ADD and Treatment
ADD and treatment is typically connected to problems at school, home or work. The psychiatric disorder is difficult for doctors to diagnose and treat.
The psychiatric disorder is most commonly known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. Mental health professionals diagnose ADHD using SPECT brain images.
The symptoms include being easily distracted, forgetful, and disorganized. The use of medications such as stimulants and antidepressants can aid in overcoming.
Limbic ADD
The most common form of ADD, also known as classic ADD or hyperactive-impulsive ADD, is characterized by inattention, a lack of organizational skills, difficulty staying on task, and trouble with memory. Brain scans reveal that those suffering from this condition have normal activity in the prefrontal cortex both at rest and during concentration, but less activity in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, which help make dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that helps to increase motivation, focus and calmness. People with this type have a hard to focus their attention and are easily distracted by noise and other stimuli, and have shorter attention spans. They have trouble falling asleep and frequently wake up in the middle of the night, battling anxiety. They are often overwhelmed by their emotions and have short tempers, and are quickly annoyed by tasks and easily angered.
Those with Ring of Fire ADD have all the core symptoms of classic ADD, but they also struggle to shift their attention from one thought to another thought and from task to task. They have a sensitivity to light, noise, and touch and talk too quickly and are easily impulsive and easily triggered to a negative behavior. They are prone to low energy, moodiness, and anger. They can also get caught up in negative thoughts and guilt feelings.
It is possible to mistake the condition of limbic ADD with depression. However, it's different in that it boosts activity in the limbic region of the brain at rest and when concentrating. It can be treated by supplements like L tryptophan (5-HTP), saffron and inositol, which improve alertness, mood and mental clarity. Amino acid GABA can also be helpful to reduce neural activity and prevent nerve cells from firing erratically or too frequently.
It is crucial to differentiate between ADD and mood disorders like Bipolar Disorder, which also can trigger irritability, anger, and poor self-esteem. The distinction between ADD with Limbic Symptoms and Bipolar Disorder is that ADD has a more consistent degree of irritability throughout the course of time. Bipolar Disorder tends to have symptoms that come in waves.
Overfocused ADD
Overfocused ADD patients tend to get caught up in negative thoughts and behavior that trigger excessive worrying. This is because they exhibit rigid behaviors similar to people suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). These individuals often become threatened emotionally when they are required to shift their focus from one thing to another, and can react with a threatening or hostile behavior.
They tend to be unhappy, and their irritability is due to a low-grade chronic sadness or negativity. They may also experience difficulties learning, experience memory issues, or experience severe anger and aggression.
People with hyperfocused ADD can be rigid when it comes changing tasks and may become absorbed in their job or pastime. They may forget appointments and deadlines at home or at work and they might not finish their homework or chores. They may also be stubborn and resentful if they are reprimanded or chastised by their parents or teacher.
Children who have overfocused ADD exhibit a high level of irritability and stubbornness, and can be susceptible to throwing a rage when their interests are violated. They can be obsessive about specific activities, toys, and video games. They can also have difficulty in expressing their emotions and can be very sensitive to criticism or rejection.
This form of ADD is more common in children and is often difficult to identify. The majority of children don't understand that their issue is caused by their inability switch their focus from one thing to the next. symptoms of adhd in adults to consult an expert since these children are more likely to be misdiagnosed with ADD. This kind of ADD can be treated using diet modifications, supplements, and cognitive-behavioral therapies. This type of ADD is hard to treat even with stimulant medications as it can cause the intensity of hyperactivity. Functional neuroimaging is sometimes used to identify the seven distinct kinds of ADD and is especially useful for diagnosing hyperfocused ADD.
Anxious ADD
Many people suffering from ADD suffer from high levels of anxiety. This co-morbidity (having more than one disorder at the same time) is common, impacting about half of people suffering from ADD/ADHD. Stress and anxiety can resemble the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, and the wrong diagnosis can lead to ineffective treatment and more frustration.
Anxious ADD can cause problems with work, school and social situations. This type of ADD could result in low performance and feelings of inadequacy. People with anxiety ADD tend to avoid challenging tasks and events because they believe they're not capable of completing the task.
They are also afraid of being judged and criticised. Due to this, they often hide their problems from their peers. In some instances, sufferers are so anxious and stressed that they suffer from panic attacks. These panic attacks can be extremely severe and life-threatening. They trigger an increase in heart rate sweating, difficulty breathing and difficulty breathing. Anxious ADD is different from Classic ADD because it has increased activity in the basal ganglia, as well as the amygdala. These areas are instinctive and prioritize security. This shuts down PFC and makes it difficult for people with this disorder to concentrate.
If a person suffers from ADD/ADHD and anxiety, the symptoms they experience are more difficult to manage. This is because treatment protocols for ADD/ADHD, which are designed to stimulate the brain can actually increase anxiety among people with anxious ADD by decreasing the activity in their PFC.
Psychiatrists at Amen Clinics use functional neuroimaging, like SPECT scanning, to learn which areas of the brain are low and/or high levels of activity. This helps them distinguish between the seven types of brain and determine the most effective treatment.
To diagnose ADD/ADHD, a psychiatrist collects a full medical history and performs an examination. They might also inquire about the patient's mood and behavior in order to assess the patient's overall functioning. Some medications are used to treat ADD/ADHD but in most cases, patients require other treatments as well, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, nutrition and exercise, strategies for sleep, desensitization and other techniques to relax. This may improve their ability to control their emotions and their overall functioning.
Temporal Lobe ADD
This type of ADD involves the temporal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for memory and mood. People suffering from this type of ADD struggle to learn and store information and experience mood swings and suffer from intense anger or aggression issues. They also often suffer from various sensory issues, like feeling like they've experienced deja vu or experiencing shadows or objects changing forms and hearing sounds that others don't. They can be irritable, sensitive and easily overwhelmed.
The symptoms of this kind of ADD are similar to those in Classic ADD, including short attention spans, disorganization, difficulty following instructions or staying focused and procrastinating. This kind of ADD is not associated with excessive impulsivity or hyperactivity. This type of ADD is more prevalent in females. This type of ADD is defined by the low levels of dopamine in the brain, which can result in feelings of depression or a lack of self-regulation. Symptoms can include trouble sleeping and feelings of anxiety or irritability.
In this instance, qEEG brain mapping scans of the brain indicate that individuals with Over-focused ADD have normal activity in their anterior cingulate gyrus which is the brain's "gear shifter," but they are experiencing difficulty shifting gears. They are unable to move from one thought or task to another and get stuck in negative thoughts and behavior.
This is a kind of ADD where individuals can be extremely motivated and hardworking, but they tend to be easily distracted by mundane or insignificant tasks. They can lose track of their schoolwork and teachers or parents are often annoyed or ashamed of their behavior. They may have a hard relationship with others because they can be impulsive or reactive, and have difficulty dealing with multitasking or working with others. In some cases they may suffer from depression or anxiety. They can be prone to panic attacks, and are susceptible to hallucinations. Treatments for this type of ADD are not usually recommended since they don't address the underlying reason for the symptoms.
