Children with ADHD are at increased risk for mental, behavioral, and emotional concerns and disorders, such as: Behavior disorders, which may increase the risk of interpersonal violence and delinquent behavior. Learn about youth violence prevention. Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Some of the difficult or risky behaviors related to ADHD include: Trouble getting motivated or finishing tasks (either at work or at home) Being late or not following through on commitments, appointments, or responsibilities. Impulsive spending or overspending.
Many children (perhaps as many as half) will outgrow their symptoms but others do not, so ADHD can affect a person into adulthood. 2. There are different types of ADHD: predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation; predominantly inattentive presentation; combined presentation.
“In evaluating the health consequences of ADHD over time, we found that ADHD adversely affects every aspect of quality of life and longevity. This is due to the inherent deficiencies in self-regulation associated with ADHD that lead to poor self-care and impulsive, high-risk behavior.
Adults diagnosed with ADHD often blame themselves for their problems or view themselves in a negative light. This can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety, or depression.
ADHD throughout the lifespan
Children with ADHD are at risk for potentially serious problems in adolescence and adulthood: academic failure or delays, driving problems, difficulties with peers and social situations, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse.
For example, people with ADHD are more easily distracted than people who don't have it. ADHD can make it harder to focus, listen well, wait, or take your time. Having ADHD affects a person at school, at home, and with friends.
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
Previous research has shown that school-aged children with ADHD walk with higher gait variability compared to controls (Leitner et al., 2007; Papadopoulos et al., 2014; Manicolo et al., 2016), indicating a less regular walking pattern in children with ADHD compared to typically developing children.
ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
“A person with ADHD must show that the ADHD symptoms substantially limit one or more major life activities, such as thinking, working, seeing, breathing, [or] walking,” he adds. The level of accommodations or benefits a person with ADHD may receive ranges depending on the severity of a person's ADHD.
Untreated ADHD in adults can lead to mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. This is because ADHD symptoms can lead to focus, concentration, and impulsivity problems. When these problems are not managed effectively, they can lead to feelings of frustration, irritability, and low self-esteem.
Some of the common foods that can cause ADHD reactions include milk, chocolate, soy, wheat, eggs, beans, corn, tomatoes, grapes, and oranges. If you suspect a food sensitivity may be contributing to your child's ADHD symptoms, talk to your ADHD dietitian or doctor about trying an elimination diet.
ADHD can reduce life expectancy by as much as 13 years, but its risk is reversible.
ADHD: a disabling condition
It is recognized as a disability under the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act.
The ADHD nervous system is overwhelmed by life experiences because its intensity is so high. The ADHD nervous system is rarely at rest. It wants to be engaged in something interesting and challenging. Attention is never “deficit.” It is always excessive, constantly occupied with internal reveries and engagements.
ADHD does qualify as a disability, provided that the impairment is severe enough. Many cases of ADHD are mild or moderate in nature. With multi-modal treatment, the majority of those affected can live happy and fulfilling lives.
Genetics. ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
People with ADHD will have at least two or three of the following challenges: difficulty staying on task, paying attention, daydreaming or tuning out, organizational issues, and hyper-focus, which causes us to lose track of time. ADHD-ers are often highly sensitive and empathic.