Attention all this is a-- SQUIRREL!

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder commonly found in children that shows them to have more extensive negative behaviors such as:

~fidgeting or cannot keep still

~forgets things

~impulse control issues

~have trouble with taking turns

~talk too much

~aggressive reactions

The DSM-5, my diagnostic manual, the criteria read as follows:

• Displays poor listening skills

• Loses and/or misplaces items needed to complete activities or tasks

• Sidetracked by external or unimportant stimuli

• Forgets daily activities • Diminished attention span

• Lacks ability to complete schoolwork and other assignments or to follow instructions

• Avoids or is disinclined to begin homework or activities requiring concentration

• Fails to focus on details and/or makes thoughtless mistakes in schoolwork or assignments

Hyperactive Symptoms:

• Squirms when seated or fidgets with feet/hands

• Marked restlessness that is difficult to control

• Appears to be driven by “a motor” or is often “on the go”

• Lacks ability to play and engage in leisure activities in a quiet manner

• Incapable of staying seated in class

• Overly talkative

Impulsive Symptoms:

• Difficulty waiting turn

• Interrupts or intrudes into conversations and activities of others

• Impulsively blurts out answers before questions completed

Additional Requirements

• Symptoms present prior to age 12 years

• Symptoms not better accounted for by a different psychiatric disorder (e.g., mood disorder, anxiety disorder) and do not occur exclusively during a psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia)

• Symptoms not exclusively a manifestation of oppositional behavior

Combined Type:

• Patient meets both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive criteria for the past 6 months

Predominantly Inattentive Type:

• Patient meets inattentive criterion, but not hyperactive/impulse criterion, for the past 6 months

Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive Type:

• Patient meets hyperactive/impulse criterion, but not inattentive criterion, for the past 6 months

Symptoms may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on symptom severity

Inattentive Presentation

-this type has a hard time finishing a task given and cannot pay attention to details as well, they also struggle to participate in conversations either focusing on it or being the talker. So basically…

Hyperactive Presentation

-this person talks for long periods of time and has a hard time sitting still for any task, they feel restless and have trouble with impulse control. They will also have a tendency to interrupt others- like a LOT. Or speak at inappropriate times- like maybe in the middle of your damn sentence. This person will be more likely to have accidents and injuries because they struggle to control their quick, impulsive actions, which often times looks like…

Combined Presentation

-think of both of the above people getting together on a date night, sharing pasta, getting lost in the moment with wine, and they do a little dance… make a little love… and then you meet the bundle of joy combine presentation of several or all of the above symptoms.

What are the options for treatment?

Therapy

The Mayo Clinic (no not Helman’s) states that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychoeducation are two of the big-ticket items as possible first steps in treatment. Once you obtain that, working with the therapist to be able to understand what the options are and what will help you help yourself or help your loved one. For children, parents learning the support tools and really reinforcing what you learn is going to be KEY. I have worked with so many families who do not understand this piece and then when the therapist or counselor discharges, they do not keep the tools up that they have been given and then the negative behaviors come in and then many panic and just ask us to “fix their children” when it has to be a team effort. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps you become aware of negative thoughts, review whatever that challenging situation is and work on responding to it in an appropriate way. This is a common form of therapy that can be used for a lot of different things and can be adapted to be utilized in a person-centered treatment.

Diet and natural options

A diet rich in protein and balanced in vitamins is important but also managing sugar and caffeine intake can help with lessening the symptoms of ADHD. Protein rich foods are used by your fabulous body to make neurotransmitters, which are what your brain uses to communicate back and forth and can help them to control the responses had better. Protein also helps to prevent sugar surges, which can help managing hyperactivity. Diet can help to support the medications as well to work more efficiently and possibly lessen the side effects that can come with them, if any, (no promises) but it has been seen in other medications that diet can help combat that. Zinc, Iron, and Magnesium are good minerals for the brain and its health; neurotransmitters use these to develop and function in a healthy way and making dopamine as well. These three minerals are found in protein-rich foods as well! It’s all starting to make sense now huh…! Adding a multivitamin and omega-3 fatty acid supplement (or eat more salmon) are going to be a good balance to your diet to managing the symptoms and make sure that the body gets what it needs that it may not be getting from food intake.

For more info on diet and ADHD, visit the below resource!

https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-diet-nutrition-sugar/

Medications

Most times after therapy and diet adjustments do not appear to work, providers recommend trying a medication out; symptoms can be severe enough that they cannot focus on learning how the hell to focus while in counseling!

Stimulants: increases the neurotransmitter levels and help you to focus thoughts and actions to ignore distractions. These have been shown to work for most kids, teens and adults that are prescribed them who have moderate to severe symptoms. Adderall is a good example of this category of medication.

Cognition-enhancing medications: these improve mental function, lowers blood pressure and can balance mood to help with developing focus and ignore further distractions in their environment. Guanfacine is a common medication used in this category.

Antihypertensive medications: certain of these medications can help to treat this by lowering blood pressure to allow the patient to slow down their thought and feel less hyper, less “high speed” when processing information.

Muthaf’in Resources

https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/patient_care/adhd_toolkit/adhd19-assessment-table1.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610