Anxiety is emotionally painful. What You Don't Know Could Kill You!

Anxiety is emotionally painful. It disrupts a person's daily functioning.

Hey I hope this post helps someone somewhere, if you know anyone who this may help please forward it to them. Stop by www.out-of-darkness.com you can get the book for $10.80, one hell of a deal!

Anxiety is a feeling of tension associated with a sense of threat of danger when the source of the danger is not known. In contrast, fear is a feeling of tension that is associated with a known source of danger. It is normal for us to have some mild anxiety present in our daily lives. Anxiety warns us and enables us to get ready for the fight or flight response. However, heightened anxiety is emotionally painful. It disrupts a person's daily functioning.


Anxiety can be seen with several other emotional disorders including the following: Acute Stress Disorder Panic Attack Agoraphobia Phobia Anxiety Disorder Due to Medical Condition Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder What characteristics are associated with anxiety?


Frequently, people with anxiety experience tightness in their chest, a racing or pounding heart, and a pit in their stomach. Anxiety causes some people to get a headache, to sweat, and/or to have the urge to urinate.


Severe anxiety, which can be described as an episode of terror, is referred to as a panic attack. Panic attacks can be extremely frightening. People who experience panic attacks over a prolonged time period may become victims of agoraphobia and fear leaving home or going into crowded places.


Is there a genetic basis for anxiety disorder?
Research shows strong evidence for a genetic basis for anxiety. If a person has anxiety, more than 10% of his/her relatives will also suffer from some form of anxiety.


Do anxiety disorders affect males, females, or both?


Females are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than males. However, an equal number of males and females are seen for treatment of their anxiety.
At what age does anxiety disorder appear?


Anxiety problems commonly begin when people are in their 20s. However, people of any age can suffer from and require treatment for anxiety.


How common are anxiety disorders in our society?
Anxiety disorders are very common. At least three percent (3%) of the population has had or will be diagnosed with some form of abnormal anxiety.


How are anxiety disorders diagnosed?


A mental health professional may diagnose an anxiety disorder after taking a careful personal history from the client/patient. It will be important to the therapist to learn the details of that person's life. It is also very important not to overlook a physical illness that might mimic or contribute to this psychological disorder since some medical illnesses can cause anxiety-like symptoms. For instance, a person with an overactive thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism, may have symptoms similar to anxiety
.

If there is any question whether the individual might have a physical problem, the mental health professional should recommend a complete physical examination by a medical doctor. People examined during an anxiety attack usually have rapid pulse, rapid breathing, dry mouth, and sweating palms. They might also complain of dizziness or numbness or tingling in their extremities. Laboratory tests might be necessary as a part of the physical workup.

How are anxiety disorders treated?


Psychotherapy is recommended for someone with moderate to severe anxiety.
Antianxiety medications can be used effectively to reduce severe anxiety. For example, sometimes people experiencing a panic attack think they are having a heart attack, and they worry that they might die. Therefore, they go to a hospital emergency room to be evaluated. Once they are evaluated and diagnosed with anxiety, they are given reassurance that they are not going to die, and they may be treated with medications to lessen their anxious symptoms.

What can people do if they need help?

If you, a friend, or a family member would like more information and you have a therapist or a physician, please discuss your concerns with that person.
Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.1 These disorders fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.

Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek information and treatment.

This brochure will

• help you identify the symptoms of anxiety disorders,

• explain the role of research in understanding the causes of these conditions,

• describe effective treatments,

• help you learn how to obtain treatment and work with a doctor or therapist, and

• suggest ways to make treatment more effective.

The anxiety disorders discussed in this brochure are

• panic disorder,

• obsessive-compulsive disorder,

• post-traumatic stress disorder,

• social phobia (or social anxiety disorder),

• specific phobias, and

• generalized anxiety disorder.

Each anxiety disorder has its own distinct features, but they are all bound together by the common theme of excessive, irrational fear and dread.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports scientific investigation into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses. The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness through research on mind, brain, and behavior. NIMH is a component of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Panic Disorder
"It started 10 years ago, when I had just graduated from college and started a new job. I was sitting in a business seminar in a hotel and this thing came out of the blue. I felt like I was dying.


"For me, a panic attack is almost a violent experience. I feel disconnected from reality. I feel like I'm losing control in a very extreme way. My heart pounds really hard, I feel like I can't get my breath, and there's an overwhelming feeling that things are crashing in on me.


"In between attacks there is this dread and anxiety that it's going to happen again. I'm afraid to go back to places where I've had an attack. Unless I get help, there soon won't be anyplace where I can go and feel safe from panic."
People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike.


