While attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders in children, it is oftentimes diagnosed in adults as well. In fact, during the course of one's life, over eight percent of adults 18-44 years of age will be diagnosed with adult ADHD. While this disorder can affect both adult men and women, males are three times more likely to be diagnosed. Another interesting statistic to note is that those who grew up in a primarily English speaking home have four times the increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD was first added to the second edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1968 under the name “hyperkinetic impulse disorder.” By the time the third edition was released in 1980, the APA (American Psychological Association) changed the name to attention deficit disorder (ADD) with or without hyperactivity. It wasn't until the revised edition was released in 1987 that the name ADHD was given, and this has been the official term for the disorder since. Over the past eight years, the prevalence of diagnosis of ADHD has increased by 42 percent.
Clearly more and more people are being diagnosed with ADHD, and while it's much more common to receive a diagnosis for this disorder as a child, adults are being diagnosed with ADHD as well. This is a disorder that is surrounded by controversy as to whether or not it is even a legit diagnosis. If one were to review the full history of this diagnosis before it was added to the DSM, one would find that the original definition of it was termed in 1902 as an “abnormal defect of moral control in children.” This is a rather vague, subjective description of the diagnosis most are familiar with today.
Many symptoms of social change within mainstream society have been termed diagnoses without actual validation of biological upset or cause over the years. In fact, homosexuality has even been termed a mental health disorder in the past that has since been removed from the DSM. This leaves many to question whether or not ADHD is real or fabricated.
Symptoms of Adult ADHD
It can be a bit more difficult to diagnose ADHD in adults than in children, as there is a strong likelihood for this to be comorbid with a variety of other mental health disorders. For children, there must be 6 of the following symptoms present for at least six months in order to be diagnosed:
- Hyperactivity or excessive daydreaming
- Constantly in motion
- Squirming or fidgeting
- Excessive talking
- Inability to listen
- Becoming easily distracted
- Interrupting others when they speak
- Inability to finish tasks
- Difficulty being quiet
- Space intrusion of others
Adults only need to present five of the above symptoms in order to receive an ADHD diagnosis, and the criteria of hyperactivity may present a bit differently in adults; appearing as restlessness, or high levels of activity that wear others out.
Treating Adult ADHD
For many of you reading this, the aforementioned symptoms may sound like someone you know, or even yourself, and not necessarily an issue with mental health. However, for many, these symptoms can create difficulties with concentration to the degree that they interfere with day-to-day functioning and tasks, such as work and relationships. This prompts many adults to seek treatment.
The go-to method for treating ADHD in children is to prescribe amphetamine stimulants and implement behavioral therapy interventions. For adults, the treatments can vary a bit from the same form of medications and therapy to medical Cannabis, and a wide variety of holistic treatment methods, such as essential oils and micronutrients.
When it comes to taking stimulants, there's a great amount of variance in terms of how effective symptoms are alleviated for each individual. There are also a number of side-effects that come with taking such medications. These drugs the legal equivalent of taking street methamphetamines, which are the most destructive drugs for the body and mind. It can be a slippery slope for a person who experiments with such medications, and they have a high street value when sold to those who do not have prescriptions for a reason.
ADHD medications do not affect everyone the same. For a person who suffers from ADHD, these medications can make them calm, more docile, and can even put them to sleep. On the flip side when someone who doesn't have ADHD takes these medications, they act like stimulants that can give them a rush or euphoric high, decrease appetite, speed up speech, and basically act like a large dose of caffeine. These medications are also addictive, and research has shown several links between those diagnosed with ADHD with substance abuse and alcoholism.
Many believe that taking ADHD medications can be a precursor for substance abuse, while others believe it's the qualities of a person with ADHD that make them more susceptible to substance abuse. Either way, if a person is at greater risk for abusing substances, it seems a bit risky to prescribe them with such medications. This leaves many to ponder whether or not stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall are the new “gateway drug.”
A Better Solution for Coping with Adult ADHD
In recent years there's been a plethora of research surrounding the use of micronutrients to treat both children and adults who suffer from ADHD. These studies administered the most essential blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids needed for the body and mind to function at an optimal level. The results found these to be effective at alleviating and treating the symptoms of ADHD, and a variety of other mental health disorders. The best news is that they are helping heal the body and mind from the inside out—giving us the balanced nutrition that we need with far fewer side effects than one would expect when taking an ADHD stimulant medication.
Some of you may be wondering where to find such a micronutrient on the market today. While there are a few micronutrient blends that have been manufactured over the years, they are not all created equal. The folks at Focus Essentials have spent years mastering their formula of micronutrients, and have found it to be most effective at treating mental health, so much so that the founder has given this blend to several members of his own family, and they are all experiencing improved mental health and clarity.
When it came time to manufacture this blend to make it available to the general public, there was some difficulty with finding a manufacturer who would produce it just as it had been created, as many manufacturers do not carry all of the ingredients needed. The team at Focus Essentials did not let that stop them, however, and they kept searching until they found the right manufacturer who would create their formula as it was originally intended for maximum mental health benefits.
This premium formula is available for purchase today. If you'd like to stray away from the potential dangers that taking stimulants to treat adult ADHD can bring, you owe it to yourself to try the micronutrient formula created by Focus Essentials. You have nothing to lose, as if it doesn't give you the results you're hoping for and alleviate your symptoms, you'll get your money back in full.