Find the Right ADHD Doctors

5 Responses

1. Melody

   2009 Mar 27 1

   The disorders are different. I have ADHD, it's more with being extremely disorganized, always sporadic, new ideas all the time, easily distracted, daydreaming a lot and indecisive and did I mention disorganized? ADHD is a learning disorder, not a psychological disorder. Bipolar disorder is an emotional disorder in which the sufferer experiences extreme highs and lows of emotions. I'm ADHD, not bipolar, although most teens my age are moody sometimes.
   References :

2. Valhalla

   2009 Mar 28 2

   I’d like to add something to what Melody said. I have ADHD also, and I’m sure you might have heard people say “I have ADD with mild ADHD” or something of a similar nature.
   I did all of my high school years at an all boys school, years 8-12. In years 8-10 there was another boy who attended all of my classes, claiming he had ADD with moderate ADHD outbursts.

   In a classroom situation where there would be dead silence, the teacher would give an instruction and this boy would make a comment, this comment had one purpose, to draw attention to him. These attention seeking moments, were always so loud, so exorbitant. From a state of calm rest, to these impulsive eruptions of attention seeking.

   I’m trying to make this a parallel of a hypomanic episode. If we were a little more ignorant, they aren’t that different.

   I’ve spoken to many parents through my church and other support groups I attend, and this concern comes up alot. People confuse the impulsiveness/attention seeking with the rapid cycling in some cases of bipolar, known as mania or manic episodes. So far, I’ve said some pretty ignorant things about the cycles and states of Bipolar disorder, and bipolar in general. This is because I’m expressing the issues I have come across and been approached with.

   From my experiences people always confuse the impulsiveness and as Melody said “sporadic” nature of ADHD with the general view of bipolar. Being somewhat impulsive and sporadic in their emotions and moods. It all comes down to people not really understanding the two disorders, the sudden changes in bipolar from a state of normality to an extreme high is misconstrued as being the same as sudden impulsive episodes of attention seeking or what have you in ADHD.

   I could go on, and I’m probably starting to ramble, my last point is about the medications used to treat ADHD.

   Those who live or have lived with ADHD will know about the violent mood swings that occur when the subject is coming down from the effects of said medication.

   Psychostimulants used to treat ADHD (Methylphenidate or ‘Ritalin’ used in this example) mess around with the dopamine levels and function of various receptors in the brain. Chemicals/hormones like dopamine control sleep, mood, attention and learning. As the levels of dopamine increase, the levels of serotonin are said to decrease. Serotonin is said to control anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, human sexuality, appetite. So, when the drug leaves your system, your body goes “hey, wait up. I can’t produce those levels of dopamine by myself, and you just suppressed my serotonin levels abnormally low, now I have to find my equilibrium again.”

   This results in the mood swings (I could go into equilibrium, negative/positive feedback blah blah, but I don’t want to bore you). The mood swings usually present as sudden outbursts of anger, more commonly called tantrums.
   References :
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine#Functions_in_the_brain

   This one is really good if you want to know about studies past/present/future. http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/local_links.php?catid=59

3. PRINTS

   2009 Mar 29 3

   My son was ADHD and I think there are many doctors who might put children on medications for both because there is more than impulsiveness involved with ADHD. There is a sensitivity to outward stimuli that can cause the mood to change. Additionally, if the person is sensitive to foods, sugar can make them feel giggly or excited, and then another type of food can make them more irritable. These things could easily be confused. Being sensitive to outward stimuli (ei: clothes rubbing on the skin, noise in the room, people talking, heat or cold, too quiet, hunger, food sensitivities, too tired, bored, knowing friends are playing and not being able to keep mind off of any of these), can seem pretty confusing to an observer. Read books by Dr. Doris Rapp - used booksites.
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4. Ms Cat

   2009 Mar 30 4

   My son has ADHD and I have Bipolar. Prior to being diagnosed bipolar I thought I might have adult ADD based on what I saw in my son but I wondered why his energy level was always high while mine "cycled". So they are always high energy where a bipolar will cycle between high and low…..
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5. Donna

   2009 Mar 30 5

   The typical course of diagnosis for a bipolar child is that they are diagnosed with ADHD first. Bipolar presents differently in children than it does in adults which leads to the ADHD diagnosis. What many fail to see is that an ADHD child will not have rages, does not have severe anger issues, and will not choose to isolate themselves which many bipolar children do. At a young age it is difficult to tell the difference but as the child ages it becomes easier to tell. Also a bipolar kid will often have difficulty with friends, cannot easily make or keep friendships. ADHD kids do not usually have that problem.
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