Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also referred to as ADD, is a chronic disorder affecting six to nine percent of children and about five percent of adults worldwide. From impulses and hyperactivity to inattentiveness, this condition commonly affects children, but it can continue throughout their adult years.
While no cure exists for ADHD, it can be treated. For many people, however, current treatment options have been either ineffective or produced adverse side effects. But there could be a new answer for ADHD patients that are seeking better treatment — medical marijuana.
ADHD is a disorder that causes trouble focusing on tasks and paying attention without a wandering mind. Patients might also have difficulty sitting still. The condition often starts early in childhood. If left untreated, ADHD can cause trouble at work, at school, at home and with relationships.
ADHD is typically diagnosed by the age of seven, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Boys are diagnosed with the disorder twice as much as girls. Adults can receive a diagnosis of the disorder as well.
ADHD shows three typical patterns including:
When you struggle with inattention, you have difficulty sustaining focus, lack persistence and are disorganized, but these issues aren’t due to lack of comprehension or defiance. Inattentive ADHD is what is typically referred to as ADD.
This type of ADHD is characterized by moving about regularly, even in circumstances where it’s not appropriate. You fidget, talk or tap excessively. You may be restless and wear others out with continuous activity, especially in adult cases.
You make hasty, thoughtless actions that could potentially harm yourself or others. You’re always seeking instant gratification. Impulsive people may also interrupt others excessively, be socially intrusive or be unable to consider the consequences of important decisions.
Your symptoms determine the type of ADHD you’re struggling with, and both may change over time. It’s a lifelong challenge for many, but therapy and medication can help improve your symptoms and quality of life.
Sir Alexander Crichton gave the first example of a condition appearing similar to ADHD in 1798.
In 1902, ADHD was first defined by Sir George Still, a British pediatrician, as “an abnormal defect of moral control in children.“ His findings revealed that with some children affected, they couldn’t control their behavior in the same manner of ordinary children; however, they were still intelligent.
The FDA approved Benzedrine in 1936 and Ritalin in 1955 as a potential medication for treating ADHD. As diagnoses increased and physicians better understood the disorder, Ritalin became more popular, and it’s still a commonly prescribed treatment today.
Many people have mixed symptoms of ADHD, and they continue to change over time. Younger children have more tendency of showing hyperactivity, whereas older children and adults often show more signs of inattention.
Today, ADHD is recognized as one of the most diagnosed childhood disorders continuing into adulthood.
Key behaviors in ADHD are hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Some individuals will wrestle with only one of these indicative behaviors, while others grapple with more or even all of them. Children often struggle with the combined form of ADHD. Hyperactivity is the most common symptom of ADHD in preschool.
While all people from time to time will have some unfocused motor activity, impulsivity and inattention, in those with the disorder, these behaviors:
Recognizing an increase in these behaviors is your first step toward receiving a diagnosis.
When living with the symptoms of inattention, you may often:
Symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, mostly in children, may include:
Children need to have six or more symptoms falling under this specific category type to receive an ADHD diagnosis.
Since ADHD symptoms can impact your relationships and your performance at work, you may also struggle with psychological issues through childhood and later.
When living with ADHD, you may struggle with low self-esteem caused by the symptoms of the disorder. Low self-esteem may stem from difficulties you’re experiencing at work and may occur with any of these ADHD symptoms. These challenges can lead to poor performance and underachievement which adds to your low self-esteem.
You may develop anxiety along with your ADHD. The condition can cause intense worry regarding performance or organizational issues. These issues can trigger anxiety and, when untreated, can affect your ability to think clearly and lead to physical symptoms like sweating, racing heart and tremors.
Depression is another possibility where you could experience a change in your mood such as helplessness and persistent sadness. You may feel an overwhelming sense of guilt, making your depression worse. Depression may also affect your behavior causing things like problems with sleeping and concentrating.
According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA):
The National Resource on ADHD (CHADD) says:
ADHD treatment relies on a combination of medications and behavior therapy. If treating the disorder in children, the prescribed dosage used will depend on how old the child is. Adults may benefit from these treatments as well.
Your doctor may prescribe the following medications for your or your child’s ADHD:
If you’re experiencing bothersome side effects from these stimulant medications or they aren’t working, your doctor may prescribe a non-stimulant medication such as:
The doctor may use these medications alone or combine them with other medications.
Side effects of ADHD medications include:
The doctor may either change the dosage of your medication, the type of medication or the release formula of the medication if the side effects are becoming a problem. The aim is to determine what will provide you with the most benefit with minimal side effects.
Behavior therapy helps teach parents to learn strategies, such as positive reinforcement, to improve their child’s behaviors. Children will learn skills for communication, problem solving and self-advocacy. For the most success, doctors may prescribe behavior therapy combined with medication, rather than by itself.
Counseling helps you to recognize any problem behaviors you have and learn strategies to deal with them. Counseling can also benefit family members, allowing them to deal with the second-hand effects of ADHD.
