Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disease (ADHD) is a spectrum disorder; meaning that symptoms range across a wide continuum of severity. Therefore, symptom intensity must be identified for every individual who presents with possible ADHD. The symptoms identified below are based on DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic Manual); therefore, more restrictive than other sources which may be used to diagnose this problem.
• Inattention (most pronounced symptom as an adult; other two symptom categories are not as pronounced as an adult)
1) Distractibility
2) Losing things
3) Unreliable at follow through when assigned tasks
4) Day Dreaming
• Hyperactivity
1) Talking excessively
2) Inability to sit still (i.e. gets up several times while at dinner table)
3) Fidgeting (i.e. bouncing legs while sitting)
• Impulsivity
1) Difficulty waiting turn
2) Frequent job changes
3) Frequent sexual partners and more sexually transmitted diseases
4) More divorces and/or relationship problems
5) Poor listening skills, blurting out answers or intruding on others
6) Impulsive; acts without thought to consequences
7) Increased irritability, problems with anger control
8) Excessive spending, shopping trips
Functional impairments as a result of symptoms are indicated in the following statistics:
• 38% of adults with ADHD are employed, versus 71% of the population.
• Higher education levels do not change the employment situation.
• Less able to meet the demands of education; therefore, a higher percentage of adults with ADHD do not graduate from high-school, and if they attend college, do not finish.
• Post Graduates (i.e. MD’s) with adult ADHD have 52% of the anticipated income compared with the rest of the population who have post graduate degrees (NOTE: It is estimated that 100 Billion in lost income exists do the adult ADHD)
Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress, 2006
Http://viss.cmellc.com/psychcongress/
del.icio.us
Digg this
