Adult ADHD: Why Adults Should Seek Treatment

Adult ADHD: Why Adults Should Seek Treatment

July 24, 2008 by
Carly Hart  
Carly Hart
Carly Hart
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Adult  |  Adhd Treatment  |  Vyvanse  |  Concerta  |  Adult ADHD  |  Adult Add

New Drugs, Such as Vyvanse, Now Available to Treat Adult ADHD Symptoms

Approximately 8 Million Americans suffer from Adult ADHD. Adult ADHD is quite similar to the childhood version in that adults' symptoms mirror many of those experienced by children with the disorder. Symptoms of ADHD can
Adult ADHD: Why Adults Should Seek Treatment
 include inattention to detail, having your mind wander off tasks easily, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. The same symptoms that would lead to trouble in school for children can lead to trouble in the work place.

Considering that Adult ADHD can have a significant impact on adults in the work place, as well as adversely affecting relationships, ADHD in adults is getting more attention. Prescription medication is available and the FDA recently approved Vyvanse to treat adult sufferers. According to the Vyvanse press release in April, a study of 414 adults between the ages of 18 and 55 that was performed over a one-month period showed significant improvement of symptoms within just one week.

Economic Ramifications

A report that appears on the Pubmed website of the NIH, authored by Louis S. Matza, et al. discusses the economic ramifications of ADHD. According to the report, Adults with ADHD can suffer from various work problems such as poor job performance, having a lower job title, less stability in their job, as well as increased work absences. In a 2005, WedMD article placed a $10,000 figure on lost earnings to adults who suffer from Adult ADHD. For professionals the economic hit was even larger: $40,000 for those with advanced post-graduate degrees.

Much the same as children with ADHD are accident prone, and since symptoms often carry over to adulthood, it only makes sense to infer that adult sufferers are also accident prone. The inability to focus in class for a youngster will affect the ability to learn, whereas the inability to focus on tasks such as driving a vehicle or running machinery could be quite dangerous. The above-referenced report did find that ADHD patients across the board, child and adult alike, suffered more accidents than the non-affected population.

Treatment Options

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real question;why would would anyone want to kill 2 birds?them to kill
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Posted on 12/28/2008 at 11:12:47 PM

Important exploration into this disorder.
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 9:12:58 PM

I have ADHD and I'm an adult. Sometimes it seems to get worse as I get older but as another poster said, I can't medicate myself for it. I've tried. Medication makes me either feel worse or brings on a whole other host of side effects that don't make the medication worth it. As someone with ADHD, you can't "make" yourself not have it but you can train yourself how to use it to your advantage and use other methods (taking notes, etc.) to increase memory retention, etc.
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 4:12:09 PM

I am a mother of an 11 year old with ADHD and ODD. He has been 'held back' in school twice, not because he isn't smart, but because he can't focus, pay attention, sit still,etc. Medication is a hard decision, especially for a child, but that medication allows him the ability to wind down, study, say what he means rather than stumble over his words. Medication is a personal choice, but it is helping my son in his school career, and for many adults, it helps keep their jobs. I know ADHD and ADD adults that lose jobs consistently because of their impulsive behaviors. Every medication is different, and Adderall was NOT GOOD for my son, I will even venture to say it was BAD, but his medication does help him learn, and for many adults it does help them keep their jobs. With todays economy, that is important. Everyone has their own opinion, but many just want to focus on possible side effects, and not the good the medications can do for an individual. Thanks for this article! There is a futur
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 3:12:50 PM

Excellent article, Carly. For those with severe ADHD, medication is a blessing.
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 9:12:39 AM

I have had ADHD my whole life. I do not take medication, nor would I consider it. Yes it is more difficult but so what. I have learned to use it to my advantage. When you take time to get to know what it does to you, it makes it easier to use it to be more productive. I have been officially diagnosed but just can't bring myself to be medicated. Informative article
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 8:12:42 AM

I'm of two minds about medications for ADD/ADHD. I've had ADD all my life (undiagnosed, no hyperactivity), and even though there are aspects of it that make my life very difficult, what would have helped far more than any drugs would have been knowing techniques for dealing with it. I have quite a few disabilities that, if I had been born much later, would have had me subjected to all kinds of medications and "interventions" without regard to my real needs. So, even though I've had to find my own ways of coping, I'm grateful never to have been officially diagnosed with anything. And... this is not a criticism of you, but of a dominant current mindset---I'm really sick and tired of seeing every person with a disability of some kind being referred to as suffering.
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 8:12:04 AM

Very interesting!
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Posted on 12/18/2008 at 6:12:52 AM

Good information, just what I needed to help my husband
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Posted on 10/17/2008 at 3:10:25 PM

I see how the drug companies profit from the treatment of "Adult ADHD," but I don't see the benefit for the people who are diagnosed with it. ADHD drugs are typically Class II stimulants, the same class cocaine falls in. If you give anyone a stimulant, or a drug of any kind, of course their behavior is going to change, but it creates numerous harmful side effects and never addresses the source of the problem. You could be hyperactive, inattentive and impulsive for a number of reasons, ranging from the people in your environment to your diet, none of which have anything to do with a so-called disorder. Maybe we need to stop calling every behavior a disorder we can develop a drug to "treat" and start finding solutions that address the actual source of the problem.
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Posted on 08/04/2008 at 11:08:50 PM

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