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When it comes to describing common symptoms of adult ADHD, the list would probably not contain hyperfocus or the intense concentration on something to such a degree that all else is ignored. Hyperfocus is the “flip side” of distractibility that is expected with ADHD; while it may not be a deficit of attention, it is a problem of being able to regulate one’s attention span when involved in a specific task or activity that is found stimulating and personally rewarding.

Hyperfocus and Dis-Regulation 

Research from Georgetown University Medical School in Washington, D.C. reports that hyperfocus is a coping mechanism for dealing with the distraction so typical with ADHD.  In understanding how ADHD affects adults, it can be said that ADHD does not mean having a short attention span – adult ADHD means having a dis-regulated attention system.

Hyperfocus as a Coping Mechanism

Hyperfocus acts as a coping mechanism for tuning out the chaos in one’s mind, making them oblivious to everything else that is going on around them. Health-line.com reports that hyperfocus makes a person completely lose track of time, neglect their work, forget to keep track of their finances or bills, ignore those around them, as well as causing relationship misunderstandings and problems.

Positive Side of Hyperfocus

Working with an experienced Adult ADHD psychiatrist who has had success treating hyperfocus issues is critical for a positive outcome. Treatment may include learning how to channel hyperfocus into a productive activity or task instead of finding themselves deep into unproductive or negative activities in addition to ignoring their daily responsibilities and tasks.

Adult Hyperfocus and Medication

The use of medication does decrease the distractibility issues; likewise the frequency of hyperfocus episodes will also decrease. Working with a specially trained mental health professional is key to developing the medication schedule and treatment strategies for the best possible outcome.

Call the office for an appointment with Dr. Hege today!

Being a parent is no easy task, but if you have adult ADHD the challenge dramatically increases. Medical News Today reports that ADHD parents find it difficult to be consistent with discipline, have a harder time problem solving when conflict arises, may be less likely to give praise, and tend to give commands or directions that are ineffective for follow through.

Medications Help ADHD Parents Manage

Being properly diagnosed and taking the right combination of medications provides parents with the extra help they may need to reduce the impact their adult ADHD has on their children, the family as a whole, and on themselves as well. Adult ADHD symptoms can affect all aspects of your life, but with parenting, the impact can make for a negative home atmosphere. Reacting to your child’s misbehavior or tantrums may turn an emotional event into feeling like you are losing control of the whole situation, sending you on an emotional roller coaster where you are unable regain control of the volatile situation. Proper adult ADHD medications help to keep you on an even keel.

ADHD Parents Who Seek Help Are Proactive

ADHD parents who look for help should be commended for taking a proactive step and admitting that they have special needs that need to be treated first. While many parents may put the needs of their family first, the ADHD parent may come to realize with help that having their ADHD under control will create the most positive changes for all.

Common Symptoms of Adult ADHD

While you may have one or several of the symptoms noted below, receiving a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis by a qualified psychiatrist is important as you may have one or more forms of adult ADHD, or other psychological issues that impact your mental health and ability to be the parent you want to be. Some common symptoms include:

For hyperactive episodes of adult ADHD:

• Fidgeting (a foot, a leg, tapping fingers, shifting in their seats)
• Difficulty with Relaxation (difficulty doing quiet activities, or seated activities)
• Feeling energized where they feel they need to be up and on the go

For ADHD adults with inattention and focus deficits:

• Distracted easily
• Impulsive behaviors
• Forgetfulness – misplacing items or frequently losing things
• Difficulty keeping a relationship for long periods of time
• Problems with keeping focus or attention on a conversation, a book, or a task
• May move from job to job
• Avoids or does not bother to finish tasks that are not easy or interesting

Atlanta Psychiatrist for Adult ADHD Parents

If you are an adult who is having difficulty with parenting issues and feel you may have ADHD, take the proactive step and call for an appointment.

MedicineNet.com reports that there are at least 4 million adult women with ADHD with up to 75% who have not been properly diagnosed yet. In a separate study the Daily Beast, a highly regarded online e-newspaper, supports the data that adult women with ADHD between the ages of 24 to 36 are the fastest growing population undergoing treatment for ADHD – in fact, between 2008 and 2012 the use of ADHD medication by this age group of women increased by 85%.

Diagnosis of Women With ADHD Often Missed

Girls that are not diagnosed with ADHD typically grow into adult women who continue to avoid proper diagnosis as they are not seen displaying the stereotypical symptoms and behaviors. Many girls and women tend to fall into the inattentive type of ADHD, and even when they do display episodes of hyperactivity, these bursts of energy are funneled into dealing with the multiple tasks involved with, for example, household duties, work, school, raising children, running errands, spending time with their partner, and maybe finding some “me” time along the way.

