ADD/ ADHD

Young people can often be very impulsive with their decisions and actions. While adults tend to “multitask” so much to the point of falling behind in other responsibilities. Most of us say, “It comes with age.”

Partly, it does. External factors do come into play. However, whether you are at work, in school or at home,  persistent impulsivity and inattention can be very disruptive. If such traits do consistently cause interruptions in your daily life, chances are you or someone you know may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), formerly known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

It is a neurobehavioral disorder that is expressed in inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity or even a combination of both. This condition can mostly be seen among children of about 30% but even adults can be vulnerable to running from 25% to 40% around the world. To be diagnosed with ADHD, you could be exhibiting more than 5 symptoms of this condition since before 12 years old that interrupt with the different aspects of your daily life.

Gender-wise, girls with ADHD are typically seen as inattentive and depressed while boys are “understandably” impulsive and aggressive. However, the degree of ADHD traits can vary from one person to another as it also depends on the structure, chemical composition, and functioning of each brain.

ADHD does not worsen over time even if it is a life-long condition. However, you do need to get a lot of support to control some issues along the way like when you or your child, for instance, dives into hyperfocus. As ironic as it may sound, for someone with attention deficiency, you can also hyperfocus, that is, being in a really, really focused state (i.e. playing legos and video games). This is a good trait when you are working on a task; but, the problem comes up when you are forced to withdraw from such focus because you tend to get irrationally angry.

In addition, patience is not your cup of tea. It can be very difficult to control flashes of rage falling in line. Schedules can also become frustrating as it is often difficult to be in a place at the right time. Also, every now and then you might have offended a few friends or co-workers for wandering inside your head while they are talking to you.

Nevertheless, it can be used as a great advantage too. People with ADHD are known to be creative as they constantly search for new things to create; they can also be funny, smart and empathic. Continue reading below to find its causes and impacts and how the Tomatis® Method can help!

Research shows that ADHD is dominantly genetic/ hereditary. However, environmental factors still play a role such as:

> Prenatal exposure to alcohol, nicotine, and/or drugs

An NIAAA-funded study found a commonality between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Prenatal alcohol exposure is known to cause mental retardation and recently linked to ADHD. It decreased dopamine levels by 50% resulting in lesser brain activity. And it showed a possibility to persist into adulthood.

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risks of pregnancy complications, premature deliveries, and even miscarriage. Nicotine can greatly affect the brain. Worse, as ADHD runs in families, specifically, in those who are more likely to smoke.

> TV or video game violence

Images of television violence stimulate the fight-or-flight instinct. The viewer suppresses the emotion as it is absurd to react to TV/Video violence. Viewers are drawn back and forth on cycles of impulse and suppression. Once the set goes off, the stored up energy bursts forth in agitated or distress behavior.

Other factors include brain injury and exposure to lead or pesticide can increase its risks. Family stress (poverty and family conflict) is not a known cause of ADHD but can worsen the traits and symptoms of ADHD.

Generally, learners with ADD/ADHD are usually very intelligent, creative, and compassionate. However, they are labeled inappropriately. They must be properly diagnosed by a health professional to dismiss the idea towards this condition as being “nothing more than childhood exuberance and energy”. These are the most common signs of a child with ADD/ADHD.

> Easily forgetting names, instructions, numbers that have just been said
> Poor comprehension especially on lengthy passages
> Poor eye contact and social skills
> Distractability
> Poor attention to detail
> Not being able to sit still and either shake one’s legs, tapping, fidgeting, etc.
> Multitasking for most of the time
> Having incomplete tasks – always jumping from one task to another
> Works well with time pressure
> Easily put off when in groups – Other people’s ideas distract yours
> Usually indecisive
> Low self-esteem, depressed, anxious, and often defiant

Research shows that boys had greater levels of “hyperactivity symptoms and externalizing behaviors”. Boys tend to be more physically aggressive while girls focus their negativity inwards. This intrapersonal approach often results in low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Nevertheless, these and more tendencies can vary over time on a case-to-case basis.

People with ADHD showed non-operational of neural connections within the amygdala, a part of the brain (limbic system) largely responsible for emotional regulation. The current criteria for diagnosing people with ADHD/ADD, however, does not include emotional development. Nevertheless, more evidence-based studies prove that ADHD is directly linked to problems with emotional regulation.

A study in 2011 involved 216 children with ADHD and 142 siblings. About 47% of the children with ADHD exhibited emotional instability or also known as emotional lability. In psychiatry, emotional lability is characterized by involuntary emotional displays of mood that is often overly frequent and excessive. Poor executive functioning was also found among recent studies on individuals with ADHD. Executive functions include working memory, speech internalization or that silent speech you argue with yourself over a course of action; and self-control over your emotions.

A 2009 longitudinal study provided a follow-up report on the disruptive behaviours of children diagnosed with ADHD during childhood (aged 7-11 years) 10 years later. Increased levels of aggression with an increased emotionality in the form of anger were reported in the adolescents. For over a 3-year period, 227 youths with ADHD proved a link between ADHD symptoms, emotion regulation ability, and depressive symptoms. The study further suggested that emotional dysregulation was a “significant mechanism” underlying ADHD and depression.

There may be no single definition as to why ADHD among children and adults affect their emotions and vice-versa. However, the poor attention and impulse control are currently understood to lead a “premature exit” from the brain’s processes resulting in the dysregulation of emotions.