Does your kid need a therapist?

My son was three when I took him to see a mental health professional for the first time. Ari was little, but challenging in so many ways. He refused to walk outside when it rained. He’d scream whenever water splashed on his clothes. He would never fingerpaint in nursery school; he didn’t like to get…

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Undetected ADHD May Explain Poor SSRI Response in Depression

Adults who fail to respond to antidepressant therapy may have underlying attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and not treatment-resistant depression, as is often assumed, new research suggests…The research was presented here at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Conference 2016.

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Efficacy and Safety of Amphetamines in ADHD

This is the Medscape Psychiatry Minute. I’m Dr Peter Yellowlees. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric conditions affecting children and adolescents. Amphetamines are among the most commonly prescribed medications to manage ADHD, yet despite their addictive potential, we really don’t know how safe or efficacious they are.

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ADHD and the Rock Star Gene

A genetic variant called DRD4-7R is linked to ADHD. Rock stars are, too…DRD4-7R, found in an estimated twenty-percent of the population, has been called “the restless gene” or “the nomadic gene.” It is also frequently associated with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition much in the news of late due to an unprecedented increase in…

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Help Your Child With Psychiatric Needs Prepare for College

Congratulations, parents, on your high school senior’s upcoming graduation…Now a different kind of work begins – the preparation for starting college. You and your child will receive several checklists over the next few months…If you have a child who takes medication for Attention Deficit Disorder, anxiety, depression or any other mental health issue, you need…

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Bad idea to share ADHD medicine

62 percent of students with a valid prescription for ADHD medication say they have shared the pills with others who do not need the drug. That’s according to a study from the Journal of Addictive Diseases. So you might think what harm can it do? If it helps one child focus, why wouldn’t it help…

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Stimulant treatment safe, effective for ADHD in epilepsy

Data presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting indicated stimulant medication was effective and safe for treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children with epilepsy. “Youth with epilepsy are at risk for ADHD. Historically, physicians have been reluctant to treat ADHD in youth with epilepsy based on concern that stimulant medication may lower the…

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Is Leaky Thalamus to Blame for ADHD?

A possible connection between Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a genetic malfunction in the thalamus may explain the distractibility and physical restlessness that plague children and adults with ADHD, a group of New York University, MIT and Duke University scientists have reported.The genetic defect they’ve detected may be particularly relevant to the approximately 30 percent…

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Plasticizer in new health risk

Medics have connected the plastic softeners in medical tubing to neurological problems in children who have been hospitalized with critical illnesses. The neurological problems are primarily associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)…The concern with plastics relates to a type of softener, classed as phthalates. Phthalate esters are primarily used as plasticizers.

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When You Can’t Find Your Car Keys: Parenting With ADD

“Mom, you have the attention span of a squirrel,” my younger son told me when he was in middle school. Never mind that he had the attention span of something even less focused, perhaps a field mouse or a hummingbird. He was right. I just could not do many of the things other responsible adults…

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ADHD link to menopause

Sandra Centorino feels extremely anxious most days…Keeping a list to stay focused and organized has done little to keep her on track…Well known psychiatrist Dr. Thomas E. Brown at Yale School of Medicine hears similar symptoms, from patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who are having a tough time with what he refers to as…

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