Seeking Your Attention: Life on the ADHD spectrum
Sid is an active 12-year-old boy who lives in Bengaluru. He excels in academics, is curious about life and is enthusiastic like most adolescents of his age. He is also what doctors call hyper focussed. This means that Sid becomes fixated on a single task. So much so that he becomes oblivious to everything around him. He could be flying a kite but will forget that he is standing on the edge of a building. A single step forward could be fatal. Sid is prone to impulsiveness, too. At such times, without thinking twice he will bang his head on the wall. His doctor concluded that he has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and is quite capable of self-harm.
Boys and girls with ADHD have a four-fold increased risk of self-harm, a study conducted this May concludes. Done by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, it assessed data of over 1,13,000 adolescents aged 11-17 years old.
“Children like Sid who have ADHD are overly active, impulsive and even try to harm themselves,” says Dr Roshan Jain, psychiatrist and de-addiction specialist at Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru. Although ADHD children suffer from behavioural problems, they are also bright and intelligent at the same time, Jain adds. The study also revealed that boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are three times more likely to harm themselves.
This includes banging their head on the wall, pricking their skin, consuming non-edible things and poking their eyes. “In this condition, children cannot process their emotions and end up with self-injury,” warns Dr Sachin Kandhari, Senior Neurosurgeon at IBS Hospital, New Delhi. Another red flag to watch out for is frequent absenteeism from school. Characteristics of ASD and ADHD sometimes overlap. More than half the number of children on the autism spectrum have ADD symptoms.
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However, the good news is that the US agency Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved newer medications to treat such disorders. Nerve stimulation and feedback technologies are among the recommended treatments, reveals Dr Shradha Shejekar, Consultant, Psychiatry, Aster RV Hospital, Bangaluru. Nerve stimulation involves acting on the main nerves of the parasympathetic nervous system which controls body functions such as digestion, heart rate and the immune system.
Behavioural therapies work well in treating children with ASD. These include rewards to reinforce good behaviour, appreciating their work, helping them stick to daily rituals, and setting reminders for their daily regimen tasks. “Patience, love and the right attitude is all takes to help them,” says Shejekar.
Quick Takes
✥ There is no relation between ADHD and eating. Research does not support the popularly held views that ADHD is caused by eating too much sugar, watching too much television, playing too many online games,
✥ Boys are more prone to ADHD as they suffer from hyperactivity and behavioural problems.
✥ A few current studies link genetic factors with ADHD.