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MOSCOW, December 6, Tatyana Pichugina The number of diagnoses of ADHD – attention deficit disorder – is growing in the world. What would previously have been explained by restlessness or poor upbringing can now be recognized as a disease. What is the danger of ADHD and how to cope with it – in the material .
“This is my last chance”
Ralph is 30. Over the past five years, he has been fired from his job nine times. For two years he just sat at home. “My wife says that my irresponsibility, unemployment and difficulties in communication drive her crazy,” – this is how the young man explained his visit to a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Ralph was born and grew up as an ordinary child, observers write his doctors. Difficulties began at school age. He became restless and talked constantly. I didn’t want to go to bed and woke up often. The only thing that could keep him in place was video games.
In class he could not concentrate, fidgeting, chatting, shouting out answers. He irritated teachers and classmates; no one wanted to be friends with him.
The school psychologist suspected he had ADHD and prescribed medication. It helped: Ralph graduated from high school and college and got married. At some point I stopped taking the medicine and the disease returned.
I lost my job, then another and another. The wife threatened with divorce. “This is my last chance,” Ralph admitted to the doctor.
The patient was prescribed medications, cognitive behavioral and family therapy. A year later, he felt improvements and family relationships improved.
Symptoms of ADHD appear at an early age, primarily: restlessness, fussiness, and impulsiveness. This is more common in boys. According to the leading pediatric psychiatrist at the Psy-Family Mental Health Correction Center, Alexander Abramov, one should distinguish between the physiological hyperactivity of childhood, which usually fades away by school, and pathological conditions.
If ADHD is not treated and the child is raised incorrectly, adds doctor, then as you grow older, problems may arise: outbursts of aggression, refusal to attend classes, a negative attitude towards school, and later leaving home, substance abuse.
“It is most difficult to diagnose this disorder in adolescents and adults, since, in addition to ADHD, there are many other factors. Adults with ADHD may have difficulties at work, a tendency to act impulsively, extreme sports, reckless driving, and gambling,” Abramov lists.
Where does ADHD come from
There is no consensus on what causes ADHD, says Alexey Maroyan, a psychiatrist at the Fantasy children's clinic. According to research, in more than half of the cases, signs of the disorder are observed in the patient's relatives.
“Genes whose violations are often found in patients with ADHD have been identified. At the reception, parents sometimes exclaim: “So this is all about me!” Often the diagnosis is given to several children in a family,” continues Olesya Frolova.
With this syndrome, the brain works differently: the content of biologically active substances in different parts differs. This was determined using MRI, the expert adds.
“As a result of genetic abnormalities in combination with unfavorable environmental factors, the maturation of brain structures responsible for controlling motor acts and focusing attention is disrupted,” notes Alexander Abramov.
At risk
You should not think that ADHD is a purely modern disease, say scientists from Cardiff University. Clinical descriptions were published already in 1902 in The Lancet, and there is also earlier evidence.
There are no large-scale epidemiological studies yet. It is estimated that ADHD affects approximately five percent of children, and half of them continue to have the syndrome into adulthood. Moreover, there are more and more diagnoses. In particular, there has been an increase in the number of cases of ADHD in the UK from 2000 to 2018.
“ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood, but the number of adults being diagnosed for the first time is rising. We don't know what's wrong. It may have improved diagnosis,” emphasizes Dr. Doug McKechnie from University College London.
ADHD is often accompanied by other neurological symptoms, such as autistic tics. According to an analysis by scientists from Germany, there is a connection with anorexia nervosa, clinical depression, and bipolar disorder.
People with this diagnosis are at risk for alcoholism and drug addiction. Thus, according to the University of Toronto, every third patient aged 20-39 years abuses alcohol, and every fifth had problems with illicit substances. Overall, they have a higher risk of becoming addicted than their peers: 69 percent versus 23.5 percent. According to the latest data, young people with ADHD are more likely to become addicted to computer games.
And those over 65, as reported by American scientists, are more likely to get into car accidents and receive more fines for speeding.< br />October 27, 2020, 11:00
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