When you think about a person with ADHD, what do they look like? For many people, it is a hyper little boy who cannot sit still, talks really fast, and makes a lot of messes. While this is definitely one way ADHD can look, there is far more to the picture. At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, we treat a number of behavioral health conditions that frequently co-occur with ADHD, so our patients and their families may be seeking us out primarily for another mental health disorder, but the patient also struggles with ADHD symptoms that we must take into consideration when developing their care plan.
Co-occurring Disorders With ADHD
ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed in children. The symptoms present before the age of 12 and can often be observed as early as age 3. ADHD can often continue into adulthood, but ADHD looks different for children and adults. One way it looks different is in which co-occurring conditions it is typically found alongside:
Children
Most frequent co-occurring disorders (versus the percent in the general population)
- Learning disabilities: 45 percent (5 percent)
- Conduct disorder: 27 percent (2 percent)
- Anxiety: 18 percent (2 percent)
- Depression: 15 percent (1 percent)
- Speech problems: 12 percent (2 percent)
Adults
Most frequent co-occurring disorders (versus the percent in the general population)
- Mood disorders, including major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder – 38.3 percent (11.1 percent)
- Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), agoraphobia, and other phobias – 47.1 percent (19.5 percent)
- Substance use disorders of all types – 15.2 percent (5.6 percent)
- Intermittent explosive disorder – 19.6 percent (6.1 percent)
ADHD Types
The frequency of co-occurring conditions also varies, depending on the type of ADHD that a person has. The three primary types of ADHD are:
- Hyperactive-Impulsive – if your first thought was the loud, messy little boy, this is probably the type of ADHD most familiar to you. People with this type of ADHD often talk a lot, interrupt other people, struggle to wait their turn, fidget, have a hard time sitting still for very long, behave impulsively, struggle to play quietly, or answer a question before it is finished or complete other people’s sentences.
- Inattentive. This type used to be called ADD. It is often missed in children because people with this variety of ADHD don’t present as expected and don’t create as many disturbances in the classroom. In adulthood, however, the symptoms create more problems. People with this type of ADHD are more likely to struggle with planning and organization, make careless mistakes on school assignments, work tasks, or other activities, find it difficult to complete tasks, have a hard time following directions, get distracted easily, struggle with time management, lose things (homework, books, keys, wallet, phone, etc.), or forget to do daily activities like chores, errands, homework, phone calls, and appointments.
- Combined. Patients with this variation have about equal symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive ADHD
Common ADHD Treatments
Although there is no cure for ADHD, there are effective treatments that can make the symptoms more manageable. These include:
- Talk therapy. This often includes behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and/or family therapy
- Medication. These can be tricky, particularly if the patient has other medical or psychiatric conditions that may contraindicate stimulants
- Behavioral interventions. School-based strategies and parent education are popular options
Researchers are also exploring cognitive training and neurofeedback as additional treatment options. At this time, these are only considered after medication and talk therapy have been attempted.
Self-Care for ADHD
Although the strategies below do not replace professional support, many people find that these things make their treatment more effective:
- Regular exercise
- Healthy, well-balanced meals at regular intervals
- Adequate sleep
- Following routines
- Finding strategies that help them stay organized and manage their time, including setting phone reminders, prioritizing time-sensitive tasks, taking notes, taking frequent, short breaks during tasks that require a high degree of focus, or breaking large tasks into smaller pieces that feel more manageable.
At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health in Charleston, West Virginia, we treat children, adolescents, and adults, using evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches. Our staff are compassionate, knowledgeable, and eager to offer the support our patients need to make significant, lasting improvements to their quality of life.
