& Family Support Centre
Adults
"Dynamic Adults"
Adult ADD/ADHD is far more common than people generally recognise, with about 4% of adults affected. About 60% of the children with ADD/ADHD will carry this over into their adulthoods. With an overall estimated 5% of the population affected by ADD/ADHD this is equivalent to about 200,000 people.
New Zealand is thought to follow similar trends to overseas where experts estimate that about two thirds of adults are well enough compensated to their ADD/ADHD, with the other third benefiting from help.
In addition to the impact of ADD symptoms, adults with ADD who have gone undiagnosed and untreated may often deal with feelings of low self-esteem and underachievement. They may feel frustrated and not realise that they in fact have a disorder.
The personal and social cost of adult ADD/ADHD in terms of accidents, suicide, crime, substance abuse, unemployment, psychological and family damage is huge but largely not acknowledged.
Alcohol and drug abuse is estimated to be twice as common in those with ADD/ADHD compared with the average for the population.
Treatment generally requires a long-term, team-orientated continuity approach.
By taking proactive steps to treat the symptoms it may be that someone no longer feels limited by feelings of frustrations and becomes more open to their possibilities.
As a general rule there are five main elements in treatment management:
- Lifestyle management is critical – structure and routine greatly reduce stress.
- Drug avoidance is vital.
- Education offers exciting possibilities for adults who may have left school with no or few qualifications yet have a high IQ.
- Support is important.
- Medication may be life changing.
Treatment options include medications that must be prescribed by a GP with stimulant medication being authorised by a specialist.
Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant prescription medication that can be presented by a GP for the treatment of ADD in adults. Atomoxetine works gradually so staying the course during the first 6 weeks of treatment is particularly important. Remain positive and focus on the benefits. Atomoxetine can provide full day symptom relief as well as continuous symptom improvements. It is not a controlled substance and thus phone in refills are possible between visits to a doctor. Free samples may be available from a patient's doctor.
As with any medications, if a patient has any concerns these should be discussed with your doctor.
Information is available at the ADD Centre for the common medications prescribed.
Some general tips for living happily and successfully with ADD/ADHD:
Be yourself.
High levels of creativity and energy – common traits in people with ADD/ADHD – can be invaluable. Give yourself permission to be yourself, not the person you think you should be. Leverage your strengths and do what you are good at.
Build a support system.
Seek out others in your life that you trust for encouragement and feedback on your behaviours and progress.
Don't expect perfection.
Undoing undesirable behaviour takes practice. Be patient and remember that mistakes are an important part of success.
Celebrate victories.
Take time to acknowledge and relish your successes rather than immediately moving on to the next task. Doing so can help you stay motivated.
There are many well known successful people with some form of ADD/ADHD. A few examples include Tom Cruise, Billy Connolly, President Kennedy, Whoopi Goldberg, Cher, Henry Ford, Michael Jordan, Will Smith and billionaire Richard Branson. A useful website is: www.adhdrelief.com/famous.html
The Gosforth Clinic
The ADD Assessment & Family Support Centre organised for a visit to Auckland and Wellington during ADD/ADHD Awareness Week 2006 by the leading Australian adult ADD/ADHD specialist, Dr Philip Bird, who is a consultant adult psychiatrist from Brisbane where he has one of the very few clinics focused on assisting adults. (Refer: www.gosforthclinic.com.au) No such clinic specifically for adults yet exists in New Zealand.
Women with ADD/ADHD
Current research suggests that girls and women with ADD/ADHD have been seriously under-diagnosed. The majority of females fall into the "predominately inattentive" type of ADD/ADHD. There is some evidence that unlike boys many girls do not manifest symptoms until puberty when fluctuating female hormones intensify ADD/ADHD symptoms.
Females are less likely to be hyperactive/impulsive and the behaviour of those who are may look very different to males. They may be hyper-talkative, hyper-social, or hyper-emotionally. Girls with a high IQ and a supportive family and school environment may not show ADD symptoms until much later.
Growing recognition of the unique issues for girls and women is an important first step in gaining the knowledge needed to accurately identify and appropriately treat women with ADD/ADHD.
For further information please feel welcome to contact the ADD Assessment and Family Support Centre:
Phone: 04 383 5061 |
Fax: 04 383 5063 | Email: addtrust@xtra.co.nz |