The Effect of ADHD on The Life of an Individual

ADHD is a very complex disorder. The best way to describe it is by thinking of it in this example. Say you’re driving on a racetrack in a bright yellow sports car. It’s flying around the corners, speeding by every car, fast and super low to the ground, but it has no brakes. It can stop when the driver wants to. It can shift to a lower speed. It could even fly of the track or possibly crash. One thing is for sure it will definitely have a hard time showing to everyone what it really can do. If you have attention deficit disorder you may be like that bright yellow sports car. You have a great engine with lots of strong thinking power, plus a good strong body but your brakes may not always work so well. You might not be able to keep still, stay focused, or stop yourself from doing something, even when you know you should be stopping.

What Is ADHD?

So the question is what exactly is ADHD? Not everyone is going to have the same type of attention deficit disorder. A person with ADHD could have any or all of the following problems:

• Difficulty paying attention
• Problems focusing on just one thing at a time
• Difficulty holding still
• Trouble thinking before they act
• Difficulty keeping track of things
• Trouble learning in school

People who work with kids with attention disorders have named three different types of ADHD depending on which problems cause the most trouble for the kids. This is the reason why some kids have APP or attention deficit disorder while others have ADHD, which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These kids have different types of problems. There are a bunch of different types of attention disorders. One type is called inattentive type; this is for the kids who have difficulty staying focused on a task. Another type is called hyperactive, this is made up of kids who have a hard time of keeping still and often times will act before they think. The last type is where the kid has a mix of all of these problems. This type is called the combined type.

Inattention

For some people they have a hard time of paying attention to one thing for more than a few minutes, these people have what is called a short attention span. This is labeled as inattention. However if you only have problems in this area and are not hyperactive you have attention deficit disorder, which is the inattentive type. Struggling to pay attention can really affect your home and school life. Problems with attention may cause problems like taking a lot longer to finish assignments or tasks. It can also cause you to miss important directions and leave you left in the dark. Or it can cause you to not understand what was said in class because you were busy talking with your friends. The best thing to suggest here is try and find a subject that interests you so you will be almost forced to concentrate more on that subject because you are actually interested in learning more about it.

Distractibility

Kids with ADHD have a lot more trouble focusing on just one thing. Unrelated ideas, sights and sounds always tend to interrupt their focus. This is called distractibility. Say for example you are taking a science test thoughts about a football game tonight, lunch, or another activity may keep you from concentrating on the test. It can be really hard for these kids to listen to the teacher when so many other distractions are around them. For example instead of doing what you should be doing which is listening to the teacher you are watching the birds and the squirrels outside, or your talking to your friends or your fidgeting with your pencil on your desk. This can make it very hard for the student to learn. When all of these different thoughts keep crossing your head it makes it really hard to just focus on one task at a time.

Hyperactivity

For kids who are hyperactive it may be very difficult for them to keep still. They always have to be moving. The hardest thing to do for them is to be sitting in one specific place for a long period of time; it can make them feel restless. They definitely feel better when they can stand up and fidget and move around the room. Not being able to move makes them feel upset, tired, sleepy or anxious.

Impulsivity

For kids with impulsivity they may say or do things without thinking first. For example you might ride your bike through your neighbors garden or start an assignment without hearing all the directions, interrupt other people or say the first thing that pops into your head. Basically with this impulsivity they forget to think before they act. This can make things very difficult for the people around them.

Disorganization

Some kids with ADHD may be disorganized. If you are disorganized you are likely to misplace things, forget about due dates and appointment times or tasks you have to accomplish before the day is over. You may also lose things a lot more than the other kids do. You likely will be really bad at managing time. So you often might be running to your bus in the morning because you forgot to set your alarm. You also might turn in late homework assignments. Or you might procrastinate to the last minute to turn in your homework. So when you get your assignments back you will likely receive a bad grade.

Learning Difficulties

Because of all of these types of attention disorders kids with ADHD usually have trouble in school. They usually have difficulty in reading, writing and math. These kids do have the full potential of the other kids. They just might need a little extra help. A good option would be for them to study with a private tutor or coach after school. These kids are just as smart as the other kids they just need a little extra help to help them concentrate better on their school work.

Ok so by now you all have seen the effects that ADHD has on the brain. So what can you do to manage it? If you do suffer from ADHD there are many things you can do to make life easier for you. You have to realize it takes teamwork. You can do some steps to control ADHD by yourself, but there are also so many people who can help you. You need to work with your parents, teachers, doctors, and other professionals to treat your ADHD. To help manage it you may need to learn to interact with others in new ways. You should also try exercises to help you control your stress. The specialists can help you come up with different ways to treat your ADHD. Some specialists may suggest medication to improve your attention. You can also try and talk to a counselor or even a therapist. You can also meet with a learning specialist or resource teacher or a tutor when you’re not in school. The child can personally take care of himself by exercising a lot, and by eating healthy. You can try and control your anger, which will help with your stress. Teachers can help with your organization skills, which will help with your focus and schoolwork in class. So its obvious ADHD is a very difficult disorder. However if you work with the people around you they can help you manage your ADHD, which will make a positive difference in your life. Just because you have ADHD doesn’t mean your life is over. If you can get it under control you can still get back to living the best life that you possibly can live.