What is ADHD?

“ADHD, the energy to do anything. The focus to accomplish nothing.”

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a chronic medical condition which often begins in childhood and continues into adulthood. It is thought to affect 3–9% of school-age children and young people and about 2% of adults worldwide.

ADHD is a neurological condition which is characterised by difficulty in paying attention, excessive activity or difficulty controlling behaviour which is not appropriate for the individuals’ age.

Medical research has shown that there are distinct differences in the structure of the brain. There is a theory that states it could be attributed to the way in which certain chemicals in the brain, (dopamine and noradrenalin) work, but it appears that the elevated numbers may be due to the adaption to the exposure of stimulants.

As it is connected to the brain and the way in which it works, there is a good chance the individuals will have the condition throughout their lives. It’s known that roughly 60% of children with the condition continue with it into adulthood.

What I like about a person with ADHD is their energy and enthusiasm. It’s almost as if they are like Energizer bunnies! I often wish that I also had the same amount of energy; it makes me tired just looking at my son. I personally believe there are many positives about ADHD, and these positives need to be embraced! As part of this blog, I will share with you some of the strategies that can be put in place to make life easier, not only for the person with ADHD, but also for those of you that have to live with the person suffering from ADHD!

There are a lot of theories flying around about this condition and I would like to give people the correct information and dispel the stigma around this Mental Disorder. There are quite a lot of things—small and big—that can be done to help individuals throughout their daily lives, which I intend to share in more detail in the blogs to come.

There are people who dispute this condition completely. However, for the people who have to live with this condition on a daily basis, the struggle is very real.

I have made it my mission to find out as much as I can about ADHD. Following the diagnoses, unfortunately, they did not issue us with a “how to” guide, rather were we left pretty much to our own devices. My purpose here is to raise awareness around ADHD and equip you the reader as best as I can on how to deal with this.