ADD vs ADHD - Discussion

What is the ADD vs ADHD comparison, and what are their similarities and differences?

Though ADD / ADHD has been at the center of a certain degree of controversy in recent years, it remains a serious issue for many adolescents and adults.

The classifications of ADD and ADHD have come about somewhat recently, and many physicians do not distinguish between the two. This is due to the fact that the DSM-IV is the standard by which diagnoses are made, and does not include separate diagnoses (both types are called ADHD). There are, however, differing categories, and it is not uncommon to note the dominant manifestation of the disorder.

Although people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder tend to exhibit characteristics of both ADD and ADHD, those from the former category generally have ‘inattentive’ ADD, whereas the latter group shows more symptoms of ‘hyperactive’ ADHD; this is one ADD vs ADHD difference.

First in the ADD vs ADHD discussion, let us talk about ADHD.

ADD with hyperactivity, or ADHD, is what people generally envision when encountering the disorder in a colloquial sense. The primary indicators are attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. People with ADHD are thought to have different brain structures than other people, as well as a deficiency in certain neurotransmitters linked to alertness and arousal. Self-regulation is weak for those with ADHD, causing a great degree of impulsivity.

As the name of the disorder would suggest, people with ADHD are highly distractible and cannot maintain focus for sustained periods of time; moreover, they are easily bored, need external motivation, and are known to lose and forget things. People with ADHD are also prone to social issues, and may have difficulty with communication and relationships because of intolerance, distractibility, etc.

Other distinguishable traits include an altered sense of time (and a tendency to be late), a high degree of impatience and need for instant gratification, rigid thinking, low tolerance to frustration, and increased interpersonal sensitivity.

In this ADD vs ADHD discussion, let us move on to ADD.

ADD without hyperactivity, or ADD, has been increasingly researched in the past decade or so. It was noted that there were people suffering from attention difficulties who were not hyperactive, creating the “inattentive” categorization. People with inattentive ADD differ from those with ADHD because they are not unable to focus due to the need to “race” from task to task, but rather an inability to fully focus on any given task.

Unlike ADHD, the issues that lead to ADD are thought to originate in the parietal lobe. People with this type of ADD tend to experience fear and / or anxiety, and have a sense of “low energy” in terms of their capacity to think. Cognition is often slowed, and daydreaming, avoidance, mental confusion, and poor memory retrieval are often present.

One similarity in ADD vs ADHD is that, like those with hyperactivity, people in the ADD category are also prone to social problems, communicative difficulties, an altered sense of time, and tend to be sensitive. They are, however, not particularly impulsive or impatient; this is a major difference in ADD vs ADHD.

ADD, with or without hyperactivity, is an incredibly difficult disorder to cope with, and one that we still do not know a great deal about. Luckily, there are medications that have had a high rate of success in treating this disorder, causing significant improvement of symptoms and allowing the person to concentrate enough to accomplish necessary tasks.

Of course, these medications have also been relatively controversial. As we learn more about the mechanisms in the brain that underlie ADHD, it will become possible to better treat the disorder and to tailor the treatment to the exact type of ADD with which a person is afflicted. Until then, the current treatments are satisfactory in reducing the interruptions to daily life that ADHD would otherwise cause.

Having better understood the ADD vs ADHD comparison, learn about natural remedies and treatments for ADD / ADHD by reading the other related articles and pages.

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