There have been many studies proving marijuana use is beneficial for individuals who have ADD and ADHD. While there have been many preconceptions that marijuana exacerbates ADHD, many cannabiologists believe cannabis has been significantly responsible for improving the lives of people living with ADHD.
Researchers believe one of the leading factors contributing to ADHD is a shortage of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter important in regulating attention, memory and other cognitive processes. Ritalin, Adderall and other medications are designed to stimulate the production of dopamine, thereby helping to increase a patient’s ability to concentrate. These drugs, however, result in a wide range of severe side effects and can also result in potentially severe withdrawal symptoms.
One area in which medical cannabis for ADHD has shown promise is the way cannabinoids interact with the brain’s ability to manage dopamine. Research is still in its early stages but shows marijuana may increase dopamine production. It seems to work in a similar way to Ritalin as it binds to dopamine and helps slow the metabolic breakdown of the substance.
Cannabis may be able to correct an ADHD sufferer’s deficiency of dopamine, but it has to be administered and in the correct dose. When used correctly, it can aid in concentration and make arduous, routine tasks more manageable for patients. It can also help level out mood swings.
A well-known effect of marijuana is relaxation. But you may wonder how medical cannabis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder works for managing your ADHD symptoms.
As you know, when you have ADHD, you often find it hard to stay focused, and you’re hyperactive. Because of this, many physicians believe medical cannabis can help decrease impulsivity in ADHD patients.
Medical weed can also treat effects of stimulant drugs such as sleep problems, nervousness and loss of appetite.
2015 published German study examined cannabis effects on 30 patients who weren’t responding to Ritalin or Adderall. Most of the subjects following treatment experience reduced impulsivity, improved sleep and better performance.
The effects of ADHD are different in women than in men. Women seem to receive fewer diagnoses and suffer more with anxiety, depression, obesity and eating disorders than do men. Men, however, are more likely to experience anger, car accidents and behavioral issues.
The most common ADHD treatments are methylphenidate and amphetamine stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall. These medications help improve cognitive functioning and increase concentration and focus.
But, what these medications don’t do is help you relax. They’ve also been known to cause nausea, suppress your appetite and give you abdominal cramping and diarrhea. They even can reduce your sleep. It’s here that marijuana and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder comes into play.
Methylphenidate and amphetamine can be harmful to your body, particularly when you increase your dose or first begin treatment. They might make you agitated, excessively nervous and amped up. Medical pot helps relieve some of these medications’ uncomfortable side effects. Weed can:
Since cannabis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder reduces stress, calms you down and helps you pay attention, it’s a favorite treatment choice for many people living with ADHD. It can exhaust you mentally when you’re feeling agitated and wired all day, so it makes sense that people are turning to the herb to find some peace.
Additionally, it can be hard to “turn off” after using stimulant medications all day. A soothing dose of marijuana can calm your anxious body and provide you with peace of mind.
Since there needs to be more research to show exactly how and if medical marijuana can help people with ADHD, information and evidence is limited to mainly personal anecdotes. You may want to do a little experimenting yourself with different strains to see what’s most useful for your ADHD symptoms. Below is a small list of strains people have found helpful in treating their symptoms.
In general, sativa strains are known to uplift the user due to its higher THC content, while indica strains will make the user feel more tired and relaxed because of its high CBD content. The same goes for sativa-dominant and indica-dominant hybrids, respectively.
These sativa strains help decrease inattentiveness.
These calm the mind, reducing anxiety and impulsivity.
These indica strains are sleep-inducing, appetite-boosting strains.
Again, try some different strains out for yourself so you can find your ideal ADHD treatment.
Since many ADHD patients are children, smoking medical cannabis can be problematic. Therefore, below lists some kid-friendly alternative methods of getting your medical weed treatment that is just as effective with adults.
Micro-dosing is a valid alternative method. Extracted cannabinoids are combined with a glycerin solution, alcohol or Medium-Chain Triglyceride oil, which is typically palm or coconut oil. With sublingual sprays, you simply spray or squirt your dose under your tongue and allow it to absorb through your mouth’s tissue.
Another excellent delivery method is through tinctures. They’re simple convenient to use, because it’s easy to dose correctly when you know the number of mg of CBD or THC in the dropper and the bottle.
Some edible cannabis and ADHD treats may include:
In most cases, the treats are yummy, and you can’t tell they contain weed.
With suppositories, you insert a cannabis extract inside a small cone-shaped mass into your rectum. It then absorbs through your colon. Two sizes of suppositories are available: 1g for children and 2g for adults. For children, you can cut doses in half to make them even smaller.
Obtaining medical cannabis isn’t as difficult as you may think. It’s easy to start your search online, but make sure to select a location that’s in strict compliance with state laws. It’s also convenient if the location is a one-stop resource including both a marijuana doctor and a dispensary. Take action and start your search with MarijuanaDoctors.com today.
This information is not provided by medical professionals and is intended only to complement, and not to replace or contradict, any health or medical advice or information provided by healthcare professionals. If you have any questions, please contact your doctor or other healthcare professional.