Two major mental handicaps that are too often overlooked are Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). AD/HD was identified around 100 years ago, although it may not have been called such at the time. There are references to groups of students that were “hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive” in the journals of George Still, a pediatrician, dated 1902. However, he did not understand ADHD and thus labeled them “morally defective”. Moreover, in the 17th century, philosopher John Locke noted a group of students who, “try as they might, they cannot keep their minds from straying.”

Believe it or not: Abraham Lincoln’s third son, Tad, fit the picture for ADHD (he would burst into the oval office while chasing his brother). By the 1930’s children with AD/HD w

Many people with AD/HD usually use one drug or another. Some of the favorites are: Cocaine, Marijuana, PCP, Alcohol, Speed, and the typical tobacco. Doctors are starting to understand why it is that those with AD/HD do this; to settle their internal restlessness. The above listed drugs are all stimulants except for alcohol. When one with AD/HD uses a stimulant drug they bring up the brain activity just like the prescription medicines. Alcohol is a depressant yet it is still widely abused by those with AD/HD…but why? There are few hypotheses for this and fewer that make sense. The most logical one is that they use it because initially it will make a person feel relaxed. Amphetamines and cocaine are very strong stimulants. They stimulate the brain. The only real difference between street drugs and the ones used pharmaceutically is that street drugs are used in doses 10-100 times stronger than doses used to treat AD/HD1. Street drugs are usually not pure drugs. They are often mixed with substances such as strychnine (a poison) to increase the rush they get. One of the most dangerous things about using street drugs is that everybody has different metabolisms for drugs. Without a doctor or physician to supervise you and the doses you are taking serious risks can arise such as high blood pressure, strokes, paranoia, and cardiac arrest. Also when taken in higher doses many of these drugs can have withdrawal symptoms. Among the most problematic are severe depression and suicidal ideations.

ere labeled with “minimal brain damage.” Then in the 1960’s it was changed to “minimal brain dysfunction” due to the fact that no anatomical abnormality was found in the children1, or hyperkinesis. AD/HD affects as many as 3-5% of the general population, or 1 person in 302. Since then, AD/HD has attracted great amounts of attention; what is it? What causes it? What can be done about it? How does it affect the brain? Although psychologists have their hypotheses, no one really has much of an idea as to what it is, what causes it, or how it affects the brain.

The question many people ask is: Is there anything good about having ADD? The answer: YES! Many people with ADD have wonderful traits and abilities that often get overlooked. People with ADD are flexible and are usually able to adapt to many different situations that may come their way. As ADD is usually concomitant with other mental illnesses (discussed later) they usually are depressed. Despite this fact they are usually very smart (they might not think so). Many teens with ADD score very high scores on standardized tests. Additionally they are extremely creative and are able to view traditional things in untraditional ways. Thus, they are often able to come up with new ideas or solutions for difficult situations. An often-useful tool is intuition; another trait those with ADD have. This allows them to be able to relate to others who are struggling with problems of their own and can often can help council them. As you probably already know, teens and adults with ADD are full of energy and very spontaneous. Therefore, they are able to “live in the moment”, be spontaneous, and are frequently fun to be around. Despite their unorganized thought process and approach to things, those that have ADD frequently have lots and lots of ideas. If they can manage to surround themselves with people to help them organize their thoughts, they can be very successful in business.

AD/HD has a large impact on the family of one with AD/HD. It affects everybody in the family, whether or not they have it. Over half the families who have teenagers with AD/HD are described as tense and full of conflict. Some common reasons for family conflict related to AD/HD are: failure to follow through on chores, poor organization and messiness, poor grades, short tempers, selfishness, failure to see the needs of others, arguing, fighting, name calling (amongst other confl

Some topics in this essay:
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