Clinicians and researchers have long known that individuals with ADHD are more prone to engaging in risky behaviors such as smoking, gambling, substance abuse and unprotected sex. New studies show that adults with ADHD may engage in more risky behavior because of an exaggerated sense of benefit and a lessened ability to understand the consequences.
If you have an ADHD child who is on a treatment plan that involves taking stimulant medications, you may face a vexing decision when summer vacation arrives. That is, whether to give your kid a “drug holiday” – discontinuing their medication during the summer break from school. There are many factors to consider when contemplating a summer drug holiday for your ADHD child. Be sure to give it as much consideration as you did when starting the medication treatment in the first place.
Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer, best known for.his highly energetic slapstick performances. By any measure, he has achieved fame and success in his acting career. In fact, his is an almost classic story of rising from near poverty to comparative wealth. Carrey’s story is an inspiring example of how the “gift of ADHD” – its super powers – can be used to achieve a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Most of us are aware of the benefits of exercise for our bodies. But it is also great for your brain. For individuals with ADHD, exercise can help them focus and leads to changes in the brain that are comparable to the effects of medications used to treat ADHD. The benefits are well worth the effort and can augment other forms of treatment for your ADHD symptoms.
Many adults can have ADHD without even realizing it. These individuals may have all the typical symptoms of ADHD, but found ways to cope with them and get through life without major issues. This is known as “high functioning” ADHD. Here are some of the symptoms that characterize adult, high functioning ADHD.
A gap year is simply a break either before or during college. It is a time when students take a break from formal education to do activities like travel, volunteer, study, intern, work, perform or research. The increased maturity, self-confidence and life experience that a gap year can confer, especially for a student with ADHD, is well worth the investment if it means a better chance for your child to succeed in college and, later, in a career.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a condition where a child is almost always angry, frustrated and defiant toward authority figures. The exact causes of ODD are not known, but it occurs more frequently in families with a history of ADHD. There are many effective treatments for ODD, and strategies that parents can use to lessen the severity of symptoms and their negative impacts both within and outside the home.
Many parents who have children with ADHD may wonder how the symptoms will change as their child gets older. Will they get worse, diminish, or just change into something different. Researchers have studied this question and come up with a kind of roadmap for how ADHD symptoms are likely to change, on average, with age.
Findings from several recent studies suggest that certain aspects of ADHD can be improved with at-home computer interventions. This comes as welcome news to children, who adapt easily to mobile devices, and to parents who seek alternatives to drugs that have limited effectiveness and adverse effects. These studies provide encouraging evidence that video game technology might one day be used as part of an ADHD treatment regime.
Recent studies have suggesed that the incidence of substance misuse can be higher among those with ADHD relative to the general population. Appropriate treatment of ADHD symptoms with medication and behavior therapy may, however, reduce the risk of development of substance use disorders. An important part of ADHD treatment and stimulant medication management includes screening for substance use disorders and providing guidance around the appropriate and safe use of stimulant medications.
