Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a frequent and persistent pattern of anger, irritability, arguing, defiance or vindictiveness toward parents and other authority figures by a child or teen. Parents should be aware that there are a number of persistent myths about ODD that can cause children with the condition to become stigmatized and make treatment more difficult.
In addition to the typical cognitive burden that ADHD can bring, women with ADHD also have to deal with an ever fluctuating hormone environment. Changes in estrogen can intensify the symptoms of ADHD, particularly during the menstrual cycle, puberty and menopause. It is important for women diagnosed with ADHD to be aware of how estrogen affects their condition, and to take steps to lessen the impact.
For many years, ADHD was believed to be a childhood issue that mostly affected boys. But as our knowledge of ADHD has grown, we now know that girls are just as likely to have it as boys. The fact that boys are more frequently diagnosed may be due to the differences between how girls and boys experience ADHD. Here are some tips for recognizing ADHD in girls.
ADHD can lead to overeating and excessive weight gain. Over time, this can result in other health problems. However, the food and exercise routines you build as part of an informed dieting plan can keep you in good health throughout your life. Here are some tips for building a weight loss plan you can stick with.
The landscape of ADHD diagnosis and treatment continues to shift as our understanding of the condition improves. Here are some of the latest facts about ADHD reported by the CDC and other organizations. As these facts show, ADHD is a serious medical condition that merits more investment in research and treatment.
Multitasking, or rapidly switching your attention from one task to another and then back again, was once heralded as a necessary survival skill for our fast-paced world. But research has shown that multitasking doesn’t work for cognitively demanding tasks. For the ADHD brain – which craves stimulation and can become easily bored – multitasking is a temptation to be avoided, especially at work. Learning to be a “single-tasker” can make your daily living both more productive and less stressful.
Individual with ADHD can struggle with cognitive issues. So-called “brain training” games or apps have been offered as one way for them to improve concentration, organization skills, and memory. Part of the key to success with these tools is knowing which ones work best for your situation, and how to use them to maximum advantage. Here are some tips for getting the most out of brain training apps.
Does having ADHD put you at higher risk of dying prematurely? Recent research suggests having ADHD can significantly shorten your life. Dr. Russell Barkley, an ADHD expert, has cast this as a serious public health issue that needs to be addressed through better education, evidence-based treatment interventions and lifetime monitoring. The importance and urgency of addressing ADHD as a public health concern have become higher as more children are diagnosed with ADHD.
The holiday season is here and the holiday marketing push has begun in earnest. We are all susceptible to spending more than we should during the holidays, but the impulsive, quick reacting nature of ADHD makes impulse buying all the more tempting. If you have ADHD and find yourself being pulled into a spending vortex, here are some tips that can help – not just during the holiday season, but throughout the year.
The internet has evolved into a wonderfully useful medium for learning new things, staying up on the news, shopping, and keeping in touch with friends on social media. For individuals with ADHD, it provides instant rewards, lots of stimulation, and an almost infinite variety of things to explore. But it can draw the ADHD brain into an endless rabbit hole where significant amounts of unproductive time is spent. Here are some tips you can use to help keep your Internet usage in check.
