There has been a lot of research done on how exactly you get ADHD, and
it is now known that genetics is at least part of the reason.
Currently, research shows that at least 30%-40% of individuals with
ADHD have a family member that deals with the same kinds of
issues. But this does not mean that the whole family will be
affected by these issues. It appears through findings that only one
member of a family will be affected by ADHD.
There are still many different theories as to what exactly causes
ADHD. For many years, it was thought that ADHD was caused by some
kind of brain damage. It is now thought that it is caused by
brain chemistry. Researchers have been looking specifically at
neurotransmitters as the cause of ADHD. Examples of
neurotransmitters that could be affected by this disorder are dopamine,
norepinephrine and serotonin. Because people in families tend to
have similar brain wirings, it makes sense that ADHD would be at least
partly genetic.
Other theories that have been investigated are that ADHD could also be
caused by some sort of illness or accident that caused damage to the
brain. This could include complications that occur during
pregnancy such as drugs used to prevent infectious diseases,
overexposure to radiation or a complicated delivery. Other causes
could be the use of alcohol during pregnancy.
Many have questioned whether nutritional deficiencies have any link to
ADHD. While it has not been ruled out, I highly doubt that a particular
deficiency would cause this disorder. While it is true that
certain nutritional deficiencies will cause symptoms that are similar
to ADHD, there is no proof or scientific evidence that a link
exists. Research experts in autism and other behavior disorders
have looked for a nutritional link as well, but none exists.
There has been some evidence that the Feingold diet may help diminish
symptoms of ADHD, though.
Since the diagnosis of ADHD has become so much more common in recent
years, it is often that an older family member will get diagnosed while
bringing their son or daughter in to get tested. This may provide
some relief to individuals who weren't sure exactly why they were the
way they were. Some may decide to go on medication upon diagnosis, and
some may not. But often the late diagnosis does explain some part
of the individual's life that did not make sense before.
If there are not members in a family that have ADHD per se, there may
be other similar disorders. Although there is not a formal link
between autism and ADHD, there are similarities and the two disorders
tend to run together. Someone may have autism or Asperger's in your
family background. Also, someone may have bipolar or OCD; these are
mainly brain based disorders that have been loosely linked to ADHD and
are sometimes co-morbid.
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on ADHD, please visit living-with-adhd.us/ ADHD for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith's own web site at keithlondrie.com/keithlondrie.com/