Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, popularly known as ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder defined by impairing levels of inattention, disorganization, and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity.
Although ADHD is popularly known to be diagnosed in children, it often persists into adulthood as well. Severe cases of ADHD in adults can result in impairments within the socio-occupational, academic functioning, and performance as well as in maintaining relationships.
Studies suggest that around 5 to 8% of schoolchildren are affected with ADHD, going as high as 11% with an overall estimate of 14% amongst the Indian population. It is important to keep in mind the stigma, undiagnosed cases, and the unrepresented population of adults and children, which would significantly increase the overall estimate. This calls for people to be aware of ADHD – especially in adults, the symptoms, impairments in functioning, and ADHD treatment for adults in India.
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) – V and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 identify a list of symptoms and criteria that help in diagnosing ADHD in adults and children.
- Time duration: 6 months
- Symptoms include-
- Inattention
- No attention to detail in basic tasks, avoiding tasks that involve mental effort.
- Difficulty in sustaining attention, easily distracted, forgetful in daily activities.
- Inattentive while spoken to.
- Failing to follow through instructions due to inattention and disorganized.
- Losing stuff frequently.
- Hyperactivity and Impulsivity
- Fidgeting
- Hyperactive
- Loud
- Excessive talking
- Lack of patience, interrupting others, unable to wait for their turn.
Causes of ADHD in adults
ADHD in adults is mostly causes due to untreated ADHD symptoms during childhood. It is difficult to identify ADHD in children due to overlapping symptoms with other disorders. Hence, it is necessary to diagnose ADHD during childhood and seek appropriate treatment. The causes behind developing ADHD include –
- Genetic predisposition
ADHD is found to be more common in the first-degree biological relatives of individuals diagnosed with ADHD. This disorder can be passed down through heredity and genes.
- Environmental factors
The environmental conditions to which one is exposed to can significantly affect one’s behaviour and mental functioning.
– Smoking during pregnancy – to-be mothers who indulge in smoking while pregnant have a chance of having children who may develop ADHD.
– Exposure to harmful substances – exposure to lead, infections, and alcohol have also been related to the development of ADHD.
- Parenting and temperamental aspects – optimum and supportive parenting can create a wholesome environment for the child to function well under pressure and face challenges. However, overly uninhibited behaviour, effortful control, always seeking new things for pleasure, and negative emotionality may be associated with ADHD.
Why should one seek ADHD treatment for adults in India?
Not just adults, but ADHD in children should be treated in time to prevent other disorders to erupt. Adults have an added pressure of various responsibilities bestowed upon them, hence dealing with ADHD would cause disruption in their daily functioning. Some common problems include –
– Excessive time taken due to inattentive behaviour
– Reduced performance
– Social rejection
– Difficulty in establishing and maintaining relationships
– Higher probability of unemployment
Adults with ADHD are also at a higher risk of indulging in maladaptive behaviours and developing other disorders such as –
– Substance use disorders
– Personality disorders (eg. – antisocial personality disorder)
– Conduct disorder (stemming from childhood, when left untreated)
– Frequent traffic accidents and traffic violation
– Discord in familial and social relationships
– Possibility of developing obesity
Is ADHD treatment for adults in India available?
Professional help for ADHD treatment for adults, especially in India is available and can be accessed. A few ways to avail ADHD treatment for adults in India include –
- Contacting hospitals – getting in touch with psychologists can help diagnose any maladaptive behaviour at the earlier stages before it becomes more difficult to treat. Psychiatrists and health care professionals work in tandem and may use techniques and medications is necessary to treat ADHD among adults to improve functioning.
- Visiting counseling centres – counsellors and therapists play a major role in the treatment if ADHD. Various techniques such as can used for children and adults. Some of them include –
– Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): This therapy focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns into healthier ones through structured and scientific processes to help the individual improve their emotional states and pursue healthy coping.
– Behaviour therapy (BT): Behaviour therapy focuses onmodifying harmful behaviors through various forms of reinforcements to promote positive behavioural changes such as how to control impulses, how to ground yourself during stress and lack of attention, etc.
– Social skill training: Social skills training involves a group of techniques designed to help individuals improve interpersonal skills to maintain relationshipsthrough active-involvement activities such as role-playing.
– Familial/marital counseling: This branch of counseling specifically focuses on helping the client foster healthier and stronger bonds with their family members/spouses respectively by strengthening and developing their communication skills and suggesting techniques to inculcate empathy.
– Parent skills training: This involves a cluster of techniques that help parents manage the behaviour of their child more effectively, while fostering healthy and free communication, understanding the child’s perspective, and developing a healthy space for the child to grow. This is based on well-researched and scientific therapeutic techniques.
– Counseling: Counseling is a professional method of guidance and assistance to help clients become more resilient to their life problems. It involves most of the above-mentioned therapeutic techniques that not only help clients with ADHD, but any problem that one faces in life.
Why CoachForMind?
- Experienced Psychologists: We are a team of licensed RCI-registered clinical psychologists. Our team has the best practices involved in ADHD treatment for adults in India.
- Personalized Approach: We are dedicated to treating our clients with the best suited way, carefully curated as per the needs of the client adhering to one-on-one, client-centred therapy.
- Scientific Techniques: Our treatment plans and therapeutic methods are based on highly researched, scientific findings such as CBT and behaviour therpaies. These therapies are used in rewiring the brain into shifting from inattentive and hyperactive behaviours into healthy ways of coping from the issue and developing mindful habits.
- Quality service: We at CoachForMind ensure quality services in our treatment regime and therapeutic approaches. Our clients hold most value to us, so we ground our techniques in empathy while maintaining professionalism.
For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly at coachformind@gmail.com
