ADHD AWARENESS PART 2

 CAUSES OF ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

 

During this month of September, which is set aside as 'Suicide Prevention Month', we at Kirangi Dogs are creating awareness on ADHD, a neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological disorder which if untreated can lead to depression, anxiety and increased incidence of suicide.

 First, we would like to state that the information we share here is sorely for the purpose of creating awareness and is not meant to be used for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment. If you suspect that you or your child have symptoms of ADHD, consult a qualified medical practitioner who understands this condition e.g. a Psychiatrist, Occupational Therapist, Pediatrician or Clinical Psychologist.

Causes

Medical practitioners identified ADHD over 240yrs ago. However, there was a lot about it that remained unclear until the last two decades. At first, the cause was declared idiopathic meaning it was a disorder of unknown cause.  With much research and advancement in diagnostic imaging technology, it is now clear that ADHD is a genetic disorder caused by underdevelopment in certain areas of the brain that cause delay in the development of an individual's executive function. The term genetic means there are families that are more likely to have the disorder running among its members due to specific genetic mutations that are found in the genetic make-up of members of that family.

Since the purpose of this blog is to create awareness, we will not get into a detailed mentioning of the underdeveloped parts with all the neuroanatomical terms.  It is important to note that the areas affected control cognitive functions, working memory, emotional regulation, the balance between inhibition and excitation etc.     

The executive function refers to skills that we develop to enable us effectively run our daily life activities such as planning, problem solving, self-organization, self-motivation and emotional self-regulation. ADHD interferes with all these functions, hindering them from being able to completing tasks in a timely and organized manner.

With advancement in diagnostic imaging technology such as MRI and PET scans, researchers have been able to find out that in individuals with ADHD, the areas of the brain that control executive function are smaller in size by between 3-10%. There is also 10-25% reduction in their activity level.  These causes up to 2-3 years delay in development in executive functioning. What this means is that a 10-yr-old child with ADHD will function like a 7-year-old child in executive functioning. Their working memory that enables one to plan and follow through an activity is greatly affected. Structural differences will however disappear by adolescence but the disorder will persist to adulthood in a big percentage of those affected by ADHD.

Gender Differences

At first, it was thought that there are more boys than girls who are affected by ADHD but the gender difference in diagnosed cases was due to the fact that there is a difference in the way the symptoms are appear in the two genders. Boys/men tend to be more hyperactive and so they are easily singled out. On the other hand, girls/women tend to internalize their symptoms and are more susceptible to depression because they interpret the disorder as 'I am not good enough'. When females with ADHD are unable to develop interpersonal relationships, a trait with persons with ADHD, they internalize and blame themselves as not being good enough or attractive enough and this can lead to depression, anxiety and increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts. Girls also tend to compensate for their lack of progress with overworking.

How does ADHD contribute to more cases of depression and suicide incidence? Well, it us not that people with ADHD do not know what to do. They know what to do but their brain malfunctioning hinders them from executing the required behavior to achieve success in activities that bring self-satisfaction, motivation, and eventually a sense of accomplishment. There is a disconnect between the parts of the brain that 'know' what to do and the parts that are supposed to coordinate the required behavior/action. They are normally reprimanded for not completing tasks. They receive more punishment and overcorrection when those around them do not understand ADHD and how it affects individuals.

ADHD causes lack of self-motivation and self-regulation. All these have the effect of causing depression in persons suffering from ADHD compared to those who don't have the condition. Persons with ADHD always carry with them that sense of frustration due to poor occupational performance.

The key to helping these people is proper understanding of the condition among family members, educational staff, medical practitioners and the general population. Secondly, getting the proper medication, therapy, and environmental adaptations is of paramount importance.

The use of owning pets especially dogs to help individuals with ADHD better manage their condition and minimize the severity of the condition has been scientifically proven to be very effective. First, by just spending time with your dog, playing, petting grooming, training etc., one gets tremendous mental health benefits. It increases the production of the good hormones in the brain namely dopamine. This helps prevent depression and lowers stress and anxiety levels. Additionally, one gets to exercise his or her body, something that is highly recommended and included in managing ADHD.

Service Dogs

Service dogs, belong to a category of specially trained dogs that assist persons with various types of disabilities like ADHD, Autism, PTSD, Migraines, the blind, among others. There other service dogs that are trained to help persons with conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, etc. by alerting them to an impending crisis like seizures. This is a highly specialized area of dog training and can only be done by a qualified trainer who is thoroughly conversant with dog training and understands these conditions well.  It is not every dog breed that can become a service dog. The breed type, individual dog selection and proper training are mandatory.  Do not attempt to train a service dog without the help of a qualified service dog trainer. Make sure you are dealing with a person who really understands the condition for which the dog is being trained for, and that he/she is a qualified to train the dog using the right training methods that do not hurt the dog or people. 

ADHD Dogs

Dogs that are specially trained to work with persons with ADHD are classified among Psychiatric dogs.  They can assist to improve memory and focus.  They also help the person with ADHD avoid the development of other occupational injuries like neck and back pain due to maintaining one posture for too long while working on something that is interesting to them. These dogs help in preventing emotional  breakdowns and social overstimulation in crowded social events. They can be trained offer deep pressure therapy among many other interventions. 

If you know someone who might be suffering from ADHD and may need assistance or more information, please contact our Occupational Therapist @ Kirangi Dogs using the phone number or e-mail provided on this blog page. 

email @kirangidogs.gmail.co

Call: 0789535569

Do not forget to visit our website  @ kirangidogs.com.