Where did all those ADHD Kids Go? You’ve probably seen him before; the highly energetic boy bouncing off the walls. He is always doing something, flitting from interest to interest, never settling down long enough to get anything done. You’ve also possibly also seen a girl, maybe in a classroom, maybe in a group, sitting staring out the window or just into space, not aware of what is going on around her. As surprising as it may sound, these children have the many of same characteristics and are given the same diagnosis: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). Experts more or less agree that up to 5% of children in Israel meet the diagnostic requirements for ADHD1. The past decade has seen a tremendous growth on the awareness of the ADHD in schools and with parents. This heightened consciousness of ADHD and the inevitable discussion of the treatment with medication like Ritalin is a mixed blessing. On one hand schools are much more forgiving regarding children that do not fit in with the regimented atmosphere in Israeli schools. On that other hand there is fear of stigmatizing children and the very real fear of drugs like Ritalin are being used to make life easier for the school and not necessarily better for the child. Whatever the controversies surrounding ADHD, most people in Israel who associate with couples with school age kids probably are aware of at least one child that has been diagnosed with the disorder. Adults with ADHDBut what happens to all those kids that have ADHD? Where do they go? Perhaps you are thinking “I don’t see any adults bouncing off the walls”. Think again. The children obviously don’t disappear. They grow up. And ADHD adults don’t bounce off walls like children but they do exhibit their ADHD symptoms in other ways. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians “Children with ADHD seem to follow one of three paths: (1) a third of them grow out of ADHD when they are teenagers. (2) A third of them keep having problems with attention and hyperactivity. (3) The other third keep having ADHD problems and get other behavior problems along with it.”2 As children with ADHD grow up, the symptoms change as well as the way that teenagers and adults deal with these symptoms. Some of the characteristics of ADHD adults are:
However living with ADHD isn’t always easy. There are challenges with employment, marriage, relations with children and friends. While research shows that a disproportionate number of criminals and people with substance abuse problems have ADHD, many people who appear to have normal lives also have the disorder and deal with it the best they can on a day to day basis. ESRA GroupThe Adult ADHD Group has been operating as an ESRA support group for over a decade. The group caters to primarily adults, 25 or over. The group started as an offshoot of the Parents of Learning Disabled Children Group, also part of the family of ESRA groups. This connection is not surprising as it is known there is a strong element of inheritability in ADHD so that often when parents go through the process of diagnosis of a child, one or both realize that they too have the disorder. The purpose of the group is to provide information and support to its members, enabling them to better live their lives. The group organizes two types of activities:
The hidden disorderAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder has a long history. However awareness, diagnosis and treatment did not reach the mainstream till the 1990’s. Before that ADHD children were not diagnosed but usually labeled in the schools as lazy or ill behaved. “Not meeting their full potential” was a phrase often associated with these children. Generations of undiagnosed children then grew into adults. It is very unlikely that you will find an adult over the age of 40 that was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and treated for the disorder in any way. Estimates of the number of adults with ADHD are not easy to come by but one group reported findings of ADHD prevalence averaging 3.4% over a range of countries.3 Many, if not most, adults that truly have ADHD according to the latest diagnostic criteria are not aware they have it. It truly is a hidden disorder. Besides the emotional and tangible difficulties of dealing with ADHD for the person with the disorder, it also has an effect on friends and family. The marriages of ADHD adults are often under stress due to one partner’s inability to organize, set goals and take care of the myriad daily details involved in modern life. Children too suffer as an ADHD parent is often less able to offer help in school and can suffer from quick mood changes. There is no shortage of extremely successful adults who have ADHD, including Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines and Jay Leno, the popular talk show host and comedian. However the key to success in the work for ADHD adults is coping strategies. All ADHD adults have a set of coping methods for dealing with life but it’s never too late to develop more. What can be doneSo let’s say you have been diagnosed with ADHD, or suspect you have it after reading this article or other material. What can you do?
ResourcesYou can read more about the group, its activities and resources for learning about ADHD at the group website: http://sites.google.com/site/esraadultadhdgroup. Other major sites include Psych Central (http://psychcentral.com/disorders/adhd/) and CHADD (http://www.chadd.org/). Wrap upYou can contact the group directly by phone or email: Harley – (054) 466-7657 Nurit – (03) 901-2841 esraadultadhdgroup@gmail.colm References1. Idud ("Encouragement") Program to Treat Children with ADHD at Four Jerusalem Schools: Executive Summary of an Evaluation Study. Assaf Sharon, Stuart Chesner, Asher Ornoy, Nurit Strosberg, David Wilensky and Denise Naon. 2008. Meyers JDC Brookdale Institute 2. When Adults Have ADHD. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20001101/2091ph.html. 3. 3. Cross–national prevalence and correlates of adult attention–deficit hyperactivity disorder. J. Fayyad, et. Al. The British Journal of Psychiatry (2007) 190: 402-409. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.034389. http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/190/5/402 |