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Author:
Jeannine Virtue

According to recent studies ADHD is one of the most costly health conditions in the U.S. - topped only by alcohol abuse and clearly ahead of drug abuse in terms of cost.

Annually, alcohol abuse costs American families $86 billion in lost household income. The annual cost for ADHD is $77 billion and the annual cost for drug abuse is $58 billion.

Hard costs, like out-of-pocket medical treatment, are only one aspect of lost income. ADHD high school graduates and college graduates make considerably less money annually than their non-ADHD counterparts.

Research indicates that it doesn’t matter if the person with ADHD has the same level of education as someone who does not have ADHD, the person with ADHD will make less money than the person without ADHD. The numbers are between $4500.00 and $10,000.00 annually. People with ADHD suffer from symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity - which are not always conducive to the work environment.

Although about half the children with ADHD learn to adequately manage their symptoms into adulthood, the other half continue to struggle as they transition from school to work. If ADHD goes untreated into adulthood, the symptoms can affect their financial health by making it harder to hold down a job, making it harder to obtain the education needed to land high-paying jobs and it can cause more lost work days.

Many psychiatrists that treat adults with ADHD ask their clients to bring in their employee evaluations, most of the evaluations brought in read like a textbook case. The ADHD adult will talk out of turn, have difficulty following through with instructions, show lack of focus, have difficulty finishing projects and complain of being disorganized.

Symptoms like these make it very hard for an adult with ADHD to maintain a successful work environment. More often than not, these are the employees that get passed up for a promotion or are under-employed according to their abilities.

Not only does the adult with ADHD have more problems at work, without successful treatment the ADHD adult typically also has:

_ Higher Divorce rates.
_ Lower levels of satisfaction with all aspects of their lives.
_ Less likely to have a positive self- image or be optimistic.
_ More likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.
_ More driving accidents.

Most experts agree that if ADHD is detected and treated at a young age, the ADHD adult will be less likely to struggle with work and their everyday duties. The key is in finding successful and healthful treatment for the ADHD adult.

About the Author
Jeannine Virtue is a freelance writer who focuses on health related issues. For information about effective and healthy treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder in adults and children, visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center at http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com

| Article Keywords: ADHD News

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to ADHD News... About Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD ) & its Symptoms Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a condition that is usually characterized by behavioral and learning disorders. ADD generally diagnosed in children, mostly affects the boys than the girls. ADD not only occurs in childhood but also continues till adulthood in some cases. Some of the characteristics that are commonly cited among the children with ADD are hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsivity. ADD results in children finding it difficult to perform a task assigned to them and focus on some of the important aspects of conversations. ADD is a neurobiologically-based developmental disability that usually affects children. The actual cause of ADD is unknown till date. Research has shown that ADD is caused due to the genetic transmission of the condition from the parents to the children and also can be due to the result of a chemical imbalance or deficiency of certain neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters are chemicals that help the brain regulate the behavior of an individual. A recent study has shown that the rate at which the brain uses glucose, its main energy source, is lower in individuals suffering from ADD than in individuals without ADD. The important features associated with ADD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Some of the symptoms due to inattention include making careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities, facing difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities, not listening when spoken to directly, facing difficulty in organizing tasks and activities, and mostly forgetful in daily activities. Some of the symptoms due to hyperactivity include fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat, running about or climbing excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate, facing difficulty playing...