ADD is a mental disorder involving problems with concentration. It occurs primarily in children, but adults can also have a problem with it. A patient with ADD may experience many difficulties due to his disorders, including in family or professional life. How to Avoid ADD? Can adults with ADD be offered effective treatment?

What is ADD?

ADD (short for Attention Deficit Disorder) is attention deficit disorder.This problem is treated as a variant of ADHD, it is distinguished from this individual by the lack of motor hyperactivity or its appearance only in a slight amount.

Disturbances in attention are typically classified as problems affecting children. In fact, ADD occurs in both children and adults.

According to statistics, up to 6% of adult people may struggle with ADD.

ADD - attention deficit disorder: causes

Distraction disorders - even if they are recognized only in adulthood - begin much earlier. ADD actually begins in childhood, but the problem also persists throughout the patient's adulthood - it's not that after the age of 18, childhood attention deficit disorder goes away.

Then the childhood ADD simply transforms into adult ADD. Delays in diagnosing the disorder may result, for example, from the fact that ADD does not have such expressive symptoms as ADHD (in which it occurs, usually attracting a lot of attention, hyperactivity) - this is why sometimes the diagnosis of attention deficit disorders is made only in adults.

The unequivocal cause of ADD in children and adults has not been known to this day. It is believed that inherited genes may play a role in the pathogenesis of the disorder - it is noticeable that attention deficit disorder is more common in people whose families have experienced similar problems before.

The cause of attention deficit disorder in adults may also be disturbances in the number of neurotransmitters in the nervous system - such a hypothesis may be confirmed, for example, by the fact that drugs sometimes administered to ADD patients, affecting the concentration of neurotransmitters, can improve their psyche.

ADD - increasing factorsrisk of concentration and attention disorders

Scientists also mention some factors that may increase the risk of attention deficit disorder - potential phenomena related to the disorder are listed as:

  • the mother's use of psychoactive substances during pregnancy (e.g. drugs, alcohol) or smoking,
  • prematurity,
  • exposure of the patient to toxic substances (e.g. lead compounds).

ADD - attention deficit disorder: symptoms

A person with ADD can be a difficult partner in a relationship, and it's also hard to work with. The difficulties arise from problems related to attention deficit disorder in adults. They can be:

  1. Significant problems with concentration and attention:an ADD patient has difficulty focusing on an activity, but also staying focused while performing it. Problems of this nature lead to an individual being able to even complete his assigned tasks, but may not do so accurately, without giving any details. Concentration disorders related to ADD can also cause difficulties when listening to other people or later problems with remembering what those conversations were about.
  2. Problems with the organization of everyday life.A person suffering from ADD may have difficulty starting his duties - starting an activity may be postponed to an indefinite "later". Due to the difficulties with the organization and planning of their time, the patient may be late and still be late, in addition, people with ADD often have a tendency to lose various items, such as keys or documents.
  3. Difficulty performing multiple tasks at the same time.A patient with ADD experiences attention disorders on a daily basis - his attention is extremely easily distracted, so undertaking several tasks at the same time becomes practically impossible for him.
  4. Emotional disorders.In ADD, the patient may experience lowered self-esteem, but also experience various mood disorders. His mood can be shaky, and increased irritability may also be noticeable.

ADD - concentration and attention disorders: consequences

ADD is difficult not only for the struggling patient, but also for those around him. In a relationship, a person with ADD can often meet with his partner's complaints about forgetting, for example, to make purchases or pay bills despite repeated admonitions.

A person with ADD may also seem uninterested in talking to his partner because it is difficultit may be him to focus his attention on a longer-lasting conversation - such a situation can also cause many quarrels …

Difficulties in people with ADD also affect their professional lives. A patient with an attention deficit may forget about the supervisor's orders or perform assigned tasks inaccurately, in addition, the time of fulfilling obligations may be longer than if it would be undertaken by a person without ADD.

ADD can also lead to problems on educational grounds. Student with ADD - it is difficult to focus on the lecture, and problems related to concentration and attention disorders may also appear while taking exams.

It should be emphasized that ADD is not the only mental disorder of patients. Problems such as mood disorders (usually in the form of depressed mood) or anxiety disorders can also coexist with this entity. Due to family and professional problems experienced by people with ADD, the risk of using psychoactive substances is increased in this group of patients, as well as the risk of developing addiction to such substances.

ADD - concentration and attention disorders: recognition

The diagnosis of ADD in adults includes, first of all, a detailed medical history. During it, the patient is asked about the ailments he or she experiences - a big hint is the information that the problems appeared already in childhood. A helpful role in the diagnosis of ADD is played by specific scales used by psychiatrists and psychologists to assess the severity of attention deficit disorder.

Before a patient is diagnosed with ADD, it is necessary to rule out other possible causes for his symptoms. The differential diagnosis should take into account both psychiatric entities (such as, for example, depressive disorders, adaptation disorders or anxiety disorders) and somatic entities (such as brain damage, thyroid disorders or epileptic seizures).

ADD - concentration and attention disorders: treatment

ADD patients can take certain steps on their own that will help them in their day-to-day functioning. A helpful role in the organization of time may be played, for example, by the use of alarms on the phone, reminding you to perform an activity, or planning your day every morning. It is also important to get enough sleep and take care of the appearance of your surroundings - the mere order on the desk can help to focus attention, while a mess can definitely favor the appearance of disorders.

There are two methods of specialist ADD management in adults: psychotherapy andpharmacotherapy. Psychotherapy in ADD can be conducted using various techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) or family therapy.

Psychotherapeutic interactions seem to be the most advantageous option for ADD therapy because drugs, and yes - they can improve the condition of patients - however, their use may be associated with side effects. Therefore, pharmacotherapy for attention deficit disorder in adults is initiated only when the expected benefits outweigh the possible risks. In the treatment of ADD in adults, both stimulants (such as methylphenidate) and non-stimulants (such as atomoxetine) are used.

Bow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of medicine at the Medical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

Category:

Psychology