If you google ADHD, this pops up:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Also called: ADHD, attention deficit disorder. A chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. ADHD often begins in childhood and can persist into adulthood. It may contribute to low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and difficulty at school or work. Symptoms include limited attention and hyperactivity. Treatments include medication and talk therapy.
- Very common. More than 3 million US cases per year. Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured. Chronic: can last for years or be lifelong. Requires a medical diagnosis. Lab tests or imaging not required. (from the Mayo Clinic, find more info HERE)
Also:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that can cause above-normal levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. People with ADHD may also have trouble focusing their attention on a single task or sitting still for long periods of time. Both adults and children can have ADHD. Symptoms: Impulsivity. (info from Healthline. Find more info HERE)
So, that's it in a nutshell.
The medical establishment first documented symptoms leading to ADHD in 1902. So it has been around. Although it seems in the last 10 years more people are being diagnosed with the disorder than ever before.
You think maybe you want your child tested and then you find out they have ADHD. Some parents will get embarrassed and some will feel guilty and think they did something wrong. Know this: you have done nothing wrong. It is not your fault. I repeat: It is not your fault.
It seems like there is a stigma attached to ADHD. We want the best for our kids and we want them to be go-getters. We hear about our friend's kids and all their achievements. You wonder sometimes why it is so easy for them to parent their child, while you are struggling daily with everything. Remember those kids with ADHD struggle, but the parents struggle too as they must learn a new way to be a parent.
You find yourself struggling. Once diagnosed, there are many resources. There are also facebook groups to share stories. Read, ask questions, be involved. When you find those days when you struggle and think you are going crazy, pick up that book on ADHD or look online and remember, this is a disorder, and you can help with your behavior to get the best out of our child. Don't give up. If they behave badly, they don't mean to. It is this condition they have.
Don't forget to rest and take care of yourself. Being the parent of someone with ADHD is exhausting. Take a break however you can.
There is no shame in having this condition or parenting children with this condition. It is often easy to get upset if your child doesn’t do his chores or homework or acts up like someone way younger in years. If they have ADHD, it might be and probably is from this condition. Here is a great article on how to not shame your child by ADDitude Magazine.
Some kids grow out of it with maturity. Many do. And some simply learn to cope with it in adulthood. There are many celebrities with ADHD. Here is a list of some of them. Some who were diagnosed and some who displayed symptoms long ago before we knew what it was:
- Michael Phelps
- Karina Smirnoff
- Howie Mandel
- Ty Pennington
- Adam Levine
- Justin Timberlake
- Paris Hilton
- Simone Biles (Olympic gymnast)
- Woody Harrelson
- Sir Richard Branson
- Ikea (founder Ingvar Kamprad)
- Solange Knowles
- Emma Watson
- Trudie Styler (Sting's Wife)
- Mark Ruffalo
- Walt Disney (The Founder Of Disneyland)
- Zayn Malik (from One Direction)
- Liv Tyler
- Alejandro González Iñárritu (Academy award director)
- Ryan Gosling
- Stephen Fry (actor)
- Will.I.am(musician)
- Britney Spears
- Prime Minister Winston Churchill
- Channing Tatum
- Will Smith
- John F. Kennedy (35th president of the United States)
- Jamie Oliver (Chef)
- Russell Brand (comedian)
- Sir Isaac Newton (physicist and mathematician)
- Bill Gates
- Robin Williams
- Joan Rivers
- Avril Lavigne
- Albert Einstein
- Whoopie Goldberg
- Vince Vaughn
- Elvis Presley
- Michael Jordan
- John Lennon
- Stevie Wonder
- Jack Nicholson
- Leonardo DaVinci
- Stephen Hawking
- Henry Ford
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Sylvester Stallone
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Cher
- Charles, Prince of Wales
- Galileo Galile
- Dustn Hoffman
- Harry Belefonte
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Magic Johnson
- Steve McQueen
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- Henry Winkler
Click Here for a list of 80 celebrities who have ADHD. See! Your kids can live with it and be successful after all!
Here are some more resources:
- To get some info on what is being diagnosed and the testing process, take a look HERE at KidsHealth.
- More details you can find HERE at NIMH.
- There is even info on the CDC website HERE. (also in Spanish!)
- A great website is ADDitudemag.com You can subscribe to their free enewsletter. Great articles.
- Another great resource is CHADD. Also in Spanish! Anything you want to know about ADHD, they can help you with. Plus they tell you where to go for help and you can subscribe to their free newsletter. Plus they have webinars. Here you will find how to parent a child with ADHD as well as anything you want to know about testing, treatment and more.
- Our local chapter of Chadd in Nassau County, you can reach HERE.
- Here is also a guide I have written, where I always add new resources, activities, classes and events when I find them
Don't do this alone. It takes a village!
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