“My thoughts were runaways, constantly taking me away…I disappeared in the middle of conversations…because someone said something so interesting that my mind chased after the idea…I lived in a long reverie…” ― Rebecca Solnit
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not a character flaw. ADHD is a legitimate neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by structural and functional differences in brain networks regulating attention, motivation, cognitive flexibility, working memory, executive function, psychomotor control, and emotional regulation. These differences are related to imbalance in neurotransmitters, primarily norepinephrine and dopamine. ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence, and some of the smartest, most creative people in the world have ADHD. Nevertheless, ADHD can have serious negative impact on academic and career achievement, relationships, self-image, and quality of life.
If you have ADHD, you are in good company. About 15% of children and 8% of adults have ADHD, and about half of affected people have severe impairments in function. The majority of people with ADHD also have other mental health conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety, autism, and sleep disorders. Unfortunately, only about 60% of people with ADHD are diagnosed and treated, and only about 30% receive adequate treatment. Untreated ADHD can have significant negative consequences, increasing risk for serious accidents and injuries, obesity, substance abuse, dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, unemployment, criminality and incarceration, being the victim of violent crime and sex offenses, and suicide. Fortunately, ADHD is very treatable. With effective treatment, most people with ADHD can live happy, healthy, successful lives.
At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness in Golden and Greenwood Village, Colorado, our team of board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychotherapists offer expert care for ADHD. We will start with a thorough diagnostic evaluation, to identify ADHD and any other psychiatric comorbidities. Neurocognitive testing can confirm the diagnosis and provide objective evidence needed when requesting work or school accommodations. Our holistic approach to treatment combines highly effective medications, psychotherapy, nutritional interventions, stress management, sleep management, exercise, vitamins, supplements, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other integrative interventions. Your treatment plan will effectively treat your ADHD and any other psychiatric conditions, and help you maximize your overall health and wellness.
If you are interested in holistic psychiatric treatment for ADHD at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness in Golden or Greenwood Village, Colorado, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to request an in-person or telehealth intake appointment today.
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Q &A
What causes ADHD?
There are three primary risk factors for ADHD:
1) Genetics. The heritability of ADHD is the highest of any psychiatric disorder at approximately 80-90%. This means that if someone in your immediate family (parents, siblings, or children) has depression, you are much more likely to have it yourself.
2) Prenatal and childhood environmental exposures. Maternal asthma, exposure to phthalates, and use of tobacco, acetaminophen, and valproate during pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of ADHD in the child. Childhood exposure to lead, organophosphates, secondhand smoke, and viral and bacterial infections can also increase risk for ADHD, and adverse childhood experiences such as poverty, residential instability, and parental substance abuse, criminality, and psychiatric disorders more than double the risk for ADHD.
3) Poor nutrition. Growing up on a diet including high amounts of red meat, processed meats, refined flour, sugar, salt, and hydrogenated fats increases the risk of ADHD by 92%. High amounts of processed foods, artificial food coloring, and soft drinks compounds the risk. Deficiencies in specific nutrients, including Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1 and B2, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, selenium, and Omega 3 Fatty Acids are also risk factors for ADHD. Gut dysbiosis, or imbalance in intestinal bacteria, also increases risk.
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
ADHD causes two main groups of symptoms:
Inattention: Due to dysregulation in the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, people with ADHD have trouble with motivation, paying attention, focusing for prolonged periods, and switching attention back and forth between tasks. This causes difficulty starting projects, staying on task without getting distracted, and completing final details of projects. People with ADHD often “zone out” during conversations, lectures at school, and meetings at work, and will miss details or not remember topics that were discussed. They tend to make careless errors, even when they have a good understanding of a topic or task. They also frequently misplace things like phones, wallets, and keys, and forget about appointments and obligations. Because urgency causes release of norepinephrine, people with ADHD often find that they are able to focus and complete tasks better as they get closer to a deadline. People with ADHD can also perform better on tasks and topics they find interesting, because interest causes release of dopamine. People with ADHD can even hyperfocus on interesting and urgent tasks.
Hyperactivity and Impulsivity: Dysregulation in dopamine and norepinephrine are also involved in how the brain tells the body to move, how the brain decides when it is necessary and appropriate to move, and interpreting whether behaviors and actions will be beneficial or harmful. People with ADHD often feel compelled to move constantly, which leads to difficulty slowing down and relaxing, and discomfort and fidgeting when forced to sit or stand still. They also have a hard time suppressing urges, which causes them to blurt things out at inappropriate times, interrupt, finish people’s sentences, say or do things impulsively, and have difficulty regulating their emotional reactions.
Some people with ADHD have mostly inattentive symptoms, and some have mostly hyperactive and impulsive symptoms, but the majority of people have a combination of both types of symptoms.
How is ADHD treated?
At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, our team of board certified psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychotherapists treat ADHD using a holistic and integrative approach. Mild cases of ADHD often improve with coaching to improve organizational and study skills, psychotherapy to help with emotional regulation, dietary changes, vitamins, supplements, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress management, meditation, and yoga. Moderate to severe ADHD usually requires adding medication to these strategies. Medications for ADHD include stimulants and non-stimulant options, and both can be highly effective. These medications usually have very manageable side effects, and most resolve in the first weeks of treatment. Genetic testing can help identify which medications are more or less likely to be effective and well tolerated for you. The vast majority of patients we treat for ADHD are able to effectively control their symptoms, leading to great improvement in work or school performance, management of responsibilities, relationships with friends and family, and self-esteem and well-being.
If you would like to learn more about holistic psychiatric treatment for ADHD at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness in Golden or Greenwood Village, Colorado, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to request an in-person or telehealth intake appointment today.
Sources
https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts
https://mhanational.org/mentalhealthfacts
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7064804/
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11920-020-1141-x.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9608000/
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/ADHD