If you are having a panic attack, most likely your heart will pound and you may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands may tingle or feel numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled. You may have nausea, chest pain or smothering sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss of control. You may genuinely believe you're having a heart attack or losing your mind, or on the verge of death.
Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack generally peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer.


Panic disorder affects about 2.4 million adult Americans and is twice as common in women as in men. It most often begins during late adolescence or early adulthood. Risk of developing panic disorder appears to be inherited. Not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder-for example, many people have one attack but never have another. For those who do have panic disorder, though, it's important to seek treatment.

Untreated, the disorder can become very disabling.Many people with panic disorder visit the hospital emergency room repeatedly or see a number of doctors before they obtain a correct diagnosis. Some people with panic disorder may go for years without learning that they have a real, treatable illness.Panic disorder is often accompanied by other serious conditions such as depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism and may lead to a pattern of avoidance of places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while you're riding in an elevator, you may develop a fear of elevators. If you start avoiding them, that could affect your choice of a job or apartment and greatly restrict other parts of your life.


Some people's lives become so restricted that they avoid normal, everyday activities such as grocery shopping or driving. In some cases they become housebound. Or, they may be able to confront a feared situation only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person.


Basically, these people avoid any situation in which they would feel helpless if a panic attack were to occur. When people's lives become so restricted, as happens in about one-third of people with panic disorder, the condition is called agoraphobia. Early treatment of panic disorder can often prevent agoraphobia.
Panic disorder is one of the most treatable of the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to medications or carefully targeted psychotherapy.
You may genuinely believe you're having a heart attack, losing your mind, or are on the verge of death. Attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep.

I look forward to serving you, if you would like a free repost on stress run on over to www.biologicalhappiness.com, talk to you soon!

Arthur Buchanan

Anxiety is emotionally painful. It disrupts a person's daily functioning.

Hey I hope this post helps someone somewhere, if you know anyone who this may help please forward it to them. Stop by www.out-of-darkness.com you can get the book for $10.80, one hell of a deal!

Anxiety is a feeling of tension associated with a sense of threat of danger when the source of the danger is not known. In contrast, fear is a feeling of tension that is associated with a known source of danger. It is normal for us to have some mild anxiety present in our daily lives. Anxiety warns us and enables us to get ready for the fight or flight response. However, heightened anxiety is emotionally painful. It disrupts a person's daily functioning.


Anxiety can be seen with several other emotional disorders including the following: Acute Stress Disorder Panic Attack Agoraphobia Phobia Anxiety Disorder Due to Medical Condition Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder What characteristics are associated with anxiety?


Frequently, people with anxiety experience tightness in their chest, a racing or pounding heart, and a pit in their stomach. Anxiety causes some people to get a headache, to sweat, and/or to have the urge to urinate.


Severe anxiety, which can be described as an episode of terror, is referred to as a panic attack. Panic attacks can be extremely frightening. People who experience panic attacks over a prolonged time period may become victims of agoraphobia and fear leaving home or going into crowded places.


Is there a genetic basis for anxiety disorder?
Research shows strong evidence for a genetic basis for anxiety. If a person has anxiety, more than 10% of his/her relatives will also suffer from some form of anxiety.


Do anxiety disorders affect males, females, or both?


Females are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than males. However, an equal number of males and females are seen for treatment of their anxiety.
At what age does anxiety disorder appear?


Anxiety problems commonly begin when people are in their 20s. However, people of any age can suffer from and require treatment for anxiety.


How common are anxiety disorders in our society?
Anxiety disorders are very common. At least three percent (3%) of the population has had or will be diagnosed with some form of abnormal anxiety.


How are anxiety disorders diagnosed?


A mental health professional may diagnose an anxiety disorder after taking a careful personal history from the client/patient. It will be important to the therapist to learn the details of that person's life. It is also very important not to overlook a physical illness that might mimic or contribute to this psychological disorder since some medical illnesses can cause anxiety-like symptoms. For instance, a person with an overactive thyroid, known as hyperthyroidism, may have symptoms similar to anxiety
.

If there is any question whether the individual might have a physical problem, the mental health professional should recommend a complete physical examination by a medical doctor. People examined during an anxiety attack usually have rapid pulse, rapid breathing, dry mouth, and sweating palms. They might also complain of dizziness or numbness or tingling in their extremities. Laboratory tests might be necessary as a part of the physical workup.

How are anxiety disorders treated?


Psychotherapy is recommended for someone with moderate to severe anxiety.
Antianxiety medications can be used effectively to reduce severe anxiety. For example, sometimes people experiencing a panic attack think they are having a heart attack, and they worry that they might die. Therefore, they go to a hospital emergency room to be evaluated. Once they are evaluated and diagnosed with anxiety, they are given reassurance that they are not going to die, and they may be treated with medications to lessen their anxious symptoms.

