The widely-accepted definition of a healthy person is an individual who is of sound mind and body. Though we tend to pay a lot of attention to our physical health by eating healthy and working out, we tend to ignore our mental health. Just like there are a plethora of diseases that can affect our body, there’s a wide variety of illnesses that can affect our mental health as well, and these affect children and adults alike.

Recommended Read: Recognizing Mental Health Problems in Children

One of the most common mental illnesses that affect around 10% of school-aged children is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As the name suggests, this illness is characterized by the child’s ability to pay attention or stay focused.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a complex mental disorder that manifests itself in an array of ways and can affect the child’s relationships and performance in school. ADHD in children is not a novel concept; there are plenty of children suffering from ADHD worldwide. Children with ADHD often tend to be hyperactive and cannot control their impulses. Usually, children display one or the other symptom of ADHD but don’t suffer from the same. This makes it difficult to diagnose the illness and can create an obstacle in treating this disorder.

What are the causes of ADHD in children?

• At times ADHD in children is hereditary; it runs in the family.
• ADHD in children is related to certain changes in the brain, especially the area that controls the child’s ability to control attention.
• In case toxins such as lead get an entrance into the body, it can affect the child’s brain development and cause ADHD.
• A chemical imbalance in the brain also results in ADHD in children.
• An injury to the brain or an already-present brain disorder has been linked with ADHD in children.
• Before a disorder begins wreaking full-fledged havoc on the individual, a number of symptoms surface. It is only after deciphering these symptoms do physicians arrive at the conclusion that the person suffers from a particular disease.

What are the symptoms of ADHD in children?

A child displays several symptoms of ADHD before the disorder sets in completely. Based on the severity of the symptoms, physicians administer medications and prescribes ways to handle the child. A child who has ADHD shows these following symptoms.

• Self-centered behavior: Children who have ADHD display self-centered behavior, they are unable to empathize with other people’s needs and desires. Their behavior is solely governed by the need to make themselves happy.
• Emotional outbursts: ADHD in children makes them quite emotional. They are unable to control their emotions and tend to experience emotional outbursts especially angry ones at inappropriate times. Temper tantrums are quite prominent among children with ADHD.
• Impatience: ADHD in children makes them quite impatient. For instance, they experience trouble waiting for their turn on the swing or some other games and can cause a lot of problems while interacting with other children.
• Lack of focus: This is one of the characteristic symptom displayed by children with ADHD. They have a difficult time focusing on the task at hand. They can be easily distracted even if you are directly speaking to them.
• Forgetfulness: Children with ADHD are quite forgetful. They are absent-minded and can forget to do their homework or basic chores, and might misplace things without no recollection of the same.

ADHD in children cannot be completely cured, yet there are various ways devised to allow children with ADHD to lead a normal life.

Recommended Read: 4 Useful Tips to Help your Child Manage ADHD