My nephew was making my sister and her husband crazy. He was fidgety, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself, and he was always losing things. His grades weren’t very good and his teachers were frustrated because he was constantly distracting other kids. He would do impulsive things that ended up with him breaking things or getting hurt.

My sister took him to be evaluated. It was determined that he was suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and he was put on medicine to help control it. That was several years ago. He is a sophomore in high
school now and he is doing much better. On occasion, he still does impulsive things that get him into trouble. My sister isn’t sure if that is due to his ADHD or just that he is a teenager doing teenager things.

When I decided to write on this topic, I called him up and asked him about his ADHD. I asked him to think
back before his diagnosis and what that was like. He said it was like his mind was bouncing around a lot. It was really difficult for him to stay on one topic. School was torture for him. The teachers would want him to do his work, but his mind was off somewhere else. He would try to bring his focus back, but then his thoughts would turn to something else.

I asked him if he ever felt that something was wrong or not normal. He said at times he couldn’t understand why he kept doing things that were getting him in trouble. It was upsetting to him when everyone was angry with him. He was
angry with himself whenever he got in to trouble, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. It wasn’t until he was put on medicine that he finally felt like he could think more clearly. He was surprised at how much easier it was to keep his focus on his tasks. The fact that his teachers and parents aren’t getting angry with him so much anymore is a relief.

Finally, I asked him how he felt about having to take medicine to control his ADHD. He admitted he does not like taking the medicine, but he knows that the medicine is important to help him keep in control. He feels good when he gets good grades now. He likes that he can stay focused enough to be on sports teams and participate in other school activities. If it hadn’t been for the medicine helping him to stay focused, he doubts that his parents would have trusted him to get his driver’s license.

As of 2006, 4.5 million children 5-17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD. It isn’t just kids who suffer from ADHD. Adults do too. If you, or someone you know has been diagnosed with ADHD, you may want to check out these resources:

• Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention has information on Diagnosing ADHD, Data and Statistics, and Take the Next Step After Diagnosis.
• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) has a list of blogs on ADHD, a finding support section, and a list of conferences and training programs to help professionals, parents, and individuals dealing with ADHD.
• Medlineplus.gov has compiled ADHD resources for you, including information on Managing ADHD, Treatments, and Related Issues. They also have many links to materials written in Spanish.
• National Institute of Mental Health has publications on ADHD.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has information on ADHD.
• National Resource Center on ADHD has an “Ask the Expert” Online Chat where you can get answers to your questions. Or you can call 1-800-233-4050. They have an FAQs section, and a large library of books, scientific articles and other materials so you can conduct your own research. Sometimes kids grow into adulthood having not been diagnosed. If you are an adult who suspects you may be suffering from ADHD, here is an article on Diagnosing ADHD in Adults.
• Usa.gov’s ADHD results page.

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