What can people do if they need help?

If you, a friend, or a family member would like more information and you have a therapist or a physician, please discuss your concerns with that person.
Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.1 These disorders fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.

Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek information and treatment.

This brochure will

• help you identify the symptoms of anxiety disorders,

• explain the role of research in understanding the causes of these conditions,

• describe effective treatments,

• help you learn how to obtain treatment and work with a doctor or therapist, and

• suggest ways to make treatment more effective.

The anxiety disorders discussed in this brochure are

• panic disorder,

• obsessive-compulsive disorder,

• post-traumatic stress disorder,

• social phobia (or social anxiety disorder),

• specific phobias, and

• generalized anxiety disorder.

Each anxiety disorder has its own distinct features, but they are all bound together by the common theme of excessive, irrational fear and dread.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports scientific investigation into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses. The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness through research on mind, brain, and behavior. NIMH is a component of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Panic Disorder
"It started 10 years ago, when I had just graduated from college and started a new job. I was sitting in a business seminar in a hotel and this thing came out of the blue. I felt like I was dying.


"For me, a panic attack is almost a violent experience. I feel disconnected from reality. I feel like I'm losing control in a very extreme way. My heart pounds really hard, I feel like I can't get my breath, and there's an overwhelming feeling that things are crashing in on me.


"In between attacks there is this dread and anxiety that it's going to happen again. I'm afraid to go back to places where I've had an attack. Unless I get help, there soon won't be anyplace where I can go and feel safe from panic."
People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. They can't predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike.


If you are having a panic attack, most likely your heart will pound and you may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands may tingle or feel numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled. You may have nausea, chest pain or smothering sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss of control. You may genuinely believe you're having a heart attack or losing your mind, or on the verge of death.
Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep. An attack generally peaks within 10 minutes, but some symptoms may last much longer.


Panic disorder affects about 2.4 million adult Americans and is twice as common in women as in men. It most often begins during late adolescence or early adulthood. Risk of developing panic disorder appears to be inherited. Not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder-for example, many people have one attack but never have another. For those who do have panic disorder, though, it's important to seek treatment.

Untreated, the disorder can become very disabling.Many people with panic disorder visit the hospital emergency room repeatedly or see a number of doctors before they obtain a correct diagnosis. Some people with panic disorder may go for years without learning that they have a real, treatable illness.Panic disorder is often accompanied by other serious conditions such as depression, drug abuse, or alcoholism and may lead to a pattern of avoidance of places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while you're riding in an elevator, you may develop a fear of elevators. If you start avoiding them, that could affect your choice of a job or apartment and greatly restrict other parts of your life.


Some people's lives become so restricted that they avoid normal, everyday activities such as grocery shopping or driving. In some cases they become housebound. Or, they may be able to confront a feared situation only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person.


Basically, these people avoid any situation in which they would feel helpless if a panic attack were to occur. When people's lives become so restricted, as happens in about one-third of people with panic disorder, the condition is called agoraphobia. Early treatment of panic disorder can often prevent agoraphobia.
Panic disorder is one of the most treatable of the anxiety disorders, responding in most cases to medications or carefully targeted psychotherapy.
You may genuinely believe you're having a heart attack, losing your mind, or are on the verge of death. Attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep.

I look forward to serving you, if you would like a free repost on stress run on over to www.biologicalhappiness.com, talk to you soon!

Arthur Buchanan

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM-ADHD

Here is one on ADHD, let me know what you think and as always, if you know anyone that this could help please pass it on. If you get a chance to get to www.out-of-darkness.com, it's a great book, onward hope you like this:)


Mark

Mark, age 14, has more energy than most boys his age. But then, he's always been overly active. Starting at age 3, he was a human tornado, dashing around and disrupting everything in his path. At home, he darted from one activity to the next, leaving a trail of toys behind him. At meals, he upset dishes and chattered nonstop. He was reckless and impulsive, running into the street with oncoming cars, no matter how many times his mother explained the danger or scolded him. On the playground, he seemed no wilder than the other kids. But his tendency to overreact--like socking playmates simply for bumping into him--had already gotten him into trouble several times. His parents didn't know what to do. Mark's doting grandparents reassured them, "Boys will be boys. Don't worry; he'll grow out of it." But he didn't.

Lisa

At age 17, Lisa still struggles to pay attention and act appropriately. But this has always been hard for her. She still gets embarrassed thinking about that night her parents took her to a restaurant to celebrate her 10th birthday. She had gotten so distracted by the waitress' bright red hair that her father called her name three times before she remembered to order. Then before she could stop herself, she blurted, "Your hair dye looks awful!"



