Symptoms of ADHD   Frank Barnhill M.D.
 

Since there is presently no blood or X-ray test that can be used to make a diagnosis, doctors must rely heavily upon information provided by parents, siblings, friends, employers, fellow employees, and particularly, teachers.

To be a major help to the doctor, the observer must be able to recognize characteristics of ADHD that may appear in all persons or only in some.  For instance, all people who are ADHD share one specific common trait.  They lack inhibition.  In other words, they are mentally wired in such a way that their behavior appears to be uninhibited.

Besides lack of inhibition, there are three key traits in ADHD, which may be present in varying degrees from one person to another.  First and most important, all ADHD persons share the trait of inattentiveness.  They are unable to focus mentally and physically on certain aspects of their life, such as homework, work place responsibilities, or even personal hygiene.

The next most common shared trait is impulsive behavior.  Impulsivity may be displayed as impatience, blurting answers out of turn, or perhaps interrupting someone else’s conversation without good cause.

Hyperactivity is the third most common trait of an ADHD person.  We’ve all met these children and adults.  They can’t sit still, seem driven to be first or best, fidget in their seat, tap their feet, drum their fingers, and possibly speak rapidly and sometimes loudly.

An important point to remember is that ADHD comes in several different varieties.  Many girls and boys with ADHD are simply ADHD inattentive and cannot focus.  Sometimes, they appear to stare off into space.  They are not impulsive or hyperactive.  They are the daydreamers and they have trouble focusing.

Some ADHD persons are impulsive and inattentive.  They never seem to have patience, and when it appears they are getting what they want, they rapidly lose interest and become bored.  This person would be an ADHD inattentive impulsive type.

The ADHD impulsive hyperactive person is always on the go.  They may sleep little or at unusual times.  This ADHD person seems to have a spring wound very tightly that drives his or her always running motor.  He or she might take seemingly unreasonable risks to be number one or the best.

Looking for these traits can help relay accurate information to the person’s doctor so he may be able to properly diagnose ADHD or more importantly rule out ADHD in a child, spouse or coworker.  This informed observation might be the most important event in their lives, as treatment of ADHD can allow a person to fully develop life skills and become highly successful at life’s endeavors.

Success however comes hard, because some days the person you feel is ADHD will act just as normal as everyone else.  You start to question your observations and start thinking all is well.  But, we stress that you remember, ADHD people appear to be riding a roller coaster.  They have good days, bad days, ok days, great days and horrible days just like everyone else.  It’s just that their days seem to be much more exaggerated.  When they have bad days, they act as if it is the worst day of their life and behave as if life is too overpowering.  In contrast, when they are having just a good day, a day that no one else would find exciting, they act as if it was the greatest day in their life.

So, it’s very important never to stop making observations for trait signals of ADHD in those persons who don’t seem to be coping well with the ups and downs of normal life.  If you truly want to help, discuss what you’ve noticed with that person and offer to discuss it with their doctor if they choose.  Who knows, you may have just helped the next Thomas Edison in his life’s journey to invent the next generation’s light bulb.

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