ADHD and Bipolar Disorder

ADHD and bipolar disorder are both mental disorders that can cause problems with focus, energy, mood, and impulsivity. People with ADHD have difficulty paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviours, or being overly active. Those with bipolar disorder experience extreme changes in mood, energy, and behaviour. ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. It is estimated that between 3 and 5% of school-aged children have ADHD. Bipolar disorder is less common, affecting about 1-1.8% of all children, but that's still a lot of children! Until only quite recently it was believed that only adults could have bipolar. However,…

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ADHD and Dyspraxia in Children

ADHD and dyspraxia are both neurodevelopmental disorders. ADHD is a condition that affects focus, attention, and impulsivity. Dyspraxia (also known as DCD, Developmental Coordination Disorder) is a condition that affects fine and gross motor skills, coordination and movement. It is often referred to as a "motor learning disability." This means that it can be difficult for people with dyspraxia to learn new motor skills, or to execute previously learned motor skills. Dyspraxia can occur in isolation, or it can be comorbid with other conditions, such as ADHD. In fact, research suggests that ADHD and dyspraxia often co-occur. One study found that 36…

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ADHD and OCD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are two of the most common mental health conditions in the United States. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by problems with focus, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. OCD is a chronic condition marked by unwanted and intrusive thoughts, emotions, or impulses that lead to repetitive behaviours or compulsions. Roughly 30% of people with OCD have ADHD. While they have some similarities, they are also two very different disorders. I decided to write this post to explore the link between ADHD and OCD, as well as the symptoms and treatments available for each condition. The…

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10 Things I wish people understood about ADHD

There are so many things I have learned since parenting my children with ADHD. It's been a learning curve of a journey! Having children with ADHD obviously means I research, a lot. I've uncovered so many things I had absolutely no idea about ADHD. Learning about the physical differences in the ADHD brain. Connecting the many comorbidities of ADHD. and so much more. I cringe at some of the things I never knew, and thankfully now do. But, if I had to write a list of my top 10 things I wish people understood about ADHD I think this would be them.…

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CBT for Children with ADHD

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, one of the most common mental disorders affecting children.  It is a developmental impairment of the brain's executive functioning.  This affects a child’s ability to focus, stay organised, sit still and manage impulse control.  Treatment for children with ADHD will often involve stimulant medication and therapy.  The most promising improvements seen in children with ADHD are those who are on medication combined with CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. What is CBT? Whilst CBT was developed from various ideas, the work of Dr Aaron T. Beck (1921-2021) is recognised as the most prominent.  He believed that negative schema, thoughts,…

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ADHD and Depression in Children

Children as young as six years old are susceptible to depression.  It is estimated that nearly half of all children with ADHD will suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders.  Some statistics show up to 70 per cent of individuals with ADHD will at some point be treated for depression. That is an incredibly high figure.  Statistics also show that the third leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15-24 years is suicide, with depression on the rise. Those are incredibly sad figures to read.  This post isn’t supposed to scare you, but rather to raise awareness for what some of…

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Top 5 Books on ADHD for Parents

There are so many books on how to parent our children with ADHD. I didn’t know quite where to start.  And with all the best intentions, I cannot find the time to read them all.  Having spoken to several parents and having read a fair few myself, I thought I would compile a list of my Top 5 Books on ADHD for Parents.  I’m sure everyone has their favourites!  This is also very dependent on the age of your child with ADHD, and their specific diagnosis.  Below are the books that came out top with parents who gave me their feedback. I…

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Inattentive ADHD in Children

Inattentive ADHD in children, previously termed ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), indicates that the child does not suffer from the hyperactivity side of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). Many children go undiagnosed because they are not the 'stereotypical' ADHD child, buzzing around like Tigger. However, Inattentive ADHD is serious and debilitating, and, frustratingly, often overlooked. What is ADHD? There are three subtypes of ADHD: · Hyperactive and Impulsive · Inattentive (ADD) · Combined type ADHD ADHD is a neurological condition that varies in severity from child to child, often making ADHD diagnosis difficult. My son and daughter both have ADHD, but my daughter’s…

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ADHD and Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is often thought of as dyslexia with numbers.  It is a learning disorder involving numbers and concepts relating to numbers.  What was shocking to read is that about 60% of children with ADHD also have another learning disorder such as dyscalculia.  This figure is only about 5% in neurotypical (NT) children.  My daughter has ADHD and dyscalculia, so I really wanted to try and understand exactly what it is, hence this post. What is Dyscalculia? Dyscalculia is a maths learning disorder.  This involves difficulties with not only everyday numbers but also maths symbols (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication), wording (one more…

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ADHD in children and sleep problems

There is not one part of our body that does not benefit from sleep.  And it’s no surprise that importantly, our brain needs sleep to function correctly.  Lack of sleep not only impacts our physical but also our mental health... I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I love my sleep.  But that’s probably because I rarely get a good night’s sleep.  Like a lot of parents, I am a light sleeper because I’m always listening out for a child who might need me in the night.  When one tiptoes in, after I’ve managed a couple of hours of sleep, my…

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