Women With ADHD Aged 26 to 34 Show Biggest Increases

It has been a common finding that women with ADHD tend to cope until they become unable to do so anymore.  Women between the ages of 26 to 34 find themselves facing multiple life changes and responsibilities such as college, employment, working on a permanent relationship and becoming a mother for the first time. Career, time constraints and financial demands require greater attention as well as add on to the stress of juggling the many hats that a woman wears. Women with undiagnosed ADHD find that they can no longer cope as the pressure and stress of daily life add up and reach a breaking point.

The Personal Cost of Undiagnosed ADHD in Women

There are many significant impacts of adult ADHD on women. The most common personal price that is paid is in developing a low self-esteem or poor self-concept. Women with undiagnosed ADHD are more likely to suffer through divorce and periods of unemployment. These women often have difficulty in making social connections, or in “living up” to their standard of what they think a good wife, mother or partner should be like. They often find themselves frustrated and under attack even when things are going well in their work or home life.

With an increased awareness of how adult ADHD affects women, the numbers of those seeking help is growing at a significant rate. With proper diagnosis and treatment often comes relief with the understanding of how ADHD has impacted their life.

Dr. Darvin Hege is ready to help you change your life now and for the future. Dr. Hege’s flexible office hours include evenings and weekends to better fit your schedule and needs. Call us today!

It is a common complaint from women going through menopause that they find themselves facing a wide range of emotional and physiological symptoms. Menopausal symptoms typically reported include irritability, moodiness, and overwhelming sadness, not to mention feeling over-fatigued, experiencing memory lapses and poor ability to think clearly. For women already diagnosed with ADHD, they become acutely aware that ADHD symptoms become more pronounced over a period of 10 years, starting in peri-menopause and continuing non-stop into menopause. Hormonal fluctuations do result in intensified ADHD symptoms. For women with undiagnosed ADHD who enter menopause they may find the intensity of the symptoms so great that they seek mental health intervention.

Hormonal Effects of Menopause on ADHD

By the time of menopause, a woman’s estrogen level has dropped by 65% over the course of the prior 10 years. Psych Central reports that decreasing estrogen leads to decreased levels of the “feel good” serotonin and dopamine levels found in the brain chemistry. The drop in estrogen levels can exacerbate ADHD symptoms which can appear suddenly in women in their 30s and 40s as well as in women who have reached menopause. Decreased serotonin levels can lead to a depressed mood, while decreased availability of dopamine directly affects the appearance of increased ADHD symptoms.

Common Challenges of ADHD during Menopause

An insufficient amount of dopamine is a classic sign of ADHD. Additional declines of dopamine levels during the peri-menopause and menopause phases may result in more severe difficulties with concentration, attention and focus. In addition, women may discover that they are having trouble staying organized, managing their time, making thought-out decisions or finding that they become forgetful of even common routine activities and appointments. With peri-menopause starting about 10 years before menopause, it is important for women to know that there is help for their symptoms. Being diagnosed with ADHD opens the door to forming a complete mental health treatment plan that can provide relief.

Treatment Options for ADHD and Menopause

Attitude magazine reports it is important to find an ADHD menopause experienced psychiatrist who is able to set up a successful treatment strategy and make medication adjustments as needed to meet your changing needs through the decades long peri-menopause phase to the menopause stage. Women who experience intense PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) may have undiagnosed ADHD. Receiving a correct comprehensive diagnosis can lighten the monthly depression, anxiety, irritability and “fuzzy headed” feelings that PMS and the pre-menstrual to menstrual phase bring.

Atlanta ADHD Menopause Psychiatrist

Dr. Darvin Hege is the expert when it comes to successful treatment of ADHD and menopause. Call the office for psychiatric treatment that will put your ADHD menopausal symptoms in check.

The diagnosis of ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a mental disorder that can include difficulty with paying attention, focusing on a task, displaying disruptive behaviors that can cause a problem at school, work or in one’s personal life. Other ADHD markers may also include exhibiting impulsive actions that could pose a safety risk and viewed as non-conforming behaviors that are not socially acceptable, or by reacting with episodes of hyper-activity which brings a feeling of chaos into an otherwise calm situation.

ADHD Diagnosis Broken Down into Subtypes for Clearer Understanding

Receiving the proper diagnosis is the first step toward finding the right treatment that works for you. HealthLine.com reports that ADD or attention deficit disorder is a term that was used years ago, it refers to those that have difficulty paying attention yet are not significantly impulsive or hyperactive in their behaviors and actions. When referring to ADD today, it is generally understood that it points to the inattentive sub-type of ADHD. Those with ADHD tend to exhibit difficulty with concentrating, paying attention, using organizational skills, as well as have problems with remembering details or directions, following instructions, or being able to focus in on their job trying to decipher the important meaning out from all the background noise and activity. In addition behaviors related to ADHD when left untreated include problematic confrontations with friends, family and co-workers.

