What is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)? Let's talk about these symptoms

Does your child never stay in one place? Does he/she constantly complain about not paying attention in class? Does he/she not finish the work he/she starts? Perhaps you have these symptoms in common? These may not be just mischief or laziness. Today we are talking about ADHD, a common but not fully understood condition among many people.

What exactly is ADHD?

The full name of ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder . Simply put, it is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects brain function. It is not a disease, but something that needs to be managed. There are three main areas of concern for people with this condition. They are:

1. Difficulty maintaining attention (Inattention)

2. Hyperactivity

3. Impulsivity

The important thing is that these traits do not all occur in the same way. Some people may have only one trait strong, while others may have a combination of all three. Also, these traits can begin in childhood and continue to some extent into adolescence and adulthood.

Let's talk about each of these characteristics separately, in a little more depth, with examples.

1. What is inattention?

This is one of the main symptoms of ADHD. It is characterized by difficulty focusing on one thing. The mind is easily distracted by various thoughts and things happening around it.

Imagine your child sitting down to do homework. Before five minutes have passed, they put down their pencil, look out the window, or get lost in a different world. No matter how much you tell them, they have a hard time getting back to work. Even if they start a task, they can't finish it and stop halfway.

This can affect adults in the same way.

• During a meeting at the office, my mind wanders.
• You start doing an important task, put it aside, and start ten more unimportant tasks, but you never finish a single one.
• I often forget where I put things like my keys, purse, and phone .
• Forgetting things like an appointment to see a doctor.
• It is very difficult to organize daily tasks.

2. What is hyperactivity?

When you see these people, it feels like they are a machine that is always running . It is very difficult to stay quiet and calm in one place.

This is very evident among young children:

• He can't sit still in his chair in class. He's always getting up and walking around, trying to get up from his chair, and fidgeting in his chair.
• They wave their legs, tap the table with the pen in their hand, and grab everything they can get their hands on.
• They are always running and playing.
• They talk continuously without any breaks.

This hyperactivity can manifest itself in a slightly different way in young and older people. Although they may not be running around like children, they still feel an intense restlessness . They find it difficult to sit still, watch a movie, read a book, or just be still. They feel like they always have to be doing something.

3. What is Impulsivity?

Simply put, this is acting before thinking. Doing things all at once without thinking about the consequences.

This characteristic can cause many problems in everyday life.

• They jump to answer a question before they have fully heard it.
• When others are talking, they suddenly jump in and interrupt.
• It's very difficult to be patient in a game, waiting in line for your turn.
• If it's a small child, he will suddenly snatch a toy from another child's hand, and when he gets angry, he will hit them.
• An adult says whatever comes to mind, without thinking about whether it will hurt the other person's feelings.
• When crossing the road, they jump onto the road without looking both ways.

This stubbornness makes it difficult for many people to make friends and maintain those friendships.

Other conditions that can co-occur with ADHD

ADHD rarely occurs alone. Often, it is accompanied by several other mental and behavioral problems. We call these 'coexisting conditions'.

For example:

• Learning Disabilities: Specific problems in reading, writing, or math.
• Depression: A persistent feeling of sadness and hopelessness.
• Anxiety: Unnecessary fear and uneasiness.
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Frequent opposition to adults, anger, and stubbornness.
• Conduct Disorder: Severe behavioral problems such as breaking rules and harming others.

Sometimes, the symptoms of other physical conditions can be similar to those of ADHD, so it is very dangerous to self-diagnose.

When should you see a doctor?

If you suspect that you or your child has any of the ADHD symptoms we've discussed, the best thing to do is to seek medical advice.

Typically, a pediatrician, psychiatrist, or child psychiatrist will be qualified to do this. He or she will listen to you and your child, and, if necessary, get information from teachers, and make an accurate diagnosis. They will then prescribe counseling, behavioral therapy, and, if necessary, medication to help manage the condition.

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