Childhood ADHD remains a bug bear for families with children presenting with problem behaviours. Parents want to know if their children meets the criteria for this condition and if not what else could explain their boundless energy and restlessness. The reality is that while ADHD is common - meaning up to 1 in 10 children could have it, often times other problems such as disruptive family settings and poor early attachment may be also a factor.
On the other hand Adult ADHD or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder - without the hyperactivity) is less obvious. It is often a condition to be considered for young adults who may have been undiagnosed in childhood due to non-access or missed opportunities. As children transition to adulthood, the constrains of school environment is no longer an issue and they learn other ways to manage their 'ADHD' symptoms behaviourally. So they appear to 'outgrow' these difficulties. However impulsivity and inattention remains a challenge. Some might gravitate into self medication through substances such as caffeine or other street drugs to manage 'urges' or sleep problems. The number of adults with undiagnosed ADHD that find themselves getting into difficult situations is huge. This problem is compounded by the failure to acquire life skills or confidence that comes with a normative adolescence transition either through college and higher schools or specific Skills training programmes. Problem coping is often unmasked when faced with adult settings such as work, new relationship with responsibilities or difficulty managing their own business due to problems with self organisation.
After completing any ADHD screening questionnaire such as the one on the this link, it is important to plan to speak to an expert who might be able to exclude other mental health conditions in other to establish what each individual child or adult might have and the help required.
The above video is quite informative and attempts to highlight the various forms of non-pharmaceutical options that could be explored with respect to treatment.
