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Source: An inside look at ADHD.

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Me 100% of the time. Luckily Ito help for my ADD when I was a child

fun facts!

• ADD and ADHD are the same disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder was officially renamed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in 1994. Many people use ADD to refer to Type One presented here, and ADHD to refer to Type Two, but they are the same core disorder.
• In many cases where ADHD carries into adulthood, it’s a genetic issue [My grandfather, mother, siblings, and I have all been diagnosed with ADHD], though this does not always occur.

hello yes this is me

more fun facts!

• there are a lot of talks about how ADHD is overdiagnosed, and that may be true for boys, but for girls ADHD is severely underdiagnosed.
• older studies mostly looked at hyperactive boys and that’s the perception we have of ADHD. because of this many girls will go undiagnosed until adulthood.
• most girls/women who have ADHD are inattentive type. they tend to be introverted, disorganized and daydreamers. 
• girls will internalize these as personal failings and teenage girls have a much higher rate of suicide and self harm because of it
• ADHD is often comorbid with anxiety and depression, both of which are caused by the failings from having ADHD
• depression can present itself differently in people with ADHD. it’s more of a discouragement from constantly failing, but it can be just as debilitating.
• read this article from the atlantic: It’s Different for Girls with ADHD

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thank you for this. As someone with ADHD I think this will be helpful to my friends

Required reading for tolerating me as a friend, coworker, human bean. 

Another fun fact: People often say ADHD and ADD are mental disorders, when they are in fact developmental disorders.

Revenge of the Son of the Fun Fact: ADHD is one of the most common disorders that’s comorbid with autism spectrum disorder (as is the case with me), and many of the symptoms overlap. As such, it’s important for clinicians to avoid treating solely for autism when it may be more appropriate to treat the autism as well as the ADHD.

Return of the Daughter of the Fun Fact: About a third of people with ADHD do not respond well to stimulant medication such as Ritalin and Adderal (again, like me) and develop severe side effects such as tics, anxiety, and even hallucinations.  Fortunately, there are non-stimulant alternatives that are available for these people, including Straterra and Intuniv.

• “ADHD is often comorbid with anxiety and depression, both of which are caused by the failings from having ADHD”

Just a note about the above point: those with ADHD and anxiety might want to check the dosage of their medication. I take a high dose of Concerta and have horrible anxiety. While my anxiety disorder has contributing factors other than the stimulants I take, this is a common issue among those with ADHD/anxiety. There are therapeutic methods of controlling both disorders, however, but these are often expensive and take years of counseling. 

There are simple life changes that you can make to help with both disorders. One is exercise regularly; exercise releases endorphines which helps with stress and anxiety. Similarly, cutting back your high sugar/caffeine intake will help keep you a bit more focused and not so tense, especially if you are already taking a stimulant to control your ADHD. 

*NOTE: If you have ADHD AND a panic disorder, there are ways of dealing with these as well. When you feel a panic attack starting, find a secluded place (i.e: bathroom stall, your room at home, any empty room) and grab ahold of something to brace yourself. Start to jog in place, and don’t stop, even if you feel like you’re about to fall over. If you have a trusted friend/family member/spouse/teacher nearby, have them hold your hands and jog with you; this is comforting, especially if your panic springs from thoughts of being alone. Running in place will circulate the oxygen through your blood faster and open up your throat so that you can breathe, stopping the panic attack in its tracks. But DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE.

If anyone needs more advice, shoot me a note (anonymously or not) and ask me anything.