What is ADHD again?
First of all, to refresh your memory: what is ADHD again? Colloquially it is the abbreviation for ‘very busy every day’. This generally applies to small children and teenagers. But make no mistake: it does occur in adults and the elderly.
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The hallmarks of this are concentration problems and hyperactivity. There are 3 forms of ADHD:
Inattentive behavior and difficulty maintaining concentration
People with ADHD are easily distracted and can be forgetful.
Hyperactive/impulsive behavior
People with this form are very busy and very active, sometimes even aggressive. Sleep problems are not uncommon.
A mixture of the 2 forms mentioned above
For example, people with ADHD can have major problems with noisy websites with many flashing images.
Only receive the diagnosis later in life
On the broadcast of the MAX radio program Villa VdB of August 17, 2023, psychotherapist Arjan Videler explains that ADHD, autism or borderline is also only diagnosed at a later age in some people. He adds that it can also be treated well in people over 60. It is also not the case that you can simply grow out of ADHD after childhood. Just assume that anyone who has had those symptoms since childhood, but never knew it, will still have them as an older person. That is why Videler calls on general practitioners and practice assistants in the broadcast mentioned to refer older people more often. “Things are getting better, but I think there is still a world to be won,” he says.
The previously ignorant elderly people who visit him in his practice feel ‘liberated’ when they finally hear the diagnosis of their long-term ailment. “People have found ways to survive in their lives. They always did their best to adapt, but quickly became overstimulated.” But when they hear Videler’s diagnosis, they experience it as the final piece of the puzzle. Suddenly everything falls into place for them and they can finally understand their behavior. Some things can be read in the book With age – Why it makes sense to treat elderly people with psychological problems, that Videler wrote together with Rosalien Wilting
Through retirement they gain insight
According to Videler, the moment of retirement is often decisive. Then the structure of working life disappears. As soon as that happens, the ADHD symptoms surface almost immediately. Once the diagnosis has been made, a solution can be worked on. That is also nice for partners, children and grandchildren, who are also bothered by that person’s behavior. So go to the doctor and don’t be turned away, is the conclusion of the psychotherapist, who detects age discrimination in the referral of 80-year-olds with depression. Loneliness and depression are well-known manifestations of ADHD in old age.
ADHD in old age
It has been known for some time that ADHD also occurs in the elderly. It is extensively documented in a dissertation by researcher Marieke Michielsen from November 2015 (VUmc). She notes that this chronic psychiatric developmental disorder occurs in almost 3 percent of Dutch people over the age of 60, while this is approximately 5 percent in children and 4 percent in adults.
Medicine for ADHD
There is a medication for ADHD, which is often used inappropriately by students to maintain their concentration when tired. It is called methylphenidate and is for sale under the brand name Ritalin, which has become a generic name. It works because it causes more dopamine and norepinephrine to be released in the brain. This makes it easier to stay on top of things. If you would like to learn more about the difference in ADHD in men and women, then read this article.
(Source: Villa VdB, Medisch Contact, MAX Today, Health Net, VUmc, Impuls & Woortblint, Parnassia Group, GZ-Psychologie. Photo: Shutterstock)
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2023-09-25 04:06:49
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