What happens to ADHD kids after college?

When discussing ADHD, among both the general public and healthcare professionals, you likely encounter two opinions. One can be summarized by a quote I recently saw on Facebook on the subject: “When I was a kid, ADHD was called ‘being a kid’.” The other opinion is generally held by parents with an ADHD child, or adults who suffer from ADHD themselves, who are so incredibly frustrated that they cannot get anything done; their brain is so impossible to manage that it reaches the point of disability and failing relationships. Both opinions are correct, and there are many shades of grey in between.

People also have many diverse opinions on medication and its use. Some argue overuse, some argue underuse. Many people with an ADHD diagnosis have additional concerns such as depression, OCD, Tourette’s Syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, post-concussion syndrome, metabolic syndrome and many more.

Dr. Ned Hallowell, a Harvard University trained psychiatrist and author of the bestselling books Driven To Distraction and Delivered From Distraction, is one of the world’s leading authorities on ADHD. He describes ADHD in a very rational way. He states that ADHD is a series of traits that have always been present in our society. People with these traits have given us some of the greatest inventions, artwork, literature, film and corporations that the world has ever seen.

It is estimated that 15-20% of the human population has the traits associated with ADHD. Dr. Hallowell taught me personally in conversation that the United States is unique because of its history of attracting millions of immigrants from around the world looking for a better life to its shores. These people do not think about the consequences of traveling by ship for several months, without knowing anyone, in search of a new life. They do not think ahead about the difficulties such a journey would have. These are very “ADHD” type behaviors: someone with ADHD does not take the time to think carefully about the consequences of their behavior; remember: they are impulsive.

Dr. Hallowell states that “Attention Deficit” is no more a disorder than “Attention Abundance.” Certainly life and society have changed in recent decades and certainly have become more challenging for those with these specific traits. The gifts that those with ADHD traits have to offer society are not being revealed, or “unwrapped” as Dr. Hallowell so eloquently puts it. People with ADHD are having their “traits” medicated and they are not discovering what their talents and passions are. This, of course, is a tragedy for us all.

ADHD traits in an unhealthy individual are:

1. Hyperactivity
2. Impulsivity
3. Distractibility

ADHD traits in a healthy individual are:

1. Energy
2. Creativity
3. Curiosity

The traits of abundant energy, creativity and curiosity are analogous to the three classic traits ascribed to ADHD of hyperactivity, impulsivity and distractibility.

If there was ever a time we needed people‒children and adults‒to discover their talents and be creative, it’s now. The purpose of this article to is not to discuss whether medication is right or wrong. That is a different discussion altogether and probably needs to be looked at on an individual basis.

Why do people experience such different effects and side-effects from medication? The answer can be partially attributed to the fact that medication is designed to treat a symptom and not a cause. When you have an infected gall bladder, you present to the doctor and tell him you have abdominal pain and ask him for a diagnosis. The doctor goes through a series of questions, exam procedures and objective tests to give you your diagnosis of acute cholecystitis (inflamed gallbladder). Your doctor does not turn to you after you say, “I have abdominal pain,” and tell you that you are suffering from “abdominal pain”. Why then, when we go the doctor and say, “I am depressed,” or, “I have attention deficit, can you please tell me what is wrong,” the doctor states that you have a diagnosis of “depression” or “attention deficit?”

The traits many of us have that might be interpreted as ADHD could be the very same traits that give us some of the most successful and creative people in society. There is no shortage of examples of those with ADHD who have succeeded at the highest levels: Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Michael Jordan, Mozart, Einstein, and Bill Gates, to name a few. These are examples of how the traits of ADHD found in a healthy body and mind can give us prodigy.

However, when those very same traits are found in a not-so-healthy body and mind, or when there is a specific health problem, it is then that we may see how ADHD traits can lead to pathology. This is happening more and more for many reasons. We can safely say that the world has dramatically changed over the last 30 years and continues to do so in a way that makes ADHD traits more and more difficult to deal with, and thus the likelihood of expressing pathology greater and greater.

There are many health problems that can give us the negative signs and symptoms of ADHD. These include conditions that can be traced to genetics, health problems with mom while in utero (thyroid disorders), undiagnosed birth trauma, concussion, repeated mild concussions experienced in many of our most common sports, dysglycemia (metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes, diabetes), PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), chemical exposure, undiagnosed food sensitivities, systemic inflammation or autoimmunity, or psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and OCD‒to name just a few.

ADHD medications’ mechanism of action occurs on one or more neurotransmitters in specific areas of the brain. Neurotransmitters are how brain cells communicate with each other. There are many ways that we can positively or negatively impact the way brain cells communicate. For instance, the stress response associated with chronic inflammation can dramatically impact the production of several hormones in both males and females. One example is the production of progesterone, which has a dramatic impact on the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine and dopamine receptors are among the most common brain targets impacted by ADHD medications. A functional approach to brain, hormonal, and immune system health is an example of how we can create the most natural environment for innate normal function to occur. When the brain perceives itself to be in a healthy, non-threatened environment, it will function very predictably, the way it is supposed to.

If one of the above mentioned health conditions are present or the brain and body environment is not healthy, it could dramatically impact symptoms you may be feeling related to ADHD and could certainly impact your response to treatment. If you are only treating ADHD and not addressing underlying health conditions that may be causing the problems, then you are only treating symptoms. Sometimes that is not the best choice.

Only a comprehensive wellness assessment and exam that looks at your physical, chemical and mental health and history can reveal many of the above mentioned concerns. Fortunately, many of them listed can be addressed with a natural approach so that we can reduce our dependence on medication or eliminate it altogether. More importantly, when you restore healthy function you are more likely to reveal prodigy and not pathology.

Medication for ADHD alters brain chemistry. Brain chemistry can be made optimal by other natural means if a comprehensive (holistic) view is taken, proper tests are performed and symptoms are not the focus of treatment.

I have been working with natural alternatives to ADHD, among other neurodevelopmental conditions, since the mid 1990’s. Many of my patients then were children. We now see, in 2015, that the very same people who make up an entire generation treated with psychoactive drugs for attention deficit symptoms as children and young adults are now in the workplace, suffering from the same problems.

Adults with unresolved ADHD have difficulty maintaining a productive career and interpersonal relationships, they can have self-esteem issues, and many self-medicate with recreational drugs and alcohol. This generation of former “ADHD kids” are made to feel that there is now nothing wrong since they graduated from college. They should now be able to cope and be “normal” because they grew out of it. Many are still taking the same medication after over a decade, and the truth is that there is no data or reason to believe that it is safe to take psychoactive drugs for such long periods of time.

Thanks for reading!

Please comment below if you feel that since becoming an adult and joining the workforce, you are still having difficulties associated with a childhood, or perhaps adult, diagnosis of ADHD that was never treated beyond the symptoms.