By: Rachel DeGrane
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the more well-known mental disorders. A person with ADHD has a brain that developed a little differently that the normal brain. The area of the brain that is most affected by ADHD is the frontal lobe. This section of the brain is responsible for things like memory, judgement, and motor skills.
There are two types of ADHD, inattentive, and hyperactive. Those with inattentive ADHD have difficulties paying attention, focusing, and staying organized, they can also easily become distracted. Those with hyperactive ADHD are fidgeting or constantly moving in a way that is not appropriate for the situation; they also have difficulties staying quiet and listening, and they often tend to jump into a conversation whenever a thought comes to their mind not waiting for someone to finish.
ADHD is a disorder that affects people of all ages. Once someone is diagnosed with ADHD it is typically something they will struggle with their entire life, but as they begin to understand their ADHD, they also learn how to manage it. ADHD is typically diagnosed in children around the age of seven, but it is not uncommon for a person to be diagnosed in adulthood. It is also shown that men are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than women are.
ADHD is most noticeable in an environment where a person is required to focus and complete tasks for a long period of time. For children, that place would be school which is why a lot of people with ADHD are diagnosed as a child. But if it is missed as a child, a person can also show signs of ADHD while working as an adult.
Studies show that ADHD is hereditary. If a parent has ADHD, their child is 50% more likely to also have ADHD. If a child has an older sibling with ADHD, the younger sibling is 30% more likely to have ADHD. Head injuries can also play a part in a person being diagnosed with ADHD. As mentioned above, ADHD mostly affects the frontal lobe. Therefore, if a person endures any type of head trauma to that region their likely hood of being diagnosed with ADHD is higher.
ADHD is just like any other mental disorder, with the proper treatment people who struggle with ADHD can live a relatively normal life. Next time you have an interaction with someone who has ADHD don’t think about the stereotypes associated with ADHD such as “They don’t know how to be quiet” or “It’s just an excuse so they don’t have to do work”. Look at them the same way you would look at anyone else and acknowledge that every person has their own struggle and living with ADHD may be theirs.