PORTRAIT OF ADD / ADHD CHILD
The hyperactive boy who talks nonstop and can’t sit still.
The quiet dreamer who sits at her desk and stares off into space.
Myths about Attention Deficit Disorder
Myth #1: All kids with ADD/ADHD are hyperactive.
Some children with ADD/ADHD are hyperactive, but many others with attention problems are not. Children with ADD/ADHD who are inattentive, but not overly active, may appear to be spacey and unmotivated.
Myth #2: Kids with ADD/ADHD can never pay attention.
Children with ADD/ADHD are often able to concentrate on activities they enjoy. But no matter how hard they try, they have trouble maintaining focus when the task at hand is boring or repetitive.
Myth #3: Kids with ADD/ADHD choose to be difficult and could behave better if they wanted to.
Children with ADD/ADHD may do their best to be good, but still be unable to sit still, stay quiet, or pay attention. They may appear disobedient, but that doesn’t mean they’re acting out on purpose.
Myth #4: Kids will eventually grow out of ADD/ADHD.
ADD/ADHD often continues into adulthood, so don’t wait for your child to outgrow the problem. Treatment can help your child learn to manage and minimize the symptoms.
Myth #5: Medication is the best treatment option for ADD/ADHD.
Medication is often prescribed for Attention Deficit Disorder, but it might not be the best option for your child. Effective treatment for ADD/ADHD also includes education, behavior therapy, support at home and school, exercise, and proper nutrition
POSITIVE TRAITS OF CHILDREN WITH ADD/ADHD
In addition to the challenges, there are also positive traits associated with people who have attention deficit disorder:
- Creativity – Children who have ADD/ADHD can be marvelously creative and imaginative. The child who daydreams and has ten different thoughts at once can become a master problem-solver, a fountain of ideas, or an inventive artist. Children with ADD may be easily distracted, but sometimes they notice what others don’t see.
- Flexibility – Because children with ADD/ADHD consider a lot of options at once, they don’t become set on one alternative early on and are more open to different ideas.
- Enthusiasm and spontaneity – Children with ADD/ADHD are rarely boring! They’re interested in a lot of different things and have lively personalities. In short, if they’re not exasperating you (and sometimes even when they are), they’re a lot of fun to be with.
- Energy and drive – When kids with ADD/ADHD are motivated, they work or play hard and strive to succeed. It actually may be difficult to distract them from a task that interests them, especially if the activity is interactive or hands-on.
Keep in mind, too, that THERE IS NO RELATION BETWEEN ADD/ADHD AND CHILD’S INTELLIGENCE OR TALENT . Many children with ADD/ADHD are intellectually or artistically gifted.
Source: www.helpguid.org
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Stress taking toll on mental health: Study
Psychiatric Illnesses On Rise In Urban India
Durgesh Nandan Jha | TNN
New Delhi: City life has its own trials. Stress at work and in social life have resulted in an increase in the number of people suffering from psychiatric illnesses and sub-syndromes of diseases like headache, tension and insomnia, says a survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on urban mental health.
According to the survey conducted across three cities in the country, including Delhi, 8-10% people suffer from psychiatric illnesses like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, among others.
Sub-syndrome mental illnesses — psychological problems that do not qualify as mental illness — were found to be more common. “Total 3,600 people in Delhi from different socio-economic strata were included in this study, which was conducted between 2004 and 2009. It was found that even in a city like Delhi, where medical facilities are available and there is greater awareness about psychiatric illnesses, only 10-20% receive treatment. There is a stigma attached to mental illness and people tend to avoid institutional health facilities available,” said Dr Nimesh Desai, director of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), who led the urban mental health survey in Delhi. He said focus group meetings conducted to analyse the results showed that many people – mostly young
Adults – used tranquilizers and sleeping pills.
“There appeared to be an interface between one’s physical medical condition and his state of mind. People suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders were found to have psychological problems in common,” Desai added.Depression was found to be the most common mental illness in the survey. “There is rift in social life of the urban populace. People communicate barely in families. Personal dissatisfaction, disinterest in work, lack of motivation, domestic problems and marital discord were major reasons behind the mental problems,” said another researcher.
It is assumed that in the next 10 years, these problems will escalate further. Lack of experts such as psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses and clinical psychologists was another big hindrance. There is a lack of beds in mental institutions, too. “There is shortage of about 8,000 psychiatrists, 17,000 clinical psychologistys and 9,000 nurses,” said Desai.
Delhi health minister Kiran Walia said the government is taking measures to fill in the gap in screening and treatment of mental disorders. “We are going to introduce mental health programme under the National Rural Health Mission. Under this initiative, doctors will make door-to-door visits and provide counselling and necessary treatment. The ASHA workers will be trained on how to screen psychiatric disorders and provide basic guidance to the people,” said Walia.
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