ADD A to Z: Your Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Download Your Copy Today

Today’s teenagers have their hands full with family, school, friends, and in general, life. Unfortunately, when you add in the problem of ADHD, life can become too much to handle. We see a growing number of teens with ADHD, which is not always diagnosed. Instead, teens struggle with this disorder will often be told, “You’re just being lazy”, or “You need to get your head together and concentrate”. Making these and other statements so difficult is the fact that the teen has to hear them from family, friends, and teachers but is still unable to follow such simple instructions.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a form of mental illness that until recent years, was very misunderstood. Similar to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), ADHD is somewhat different in that the person also has the problem of being hyperactive. This means sitting still in class, focusing on schoolwork or tests, and getting things done around the home is easier said than done. Over the years, many studies have been performed to understand these disorders better and one thing that has been learned is that currently, up to 5% of all children are thought to have ADHD. In addition, boys more commonly have it than girls do. Therefore, teens and ADHD is not rare.

If you have a teen and you notice that he or she is a little different from other friends, not being able to pay attention, often daydreaming, forgetting or losing things, or showing other similar signs, then it could be ADHD. Having a teen with ADHD is not the end of the world, merely a different type of challenge that will need to be dealt with by you, your child, and your child’s teacher. Typically, if you think your teen might have ADHD, you would notice three primary types or symptoms. First is the Inattention type, whereby the person has trouble paying attention. Second, there is the Hyperactive/Impulse type, meaning hyperactivity and impulsiveness is problems. Finally, you have the combined type, which is just that, a combination of the two.

In other words, if your teen has ADHD, he or she may have the type that causes problems with concentration and focus, the type whereby hyperactivity and impulsiveness is connected, which can be a serious challenge, or perhaps both. Often, if your teen has ADHD, you would notice that he or she interrupts conversations, forgets to do chores or complete homework, or may even have trouble maintaining friends. Interestingly, the teen with ADHD may actually be popular because of the high level of energy but keeping those friendships is difficult.

Another fascinating aspect of teens with ADHD is that the majority also have learning disabilities. In other words, while dealing with the mental disorder and all that it encompasses, you and your child’s teacher are also dealing with trouble learning things such as math, spelling, and reading. Keep in mind that having a learning disability does not mean your child is dumb. In fact, most teens with ADHD are quite smart. The key is getting a confirmed and early diagnosis so the proper medication and therapy can be prescribed. Therefore, if you think your teen has ADHD, talk to your doctor right away.