Roller coaster life with ADD/ADHD

BY: Gina Pera 





What do I mean by the term “self-medicating with conflict?”?  Given the country’s partisan rancor, the topic is fresh on my mind.
“Too much fighting” was a top reason for leaving the relationship, according to  ADHD Partner Survey respondents who had divorced,  separated from, or stopped dating their ADHD partner.
Conflict can be unrelenting in relationships affected by undiagnosed, untreated, or otherwise poorly managed ADHD.  The myriad factors include:

• Poor communication created by ADHD-related challenges in listening and remembering
• “Denial” of ADHD symptoms (which often has both physiological and psychological underpinnings)
• A co-existing condition such as conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder, autistic-spectrum disorder, or even anxiety and Obsessive-compulsive Disorder.

Certainly, ignorance around all these factors fuels the fighting on both sides.



https://adhdrollercoaster.org/adhd-and-relationships/arguments-conflict-as-self-medication/

BY: Gina Pera

Adults with ADHD know that communication can break down when they are preoccupied with a particular problem, and don’t — or can’t — get their feelings across to their partners.

BY Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.



https://www.additudemag.com/speak-easy/

ADHD And Down syndrome

ADHD and Down syndrome By: Sue Buckley


It talks about:


What is ADHD:

There are three main sets of symptoms of ADHD described in typically developing children. These are:
• problems with concentrating or paying attention (attention deficit)
• being very active (hyperactivity)
• acting before thinking (impulsivity)
The diagnosis is made by a psychiatrist on the basis of agreed diagnostic criteria which are descriptions of behaviors. There is no blood test or truly objective way of agreeing that a child has ADHD. It is thought to be very common among children, with estimates suggesting 3% to 8% of children may have ADHD in the UK ^[1] and USA.^[2] Boys are about 3 times more likely to have ADHD than girls and some research indicates that there may be a genetic component to the condition.
It is suggested that there are three types of the disorder, the inattentive type, where attention and staying on task is the main problem area, the hyperactive-impulsive type, where the child is very active and often acts without thinking, and the combined type, where the child is inattentive, impulsive and too active.
ADHD is even more difficult to diagnose reliably in children with additional difficulties. In the typical child, a judgement is made as to whether the child is more inattentive, active or impulsive than would be expected for his or her age. In a child with Down syndrome, allowance will also have to be made for developmental delay and speech and language delay.


Click HERE to read more.

References

1. ADDiss: ADHD Information Services. (2003). Retrieved 20 February, 2006, from http://www.addiss.co.uk/adhd.htm
2. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2005). Mental Health in the United States: Prevalence of Diagnosis and Medication Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 54(34), 842-847. Retrieved 20 February, 2006, from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a2.htm
   
   
   --Sue Buckley
   
   
   
   
   
   
   By: Sue Buckley,
   
   The next article, written by Ruth Palatnik from Israel, describes the profile of difficulties that her daughter Rina experienced, and which finally led to her being diagnosed as having ADHD as well as Down syndrome.
   
   This led me to do a search of the literature to see what information there was on this particular dual diagnosis.
   
   The answer is - very little. We found only 4 articles mentioning either attention difficulties or hyperactivity in individuals with Down syndrome - with widely differing estimates and interpretations of their findings.
   
   One reason for this will be that a pediatrician or child psychiatrist will be reluctant to make the diagnosis when a child already has a developmental disability. In addition, checklists may overestimate ADHD symptoms if the rater does not take account of the child's level of developmental delay.
   
   --Sue Buckley
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Attention problems in Down syndrome. ADHD

Medical problems that can look like ADHD

By: University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital

Hearing and vision problems

In order for a child to pay attention to classroom material, she has to be able to hear and to see it. Both hearing and visual problems are common in children with Down syndrome. Ear infections are overwhelmingly common and, even if treated, can cause hearing loss for weeks. People with Down syndrome have middle ear structural abnormalities that can cause lifetime mild to moderate hearing loss.
Both near- and far-sightedness are common in Down syndrome, as well as cataracts and "lazy eye".
How can we rule out significant hearing and/or visual loss as a cause of attentional problems? Hearing screens should be performed annually in children with Down syndrome. Children with abnormal hearing evaluations should be seen by an ear-nose-throat physician (otolaryngologist) to manage treatable causes of hearing loss.
A child with Down syndrome should be evaluated by an eye doctor during the first year of her life, and yearly thereafter. Some children may need more frequent follow-up depending on their visual diagnosis.


https://uichildrens.org/health-library/attention-problems-down-syndrome-adhd

ADHD Symptom Test for Adults: ADD Checklist

Habitually disorganized? Always running late? Struggling to manage money and relationships? Take this adult ADHD test to learn more about your ADD symptoms.

By ADDitude Editors


https://www.additudemag.com/adult-test-for-add-adhd/











ADHD & Down Syndrome. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a commonly diagnosed childhood problem. ADHD is characterized by consistent demonstration of the following traits: decreased attention span, impulsive behavior and excessive fidgeting or other nondirected motor activity



https://www.ndss.org/resources/adhd-down-syndrome/



Talks about:

How Common Is ADD in Children With Down Syndrome?

The frequency of ADHD in children with Down syndrome is not known with certainty. However, ADHD-like symptoms are more common in young children with Down syndrome than they are in children from the general population.

Compounding symptoms such as stereotypy (repetitiveness), anxiety or extreme irritability in the presence of ADHD-like symptoms may indicate another disorder such as autism, bipolar disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder.

Uncomplicated ADHD is common in younger children with Down syndrome. However, many school age children with ADHD frequently have other behavioral conditions including oppositional defiant disorder, disruptive behavior disorder or obsessive compulsive traits.

Does That Mean That Your Child Has ADHD?

It may, but more often it means that a medical problem needs to be addressed or that your child’s educational program or communication method needs some adjustment. In children with Down syndrome who have difficulty paying attention, ADHD is a diagnosis of exclusion. Other problems must be ruled out first.