Ok so let's just drop the pronoun "I" so it wouldn't be like I'm sharing my own experience suffering from ADD (juse based on my own diagnosis :grin:)
As what mentioned in my previous post, ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder. It says that an adult must first have exhibited ADD symptoms as a child to consider him as an ADD person. After that the person must have:
1. Have attention span deficiency.
2. Have motor abnormalities.
3. Have at least two of the following symptoms: poor impulse control, low stress tolerance with emotional over-reaction to the stress, poor organization with poor task completion, extreme environment, or short, excessive temper.
(Source: Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults by Dr. Lynn Weiss, Dallas, Texas, USA., 1992)
From time to time, we all experience stress at least in a mild form as we go through life. Sometimes, we are distracted from the task at hand that would create some bad moods on the task without being well-organized. But for some person with ADD, it's not a matter of occassionally. It's a way of life.
Wow...so if I indeed have ADD, I should know how to control my temper as that is what usually Hubee complains a lot to me. Well, it doesn't look like I have one. He just can't stop doing things that would make me go crazy - ha! :grin:
So what what what causes ADD?
No one knows yet but research says it can be a genetic influences tend to be interrelated to environmental factors such as heavy metal - especially lead toxicity.
Hmmm...lead? In pencils? Makes more sense to me. I remember during my high school years there was an issue about pencils containing "lead". Oh geez, I hope nobody was totally affected by lead toxicity in that manner. During the 80's it was never brought up and every grade school in the Philippines are required to use pencils. They said that lead can severely affect the educational process of a student. Hmmm...is that why I flunked my grades in grade school?! Awww...
In the Philippines, if a child shows a poor performance in school, it means he's not really good in academics and he should be under tutorial/remedial classes and miss some of the fun stuffs enjoyed by his/her classmates. But here in the US it's different. They would think that a child needs help and evaluate what's wrong and why. And honestly, I never bothered to look for it til my Hubee told me I have poor attention span...or I just don't listen to him hehe!
Dr. Alan Zametkin hesitates to use the word "cause", a study by scientists at the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that a specific brain abnormality has been found in people with hyperactivity. Their brains seem to be less active, especially in areas controlling concentration and impulsive behavior. the results were seen in advance but not the final word.
I hate to use the "mental health" but looks like somebody here would be dealing with it more often...oh boy. Since ADD may be genetically transmitted, it is important that a family history be gathered for an accurate diagnosis.
Face it.
Why be concerned about it? It's stressful, really. If I do have ADD then I wish I would have found it earlier. It was never raised in the Philippines maybe because of the culture we have there. Or maybe it's just a small case compared to a more serious and big problems that should be dealt with such as teenage pregnancy, abortion, illegal drugs, and peer pressure. But I think anything that interferes with the educational process should be included in the watch list.
Research also says that those afflicted generally, but by no means always, perform poorly in school although they tend to be intelligent and creative.
So what's the good news?
Medications? Therapy? Well, yes, both exists but when accurate diagnosis is made, treatment raises an argument among professionals. The use of medication to children may not be as effective as to the adults. It's best to consult a therapist to manage it. Sorry folks, there's no cure for it. Can't eliminate it. It's a lifelong condition. They say people with ADD must develop a new self-image and adjust to that new self-image. This means ADD people must:
1. Assess how they have been doing and how they've been doing.
2. Make a list of traits they want to leave behind particularly the traits that cost a lot.
3. Make a list of the traits that they'd like to have or something that they admire in others.
4. Adopt those traits and look at the new identity as someone who has ADD and is working with it.
Overall, it's nothing to be sad about. Just think positive and hold your temper. That's what I do and will do :wink:
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