Whether you are a child or an adult, knowing the symptoms of ADHD can lead to timely access to a specialist, where ADHD can be diagnosed or dismissed as a disorder affecting thinking and behaviour. In the case of ADHD, untreated ADHD can lead to anxiety symptoms, depression and personality disorders in adulthood, but timely and effective ADHD treatment can bring excellent results, making daily life much easier.
ADHD symptoms
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a developmental disorder of the nervous system.
Symptoms of ADHD:
- attention deficit
- hyperactivity
- difficulty concentrating
- Anger attacks, aggression
- mood swings
Not all individuals with ADHD have all the ADHD symptoms, some have hyperactivity and others have attention deficit. Children with ADHD often have difficulty forming social relationships and controlling their emotional outbursts. They can’t „get” from one thing to another, they can’t organise, plan or concentrate on one thing. They move around too much and play with everything they can get their hands on.
The symptoms of ADHD in children and ADHD in adults are not the same, and diagnosing them is not easy, as it is not always easy for professionals to draw the line between what is normal, scattered, hyperactive, attention deficit and what is clearly associated with this subset of disorders.
For this reason, it is not easy to diagnose accurately, there can be ADHD overdiagnosis or ADHD underdiagnosis.
Child ADHD symptoms
The 3 leading symptoms of ADHD in children include:
- Attention deficit
- impulsivity
- hyperactivity
In general, they are also characterized by poorer organizational, systematic brain functions. Not everyone has all three symptoms, but most children with ADHD are of the combined type, where all three are dominant. When only attention deficit is present, it is called ADD, a subset of the ADHD spectrum.
What are the symptoms of adult ADHD?
As an adult, it is sometimes the case that adult ADHD is only diagnosed when someone’s child is diagnosed with ADHD and certain symptoms make the parent wonder if the child has inherited them and is struggling with the disorder, even if it has not been confirmed.
Symptoms of ADHD in adults include:
- Difficulty concentrating and paying attention
- distracted
- disorganized
- excessive preoccupation with an area of interest
- constant tardiness, time management problems
- thoughtless action
- emotional outbursts
- self-esteem
- anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- inner turmoil
ADHD symptoms in women include daydreaming and brooding, which can also manifest in childhood and is more common in girls than boys.
Diagnosis of ADHD
There are 3 main types of ADHD:
- predominantly attention deficit ADHD
- predominantly hyperactive-impulsive ADHD
- combined ADHD – this is the most common type of ADHD.
The prevalence of ADHD in childhood can be as high as 5-10% and in adulthood between 1.5-4%, although this is not entirely accurate as not all ADHD cases are diagnosed.
The diagnosis of ADHD is made in an ADHD outpatient clinic, a specialised ADHD outpatient clinic, where a paediatrician, teacher or child psychologist can refer the child if ADHD is suspected.
It is important that adult ADHD is also diagnosed, if present, so that it can be effectively treated and the individual with ADHD can live as full a life as possible. In addition, another major benefit of treated ADHD in adulthood is that there are fewer co-occurring depressive disorders and possible substance use disorders.
In the ADHD clinic, symptoms, severity of the associated dysfunction, possible associated psychiatric disorders are assessed.
It is usually carried out using structured diagnostic interviews, which are complemented by neuropsychological testing. A specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD establishes the diagnosis on the basis of given diagnostic criteria, for which parental cooperation or school documentation is very important in children.
How to diagnose ADHD in adults?
The diagnosis of ADHD in adults also requires the involvement of a professional and it can be said in general that if an adult patient has at least 5 attention deficit symptoms or 5 hyperactivity symptoms for at least 6 months, which have a detrimental effect on work performance, interpersonal relationships, a diagnosis of ADHD can be made.
There are drug and non-drug therapies for ADHD. Among the non-pharmacological therapies, biofeedback therapies, which can „rewire” brain function, behaviour and thinking, offer one of the most effective treatment methods.
It is important that the patient attends all the required biofeedback therapy sessions, which usually means 10-30 biofeedback sessions.
Treating the symptoms of ADHD
The treatment of ADHD symptoms often involves medication and possibly psychiatric treatment. Most people are looking for alternative methods of treating ADHD with the aim of greater effectiveness and the possibility of no or reduced medication.
Biofeedback therapies or neurofeedback therapies, which are available in our country, offer an innovative and effective treatment for ADHD symptoms.
Therapies using the state-of-the-art QUEX ED or QUEX S biofeedback devices are designed to balance the ADHD patient’s abnormal brain waves.
With the advent of EEG devices, the measurement of brain waves has created the possibility to detect and monitor brain dysfunction.
Biofeedback devices not only map brain waves and identify where they deviate from normal, but also train the brain to function in a painless, non-interfering way.
To balance the brainwaves, the biofeedback device runs a biofeedback protocol that requires intense concentration.
The child or adult with ADHD uses the power of their brain to control the computer animation running on the screen, moving the object or even stopping the movement. Only brain power is used for training, no pain, no medication, no keyboard or mouse.
Common misconceptions about ADHD
There are some misconceptions about ADHD that should not be treated as fact because they are not true.
Such ADHD misconceptions include:
- people with ADHD have lower intelligence: there is no correlation between ADHD and intelligence.
- children with ADHD are just uneducated: there is no correlation between the development of ADHD and parental education.
- ADHD is curable: no. ADHD symptoms can be alleviated, but they are lifelong.
- ADHD can be outgrown: No, it is more common for symptoms to be reduced by adulthood.
- ADHD sufferers cannot be successful in school, in life: Not true. ADHD can make you weaker in some areas and excel in others.