skills and other forms of adaptive behavior than they had as children. Particularly in adults, studies have shown a high correlation between ADHD and creativity. Many painters and performing artists seem to show significant evidence of ADHD, particularly those drawn to improvisational humor and stand up comedy. ADHD can lead to underachievement among some people when not given the right support and attention.

There is not yet a naming consensus. Below are listed several terms that have been used, past and present. One challenge in taxonomy is that some patterns of behavior are labeled by experts symptoms or sub-types of ADHD, while other experts label those same patterns as their own disorders, independent of ADHD. For the purposes of this article, the "Terminology" section will be used only to name ADHD and its near equivalents, while the names for its manifestations and subtypes will be listed in 'Symptoms', below.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): In 1987, ADD was in effect renamed to ADHD in the DSM-III-R. In it, ADHD was broken down into three subtypes:
- predominantly inattentive ADHD
- predominantly hyperactive-impulsive ADHD
- combined type ADHD
Attention deficit disorder (ADD): This term was first introduced in DSM-III, the 1980 edition. Is considered by some to be obsolete, and by others to be a synonym for the predominantly inattentive type of ADHD.
Attention-deficit syndrome (ADS): Equivalent to ADHD, but used to avoid the connotations of "disorder".
Hyperkinetic syndrome (HKS): Equivalent to ADHD, but largely obsolete in the United States, still used in some places world wide.
Minimal cerebral dysfunction (MCD): Equivalent to ADHD, but largely obsolete in the United States, though still commonly used internationally.
Minimal brain dysfunction or Minimal brain damage (MBD): Similar to ADHD, now obsolete.

The exact cause(s) of ADHD are not conclusively known. Scientific evidence suggests most strongly that, in many cases, the disorder is genetically transmitted and is caused by an imbalance or deficiency in certain chemicals that regulate the efficiency with which the brain controls behavior.

A 1990 study at the US National Institute of Mental Health correlated ADHD with a series of metabolic abnormalities in the brain, providing further evidence that ADHD is a neurological disorder. While heredity is often indicated, some believe that problems in prenatal development, birth complications, or later neurological damage may contribute to ADHD, although no satisfactory proof exists for this.