The Elisabeth d'Ornano Association for ADHD

Abstract:

Despite the general belief that Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD) is diagnosed too often during childhood, only 50% of children with this disorder are diagnosed and not all are treated, leaving some 3 to 4% of adults to suffer.

Moreover, according to psychiatrist Rafael Benito, of the Quirón Donostia Hospital, 60% of hyperactive children still have symptoms as adults. These are people who are less satisfied with their marriages, marry more than once, and in most cases suffer more psychological problems such as hostility, depression, anxiety or phobias.

Also, these patients change jobs more frequently, either because they quit impulsively or because they are fired for performance issues or conduct. They also have more destructive behavior, insomnia, tension and anxiety.

However, the fact that adults could be affected by the problem has arisen in the past two decades as various studies between 15 and 17 years long have confirmed that 50 to 70% of children who suffer from this problem will continue to present symptoms during adulthood.

For Doctor Benedict, author of the guide 'Developments in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder throughout life’ ADHD in adults has “very serious consequences in almost all areas of the patient's life" that begin to be established from the results of the study and relationships in childhood.

According to the expert, ADHD "is not just a problem with paying attention or a difficulty with staying still." "In recent years research has gone beyond the obvious, indicating that distraction or a hyperactive nature are not just emerging problems but are problems caused by the deterioration of a set of brain activities called executive functions," he concluded.