My main doctor, an internist, who I’ve gone to for over 30 years, just told me he has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). That kind of blew my mind. Didn’t exactly fit with my idea of what someone with ADHD grows up to be.
What are your impressions or stereotypes of symptoms for a person or child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
He knows I’m a writer and he encouraged me to write about this topic because while he knows from firsthand experience it is a real disorder, he also feels that meds are often over-prescribed for children today and that too many of us don’t know the wonderful gifts that having this “disorder” frequently brings with it.
What are your impressions or stereotypes of symptoms for a person or child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?
Medline Plus website, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health describes ADHD like this:
Is it hard for your child to sit still? Does your child act without thinking first? Does your child start but not finish things? If so, your child may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nearly everyone shows some of these behaviors at times, but ADHD lasts more than six months and causes problems in school, at home, and in social situations. ADHD is more common in boys than girls, and it affects 3-5 percent of children in the United States. The principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
If my doctor had told me on my very first visit to him that he has ADHD, I would have probably jumped off the examining table and run the other way. “Impulsive”—not so good in a doctor. Plus, his wisdom in telling me such a thing. Now, after 30 years, I take this news in stride. After all, he told me at last year’s physical that he had made bad grades as a child. “Trouble finishing things?” My doctor admitted that one recent summer he painted the many porch rails on the long porch surrounding three sides of his house but procrastinated a year to finish painting the steps to his porch.
It takes more than a column to delve into symptoms and causes of ADHD. There are ample books, pamphlets, and websites offering all kinds of description, diagnostic tools, and handles for coping so I won’t go into detail. Researchers suggest genetic, environmental, and physical causes (like brain injury, illness) among the causes. I know that many families struggle in frustration for years with symptoms and getting an accurate diagnosis. Experts also argue about the value of a diagnosis or label: if the child’s school records say ADHD, every squirm or impulsive act is blown out of portion. Plus, there are often side effects with some medications—some kids hate the way they feel on medication.
This topic first came up with my doctor because he had just discovered that one of his patients, a young adult, for whom he had been prescribing an amphetamine, was “double dipping”—getting the same medicine prescribed from more than one doctor. So in addition to the danger of becoming addicted—lying about what medications you are being prescribed can be a felony, according to my doctor. It is important to work in close consultation with a doctor about these behavior altering medications.
On the positive side, Darcy Andries came up with a listing of the “Positive aspects of ADHD and ADD” (attention deficit disorder). Here are just a few of the positive traits:
And many more. Ms. Andries notes that with a name that seems to focus on the “deficit disorder” it’s easy to “focus on all the negatives and problems that ADHD or ADD cause.” But, “There’s a reason it is ADD and not MINUS,” she quips. You can access the complete list at her website, http://darcy-andries.suite101.com/.
All of us have gifts and deficits. I’ll admit, as this article shows, that I had or have stereotypes to examine. We can all benefit from more understanding and education on ADHD and look to God for patience and wisdom to better know our children or ourselves.
For a free booklet on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from the National Institute of Mental Health in English or Spanish, write to Another Way, Box 22, Harrisonburg, VA 22803, or email melodied@mennomedia.org ">melodied@mennomedia.org
Melodie Davis, staff writer and producer for Third Way Media, is married and the mother of three children. She is the author of Whatever Happened to Dinner?and eight other books. Her column, "Another Way", also appears in newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.