ADD or ADHD: What’s the Difference?

The difference between ADD and ADHD is that today the terms are merged into one ADHD diagnosis with the sub-type of either inattention, impulsivity or hyperactivity as the prominent factor. An adult may display disruptive behaviors from one sub-type such as inattention, or have a combination of two or all three sub-types. A combination of sub-types may not all be exhibited equally at the same time, and their interfering factors may change from day to day, and situation to situation. Finding an experienced adult ADHD psychiatrist is critical in order to determine how each aspect or sub-type is interrelated, how it impacts your life, and how to adjust the right medication(s). Medicating for one problematic behavior without having a whole-person strategy in place will not provide an effective treatment plan.

Adult ADHD Psychiatrist Provides Comprehensive Treatment

Dr. Darvin Hege is the Atlanta area expert in adult ADHD to call. Dr. Hege will make the correct diagnosis and develop a personalized treatment plan which may incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy or an adjunct therapy in addition to medication.

Call the office to set up an appointment convenient for your life’s schedule.

More and more women are being diagnosed with adult ADD or adult attention deficit disorder by mental health professionals due to the increasing awareness and public education. Even Dr. Oz recently discussed on air the topic of adult women with ADD with a board certified psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at NYU Medical Center, who reports that ADD in women is under recognized, under diagnosed and under treated.

Women with Adult ADD Struggle with Their Symptoms

ADD is a neurological disorder, often hidden and ignored which causes women to struggle with their ADD symptoms in silence. ADD often mimics and co-exists with many other conditions and mood disorders where symptoms are commonly diagnosed as depression, anxiety, low self esteem, or chronic fatigue syndrome. An experienced psychiatrist with a successful history of treating women with ADD would make the correct diagnosis, allowing proper effective treatment to begin immediately.

Adult ADD Diagnosis for Women Starts with Warning Signs

Women with ADD are often described as quiet day-dreamers, easily distracted, unable to complete tasks or assignments on time, periods of time where they are moody, anxious, frustrated or easily angered. Women with ADD are also more prone to develop eating disorders and may struggle with weight gain and obesity. These warning signs are typically explained away by the excuse “it is just the way I am,” or “it is just my personality.”

Furthermore, women and society view these “personality characteristics” as stemming from a busy stressful life trying to manage home, work, kids, and personal relationships — not from a treatable diagnosis of adult ADD. Women with ADD are often misdiagnosed as they may only exhibit subtle hyperactivity, quite unlike the typical hyperactivity such as thrill seeking impulsive behaviors displayed by males. A qualified adult ADD psychiatrist would uncover the “hidden” diagnosis during their comprehensive evaluation.

Common Experiences of Women with Adult ADD

Findings published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and the Journal of Clinical Psychology report common reported experiences of women who were diagnosed with ADD in adulthood. The majority of women are diagnosed with adult ADD in their 30s and 40s and report the following behaviors and beliefs:

• Display a “learned helpless style,” often blaming themselves when “bad” things happen
• Adult women with ADD begin to think they have no power to change a negative situation, which over time turns in to the belief they are unable to accomplish anything in life
• Increased likelihood to report a history of anxiety and depression
• History of taking prescribed psychotropic medications

Atlanta Psychiatrist for Women with Adult ADD

Obtaining the correct diagnosis is the first step toward the development of a treatment plan that will free you from the bonds that have prevented you from reaching your true potential. Call Dr. Darvin Hege, the Atlanta psychiatrist with a long successful history of treating adult women with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Change your life for the positive. Contact us today.

The American Journal of Psychiatry published a research study which proposed that while ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is most typically thought of as a pediatric and adolescent disorder, approximately 4.4% of adults in the U.S. have symptoms of ADHD that were either never addressed as a child, or where the adult is unaware that they have the disorder. If you’ve been exhibiting any symptoms of ADHD, Atlanta psychiatrist Dr. Hege can provide an evaluation and prescribe medications to help.

Diagnosis of Adult ADHD is Difficult & Often Missed

There are over 230 million adults 18 years of age and older in the U.S., accounting for 76% of the country’s total population. The numbers show that over 10 million adults not only show symptoms of ADHD, they also exhibit co-morbid disorders; such as bipolar disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder, which significantly complicate a diagnosis and have an impact on the treatment options.

