subject: People With ADHD - Could This Be You? [print this page] In people with ADHD, there is up to a 25%- 50% chance that they will have a child with ADHD. The figures show that there is a definite genetic link although everybody argues about the actual percentage. If you do have ADHD, maybe you are coping with it and it is being managed. This will give you great empathy with your ADHD kid. But the real problem is when the partner who has ADHD is totally unaware of it or it has not been diagnosed and it is eroding the marriage.
In a relationship, there may be some tell tale signs that all is not well. There is a much higher rate of divorce among couples where the children have it or one of the spouses has it. Distraction leads to all sorts of things NOT getting done and the non ADHD partner begins to resent having to pick up all the pieces all the time.
Similarly, when things are totally disorganized or just do not happen, the partner despairs. Resentment and bad feeling start to build up. Inevitably there is an unequal distribution of all the daily jobs to be done and guess who is doing the most and running the whole show?
So, what about treatment of people with ADHD? If you can get your spouse to go for some sort of therapy, that may be a great help. The psychostimulant medications can actually calm the hyperactivity down (although nobody knows exactly how they do that) and help them to stay focused. But it is calculated that about are 50% are not getting very far with these meds and the side effects are destroying their life and work patterns.
The insomnia is a big issue. I know lots of people with ADHD who were on Concerta and Adderall and found it really hard to get off to sleep. They were left with a sleep debit which had a disastrous effect on their work. As if they had not enough to cope with. Then these meds are expensive. I know people who are paying up to $200 a month for Vyvanse.
There are lots of lifestyle changes and physical body changes which can really help. Learning how to cope and learning how to organize things the way the ADHD brain can respond to, can be done by various means.
Then there are alternatives to the psychostimulants if you do not feel comfortable with them. Homeopathic preparations can do the same job by stimulating the brain and improving concentration. They can also restore good mood, help to keep energy levels normal and help you to stay on task.
I have built a website about this. If you one of those people with ADHD, help is at hand and you will never look back. Why not visit it and get wised up?