In elementary and junior high school, Lisa was quiet and cooperative but often seemed to be daydreaming. She was smart, yet couldn't improve her grades no matter how hard she tried. Several times, she failed exams. Even though she knew most of the answers, she couldn't keep her mind on the test. Her parents responded to her low grades by taking away privileges and scolding, "You're just lazy. You could get better grades if you only tried." One day, after Lisa had failed yet another exam, the teacher found her sobbing, "What's wrong with me?"

Henry

Although he loves puttering around in his shop, for years Henry has had dozens of unfinished carpentry projects and ideas for new ones he knew he would never complete. His garage was piled so high with wood, he and his wife joked about holding a fire sale.

Every day Henry faced the real frustration of not being able to concentrate long enough to complete a task. He was fired from his job as stock clerk because he lost inventory and carelessly filled out forms. Over the years, afraid that he might be losing his mind, he had seen psychotherapists and tried several medications, but none ever helped him concentrate. He saw the same lack of focus in his young son and worried.


What Are the Symptoms of ADHD?

The three people you've just met, Mark, Lisa, and Henry, all have a form of ADHD--Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is not like a broken arm, or strep throat. Unlike these two disorders, ADHD does not have clear physical signs that can be seen in an x-ray or a lab test. ADHD can only be identified by looking for certain characteristic behaviors, and as with Mark, Lisa, and Henry, these behaviors vary from person to person. Scientists have not yet identified a single cause behind all the different patterns of behavior--and they may never find just one. Rather, someday scientists may find that ADHD is actually an umbrella term for several slightly different disorders.

At present, ADHD is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time. The most common behaviors fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Inattention. People who are inattentive have a hard time keeping their mind on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. They may give effortless, automatic attention to activities and things they enjoy. But focusing deliberate, conscious attention to organizing and completing a task or learning something new is difficult.


For example, Lisa found it agonizing to do homework. Often, she forgot to plan ahead by writing down the assignment or bringing home the right books. And when trying to work, every few minutes she found her mind drifting to something else. As a result, she rarely finished and her work was full of errors.

Hyperactivity. People who are hyperactive always seem to be in motion. They can't sit still. Like Mark, they may dash around or talk incessantly. Sitting still through a lesson can be an impossible task. Hyperactive children squirm in their seat or roam around the room. Or they might wiggle their feet, touch everything, or noisily tap their pencil. Hyperactive teens and adults may feel intensely restless. They may be fidgety or, like Henry, they may try to do several things at once, bouncing around from one activity to the next.

Impulsivity. People who are overly impulsive seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act. As a result, like Lisa, they may blurt out inappropriate comments. Or like Mark, they may run into the street without looking. Their impulsivity may make it hard for them to wait for things they want or to take their turn in games. They may grab a toy from another child or hit when they're upset.

Not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive has an attention disorder. Since most people sometimes blurt out things they didn't mean to say, bounce from one task to another, or become disorganized and forgetful, how can specialists tell if the problem is ADHD?

To assess whether a person has ADHD, specialists consider several critical questions: Are these behaviors excessive, long-term, and pervasive? That is, do they occur more often than in other people the same age? Are they a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation? Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the playground or the office? The person's pattern of behavior is compared against a set of criteria and characteristics of the disorder. These criteria appear in a diagnostic reference book called the DSM (short for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

According to the diagnostic manual, there are three patterns of behavior that indicate ADHD. People with ADHD may show several signs of being consistently inattentive. They may have a pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive. Or they may show all three types of behavior.


According to the DSM, signs of inattention include:

• becoming easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds

• failing to pay attention to details and making careless


• mistakes
• rarely following instructions carefully and completely

• losing or forgetting things like toys, or pencils, books, and tools needed for a task


Some signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity are:


• feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming

• running, climbing, or leaving a seat, in situations where sitting or quiet behavior is expected


• blurting out answers before hearing the whole question
• having difficulty waiting in line or for a turn


Because everyone shows some of these behaviors at times, the DSM contains very specific guidelines for determining when they indicate ADHD. The behaviors must appear early in life, before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months. In children, they must be more frequent or severe than in others the same age. Above all, the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life, such as school, home, work, or social settings. So someone whose work or friendships are not impaired by these behaviors would not be diagnosed with ADHD. Nor would a child who seems overly active at school but functions well elsewhere.

Can Any Other Conditions Produce These Symptoms?