Many physicians and mental health professionals often miss the appropriate diagnosis of ADHD in adults as the symptoms manifest differently in adults then they do with the children they commonly diagnose with ADHD. The Mayo Clinic takes note that adult ADHD symptoms are intermixed with numerous issues such as having a poor employment history, difficulty with academic work, unstable long term relationships, being accident prone, and struggling with substance abuse to name a few.

Symptoms of Adult ADHD

Adults with symptoms of ADHD also exhibit anxiety and mood disorders, depression, impulse control disorders and demonstrate impairments in executive functioning; these higher levels of cognitive functioning directly impact on the ability to perform as an employee, a parent, a spouse, and as a productive member of society.

Executive function refers to the brain’s ability to focus, integrate and manage multiple tasks, organize thoughts and ideas, as well as appropriately handle emotional control. An adult with ADHD would also exhibit problems with memory and recall, ability to complete routine tasks, distractibility, and difficulty with timeliness. Impairment in any of the areas of executive function is tightly interlaced with the symptoms of adult ADHD.

Atlanta Adult ADHD Specialist

Working with a specialist in adult ADHD is critical for a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis followed by the development of a specific medication regime.  Dr. Darvin Hege is a highly respected Atlanta adult ADHD specialist, who not only treats the symptoms, he also successfully focuses on the foundational causative factor of ADHD bringing his patients satisfaction and enjoyment in their lives.

If you or a loved one is exhibiting any of the symptoms for adult ADHD, please call Dr. Hege, for an initial appointment and evaluation.

Reprinted from boston.com

Ritalin and other drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder are safe for adults’ hearts, even though they can increase blood pressure and heart rate, according to the largest study of these medicines in adults.

The results echo findings in a study of children with ADHD, by the same researchers, published last month.

The review of health records for more than 440,000 adults aged 25 to 64 showed those taking ADHD drugs had about the same number of heart attacks, strokes and sudden heart-related deaths as adults who didn’t use those drugs.

Although attention deficit disorder is usually thought of as a condition in childhood, many continue to have symptoms as adults, including impulsive, fidgety behavior and difficulty focusing or paying attention. ADHD affects about 4 percent of U.S. adults, roughly 9 million. About 8 percent of U.S. children aged 3 to 17, or 5 million kids, have ever been diagnosed with the disorder, government statistics show.

More than 1.5 million U.S. adults were taking stimulants used for ADHD in 2005, and use of ADHD drugs increased more rapidly in adults than in kids over the past decade, the study said.

The research will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Dec. 28 print edition, but was released online Monday because of its public health importance, journal editors said.

More than 150,000 ADHD medication users were involved in several states. Their health records over up to 20 years were compared with similar adults who did not use those drugs.

Overall, there were 1,357 heart attacks, 575 strokes and 296 sudden cardiac deaths. Roughly equal numbers occurred in ADHD drug users and nonusers.

Study participants used the drugs for an average of less than a year, which is short, but the upper range of use was almost 14 years, and there was no sign of increasing risk with longer use, the authors said, led by Laurel Habel of the research division at Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland.

A journal editorial says the study provides encouraging news, given lingering concerns about isolated reports of heart problems and sudden deaths in users of some ADHD drugs.

The findings support the Food and Drug Administration’s decision in 2006 against putting a black box warning about serious heart events on ADHD drug labels. But despite the results, medical histories and exams should still be performed for all patients before starting ADHD drugs, and periodic evaluations should be done during drug treatment, said editorial author Dr. Philip Shaw of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the FDA helped pay for the study

See original article at http://articles.boston.com/2011-12-12/lifestyle/30507967_1_adhd-drugs-attention-deficit-disorder-heart-attacks

Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) affects 4.4 % of adults. Hallmark adult ADHD symptoms are inattention, distractibility, and impulsivity. If you have adult ADHD, the symptoms were present in childhood but may not have become a prominent problem until adulthood. As adults, we accumulate an increasing burden of responsibilities. These responsibilities include marriage, family, job, and finances. Our brain's ability to filter and prioritize the multitude of demands placed upon it may be overwhelmed. Expectations of us as mature, responsible adults include modulating our anger and fears, listening to and hearing our spouses and bosses explicit and implied instructions, and to be able to focus and concentrate to read required reports and instructions. If we have the drag of ADHD present, we may become "stressed out", depressed, overly anxious, or turn to alcohol, drug, or medication abuse. If the patient presents for help at this point, the overlying problem of depression, anxiety, or substance abuse may be diagnosed and treated. However, the foundational problem of ADHD may be missed. Unless the ADHD is successfully treated, the person may improve temporarily but still struggle unnecessarily and be more prone to relapsing to another bout of depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.