Hyperactivity can be a sign of diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder.
Hyperactive person overly talkativeIt is difficult for him to sit in one place and concentrate on one lesson.
What is hyperactivity?
What does it mean, is it a disease or not?
Hyperactivity in psychology, it is a pathological condition characterized by excessively expressed motor activity and nervous over-excitement.
Most often, hyperactivity, especially that which is manifested in children, is considered as part of a disease called “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” and requires the timely start of corrective measures.
There is a type of ADHD in which hyperactivity prevails over other symptoms. It is rare and is abbreviated as ADHD-GI.
Some sources call this type motor hyperactivity syndrome. But even with classical ADHD - mixed - hyperactivity is quite pronounced.
In itself, hyperactivity is not a disease, but a symptom of various diseases and conditions. It is important not to confuse hyperactivity with the natural mobility of many children.
If an adult or child has hyperactivityit is accordingly called a hyperactive person or a hyperactive child.
As a rule, this characteristic is given in cases where hyperactivity is a part of a person, something that is constantly observed in him in one way or another.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is widespread in the world, children in Russia with this disease, about 4-20%, and in some of them the symptoms are observed after reaching the age of majority.
But hyperactivity in adults is more mild than in children, because social norms put pressure on them.
Causes in children and adults
Why is the child hyperactive? The main causes of ADHD, including motor activity syndrome:
- Genetic features. Despite the fact that researchers did not find clear reasons that lead to the occurrence of ADHD, this theory is most common. There are genes that control the exchange of norepinephrine and dopamine, and if a child for any reason (spontaneous mutations, inheritance from parents) will cause errors in these genes, this may cause the development of ADHD and other similar deviations.
This theory is supported by the information that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are helped by drugs that restore the metabolic processes of norepinephrine and dopamine.
- Violations arising during gestation and during childbirth: birth injuries associated with such reasons as too narrow a pelvis, presence of bony outgrowths in the pelvic region, traumatic and congenital defects of the pelvis of the woman, too fast and too slow delivery, mistakes of doctors; the consequences of infectious diseases (any infectious disease can have an adverse effect on the formation of the fetal brain, even banal flu, so it is important to follow the recommendations of doctors and be vaccinated before conception); hypoxia during labor and in the period of gestation.
- Bad habits of the mother during pregnancy and taking drugs that are not recommended for pregnant women. If a woman wants her child to be healthy, at least for the gestation period, you should stop drinking alcoholic beverages (a rare intake of high-quality alcoholic beverages in extremely small doses, for example, dry red wine) and drugs, are allowed, stop smoking. Also, before taking any medication should consult with your doctor, because there are lots of drugs that can seriously harm the unborn baby.
- Traumatic brain injury in the first months after birth. Even in the period of infancy, children are very mobile, and from time to time they develop new skills that can increase the risk of falling. It is important for parents to make sure that children are protected as much as possible: not to disregard them in areas from which they can slip, slide, remove objects that can cause injury (for example, heavy, breakable things that stand on the edge of the table, to which the child can reach, definitely worth the move).
If parents have at least a slight suspicion that the child has hit his head, they should go to the hospital.
- Complications due to infectious diseases, neuroinfection. Virtually any severe infection (influenza, salmonellosis, measles, rubella, chicken pox, diphtheria, and others) can lead to disruptions in the functioning of the brain. Any neuroinfections (meningitis, encephalitis, abscesses) are also considered extremely dangerous. A significant part of children who have undergone neuroinfection in severe form, there are various violations in the nervous system. To reduce the likelihood of serious complications, you should vaccinate children in time and consult a doctor when the first symptoms occur.
- Living in areas with adverse environmental conditions, poisoning by toxic substances. Systematic poisoning with lead, mercury, arsenic, nickel can lead to serious violations in the brain of a child. Also, the likelihood of ADHD and similar disorders increases if the child has received a one-time acute poisoning with the above-mentioned substances. According to research, there is a relationship between ADHD and toxin poisoning. Therefore, families with small children should, if possible, live far from dangerous enterprises.
- Deficiency of vitamins and microelements in the first years of life, inadequate nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. The most devastating effect is deficiency of B vitamins, especially B6, essential fatty acids, zinc, iron, magnesium, and iodine. Therefore, the mother during pregnancy should eat as fully as possible so that the brain of her child develops properly. Children also need to eat varied as their brain continues to grow.
Symptoms characteristic of ADHD are exacerbated if the child is systematically under stress. Most often, such stressful situations are associated with the presence of violence in his family.
