ADHD – A Basic Overview

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a behavioural disorder that is characterised by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The cause of this disorder is unknown but the disorder usually is discovered in early childhood, made more prominent by certain events like staring school. A possible cause is a genetic link with premature birth, brain damage and epilepsy, People with ADHD have been identified as having abnormally sized brains so that could also link to a cause.

People with ADHD have symptoms that can be categorised into 2 types: “hyperactivity and impulsiveness” and “inattentiveness”.Most sufferers have symptoms from both categories but that is not always the case. Both children and adults can have the disorder (although it is always gained in childhood) but the symptoms in adults are less-defined and harder to diagnose.

Symptoms relating to hyperactivity and impulsiveness include:

• Being unable to sit still or pay attention, especially in calm situations
• Constant fidgeting and excessive physical movement
• Excessive talking and often interrupt peers
• Acting without thinking and an inability to be patient
• Little to no sense of danger

Symptoms relating to inattentiveness include:

• Being easily distracted and prone to making careless mistakes
• Appearing unable to listen or execute tasks
• Finding repetitive or tedious task very hard to execute
• Having difficulty organising tasks
• Prone to losing things and being quite forgetful

These symptoms are just the symptoms for children and teenagers but you do get a basic impression of the disorder from them.

Check out this article from the NHS for more information.