The fact is, many things can produce these behaviors. Anything from chronic fear to mild seizures can make a child seem overactive, quarrelsome, impulsive, or inattentive. For example, a formerly cooperative child who becomes overactive and easily distracted after a parent's death is dealing with an emotional problem, not ADHD. A chronic middle ear infection can also make a child seem distracted and uncooperative. So can living with family members who are physically abusive or addicted to drugs or alcohol. Can you imagine a child trying to focus on a math lesson when his or her safety and well-being are in danger each day? Such children are showing the effects of other problems, not ADHD.


In other children, ADHD-like behaviors may be their response to a defeating classroom situation. Perhaps the child has a learning disability and is not developmentally ready to learn to read and write at the time these are taught. Or maybe the work is too hard or too easy, leaving the child frustrated or bored.

Tyrone and Mimi are two examples of how classroom conditions can elicit behaviors that look like ADHD. For months, Tyrone shouted answers out in class, then became disruptive when the teacher ignored him. He certainly seemed hyperactive and impulsive. Finally, after observing Tyrone in other situations, his teacher realized he just wanted approval for knowing the right answer. She began to seek opportunities to call on him and praise him. Gradually, Tyrone became calmer and more cooperative.

Mimi, a fourth grader, made loud noises during reading group that constantly disrupted the class. One day the teacher realized that the book was too hard for Mimi. Mimi's disruptions stopped when she was placed in a reading group where the books were easier and she could successfully participate in the lesson.

Like Tyrone and Mimi, some children's attention and class participation improve when the class structure and lessons are adjusted a bit to meet their emotional needs, instructional level, or learning style. Although such children need a little help to get on track at school, they probably don't have ADHD.


It's also important to realize that during certain stages of development, the majority of children that age tend to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive--but do not have ADHD. Preschoolers have lots of energy and run everywhere they go, but this doesn't mean they are hyperactive. And many teenagers go through a phase when they are messy, disorganized, and reject authority. It doesn't mean they will have a lifelong problem controlling their impulses.

ADHD is a serious diagnosis that may require long-term treatment with counseling and medication. So it's important that a doctor first look for and treat any other causes for these behaviors.

What Can Look Like ADHD?

• Underachievement at school due to a learning disability
• Attention lapses caused by petit mal seizures
• A middle ear infection that causes an intermittent hearing problem
• Disruptive or unresponsive behavior due to anxiety or depression


Can Other Disorders Accompany ADHD?

One of the difficulties in diagnosing ADHD is that it is often accompanied by other problems. For example, many children with ADHD also have a specific learning disability (LD), which means they have trouble mastering language or certain academic skills, typically reading and math. ADHD is not in itself a specific learning disability. But because it can interfere with concentration and attention, ADHD can make it doubly hard for a child with LD to do well in school.

A very small proportion of people with ADHD have a rare disorder called Tourette's syndrome. People with Tourette's have tics and other movements like eye blinks or facial twitches that they cannot control. Others may grimace, shrug, sniff, or bark out words. Fortunately, these behaviors can be controlled with medication. Researchers at NIMH and elsewhere are involved in evaluating the safety and effectiveness of treatment for people who have both Tourette's syndrome and ADHD.

More serious, nearly half of all children with ADHD--mostly boys--tend to have another condition, called oppositional defiant disorder. Like Mark, who punched playmates for jostling him, these children may overreact or lash out when they feel bad about themselves. They may be stubborn, have outbursts of temper, or act belligerent or defiant. Sometimes this progresses to more serious conduct disorders.



Children with this combination of problems are at risk of getting in trouble at school, and even with the police. They may take unsafe risks and break laws--they may steal, set fires, destroy property, and drive recklessly. It's important that children with these conditions receive help before the behaviors lead to more serious problems.

At some point, many children with ADHD--mostly younger children and boys--experience other emotional disorders. About one-fourth feel anxious. They feel tremendous worry, tension, or uneasiness, even when there's nothing to fear. Because the feelings are scarier, stronger, and more frequent than normal fears, they can affect the child's thinking and behavior. Others experience depression. Depression goes beyond ordinary sadness--people may feel so "down" that they feel hopeless and unable to deal with everyday tasks. Depression can disrupt sleep, appetite, and the ability to think.

Because emotional disorders and attention disorders so often go hand in hand, every child who has ADHD should be checked for accompanying anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression can be treated, and helping children handle such strong, painful feelings will help them cope with and overcome the effects of ADHD.

(Graphic Omitted: Diagram showing the overlapping of other disorders with ADHD.)


Of course, not all children with ADHD have an additional disorder. Nor do all people with learning disabilities, Tourette's syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, or depression have ADHD. But when they do occur together, the combination of problems can seriously complicate a person's life. For this reason, it's important to watch for other disorders in children who have ADHD.