Non-ADHD hyperactivity usually occurs in the following cases.:
- if a person has mental illness (bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, various psychosis, delirium, dementia);
- overdose of certain drugs (psychoactive substances, including drugs);
- in case of side effects after taking certain medications;
- in case of poisoning with lead and other toxic compounds.
But it is precisely in ADHD that hyperactivity is almost always observed.
Symptoms and signs
The first signs of disorders can be observed in infancy. Often babies up to a year experience the following symptoms:
- Strong muscle tension. In the first two or three months of life, pronounced hypertonus is the norm, but if the parent cannot straighten the limbs of the infant, and this feature persists for a long time, it is important to visit the pediatrician.
- Too many regurgitationsmay cause periodic vomiting for no apparent reason.
- Hypersensitivity. This means that such babies begin to cry as soon as they are disturbed even a little.
For example, a scream can cause a car to drive past the house, the lights in the room turn on. Normally, babies are less sensitive to irritants.
- Somatic symptoms. A child with hyperactivity often wakes up, does not sleep well, his sleep is unstable, and in general the duration of sleep is much shorter than that of his peers. Such children often cry because of headaches.
- In later infancy, the first obvious symptoms of ADHD. The child is very quickly bored with toys, his attention is unstable, he looks overly active, it is difficult to put him to bed. But it is important for parents to remember that these symptoms can be observed in adult children.
Gradually, as they mature, the symptoms begin to develop better. Symptoms of motor hyperactivity syndrome in preschool children, from 2 to 4 years old, include:
- The inability of the child to sit quietly in one place even for a very short time. If he needs to sit in one place for some time and not leave him (for example, if he is in class in a kindergarten, in a restaurant, in a cinema, at public events), he will not be able to cope with it: he will fidget, spin, twist head, can stand up and start walking, running.
- Rapid loss of interest in new toys and activities. It is difficult for him to engage in the same activity for a long time, so he can regularly interrupt, jump from one lesson to another.
- Constant desire to run, walk, do something. It is as if a small motor is built into these children, which does not allow them to stand quietly for even a minute.
They are constantly on the move, they are actively talking and can be quite frank even with unfamiliar people, they tend to climb somewhere, so they are often injured.
- The inability of the child to occupy itself. Easy to watch a cartoon or put down a puzzle, he can not, unlike his peers, which causes a lot of trouble to educators and parents.
- Nervous tics. Most noticeable when a child is at rest. He twitches hands, feet, shakes his head, can make repetitive sounds.
Also for these kids characterized by the persistence of difficulty sleeping: they easily wake up, fall asleep with difficulty, may complain of increased fatigue. They are characterized by frequent mood swings.
Symptoms of motor activity syndrome are most pronounced when a child first enters school and enters a transitional period.
In the first case, this is due to the fact that the child is assigned an extensive number of requirements that he cannot comply with due to his peculiarities.
AND parents begin to notice the symptoms more clearlywhich were previously written off as “age”, “just such a period”.
In the second - with significant hormonal changes in the body, affecting behavior, vision of the world and much more.
The main signs of motor hyperactivity syndrome after entering school:
- Problems remain that were observed at an earlier age. This is the inability to maintain a certain posture for the right amount of time, and excessive mobility, and emotional instability, and difficulty sleeping, and nervous tics.
- The child has a bad time at school. It is difficult to be a good student when you can not fully hold attention, you feel anxiety and anxiety, you quickly lose interest in the lesson.
- Teachers regularly complain about it.Because he does not follow school rules, often conflicts with other students, is irritable. Hyperactive children often become the main class bullies, especially if the parents did not try to raise them properly.
- The desire to interrupt the speaker, to answer too quickly, without thinking about the answer. Such children do not understand exactly when to start speaking, they are tired of long monologues.
In addition, children and adolescents with motor hyperactivity syndrome are characterized by gab.
If the diagnosis was not made, and the correctional work did not begin, the child with ADHD, growing up, becomes an adult with ADHD, to whom difficult to integrate into adulthood and be a productive worker.
For adults men and women with motor hyperactivity syndrome are characterized by:
- inability to plan their own time;
- inability to understand when to speak;
- nervous tics;
- health problems (headaches, excessive fatigue, sleep problems);
- difficulties in trying to build friendships with someone;
- reduced performance;
- the desire to often change activities.
Such adults systematically change jobs, often provoke conflicts with their behavior. But usually the symptoms of the disease are not as pronounced as in childhood and adolescence. However, they don't care need specialized help.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD Psychotherapy:
