The Real Causes of Adult ADHD and How to Improve Attention

We watch ads on television or the internet that tell us about adult ADHD and wonder, “Do I have ADHD?” See our quiz below to find out!

The fact is, many adults meet the criteria for ADHD. The list of ADHD symptoms is so general that it can apply to most modern adults. If you get restless, have trouble sitting still through a meeting, talk a lot, blurt out answers to questions, are impatient, or interrupt others, then you may meet the official criteria.[1]

Those who are marketing ADHD drugs also include:

• Careless mistakes/lack of attention to details (overlooks or misses details; work is inaccurate)
• Lack of sustained attention (difficulty remaining focused in learning, studying)
• Poor listening (mind seems elsewhere)
• Not following through on tasks (starts tasks but is easily sidetracked)
• Poor organization (disorganized work; poor time management; miss deadlines)
• Avoids tasks requiring sustained mental effort (preparing reports, completing forms)
• Losing things (tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile phone)
• Easily distracted by extraneous stimuli or unrelated thoughts
• Forgetful in daily activities (returning calls, paying bills, keeping appointments)[2]

It’s important that we understand the way the world works. We often think that a disease exists, and the scientists work on a solution, coming up with a drug to treat it. In fact, it most often happens the other way around. A substance is discovered and a marketing company looks for a way to get people to buy it.

For example, statins were discovered first, then high cholesterol was created as a “disease” to market it as a drug. Also, drugs to lower blood pressure created the need for a “disease” called hypertension. Nowhere is this truer than the marketing of amphetamines. They work. Since their discovery in the early 1900s, they have been used to stimulate, lose weight, and calm hyperactive children.

Once a chemical with activity on the brain was found, doctors created a diagnosis to prescribe it. They called it hyperkinetic syndrome, and then hyperactivity, and then ADHD. At first ADHD referred only to children, however in 1980 adults were also included.[3]The “disease” of attention deficit disorder was created to sell these drugs:[4]

• Amphetamines
• Methamphetamine
• Methylphenidate

The main problem with taking drugs for these ADHD symptoms is that they don’t address the underlying problems that cause people to be hyperactive. For example, taking an amphetamine for a lack of brain development prevents further development. Normally, we can work on an issue, and the brain is like a muscle that will grow in the areas we are working on. However, when we take a drug that stimulates, instead of growth, the drugs stop progress, or may even make it worse.

These ADHD drugs are not benign. Besides causing worse ADHD, they affect many parts of the body. Side effects of adult ADD drugs include:[5]

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat
• Decreased appetite and weight loss
• Insomnia
• Digestive upset
• Mood swings
• Aggression
• Paranoia and anxiety
• Visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations
• Inability to keep up with work, school, or home responsibilities
• Addiction
• Changes in groups of friends and difficulties with relationships
• Loss of interest in previous activities
• Dental problems
• Skin sores

In some cases, the damage to the brain may be permanent, such as in the hypothalamus. Those who stop these drugs for ADHD may never recover their ability to feel satiated, or satisfied, and often become obese.

The Real Causes of ADHD

The symptoms we call ADHD have many possible causes, some of these include:[6]

• Sleep disorders
• Allergies
• Hearing problems
• Vision problems
• Substance abuse
• Food sensitivities
• Reactions to chemicals
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Sugar
• Artificial sweeteners
• OCD
• Dyslexia
• Delayed brain development
• Laziness, or failure to exercise the brain
• Lack of a goal

The two main categories of causes of ADHD are developmental and incidental. Some people don’t develop normally, causing them to have all the symptoms of ADHD. While others have perfectly normal development, they have a different condition that keeps them from focusing.

Finding the Cause of Adult ADHD

As you can see from the list above, finding the cause of adult ADHD isn’t always easy. However, there are a few things that are obvious, such as hearing and vision problems, or poor sleep. Most of the others respond to either removing potential reactions or adding in nutrients. We are going to consider three causes that will take care of almost all cases of “Adult ADHD” that are hidden.

1. Reactions

The elimination diet is a great way to see if there are any food ingredients that are causing sensitivity. One solution that I often recommend is called the Whole30 Program. This is an elimination diet that removes most things to which people react. Within 30 days if there is significant improvement in symptoms, the next step is to add one type of food at a time to see if you have a reaction, or if ADHD symptoms return.

2. Nutrients

Nutrient deficiencies are also common among those with ADHD. Some of the other underlying conditions, such as bipolar disorder are due to deficiencies. I have found several cases that respond to high-dose nutrient supplementation. I don’t always find the exact nutrient because it may be due to multiple deficiencies. The one that has worked best is a multi-vitamin supplement specifically for brain health called EMPower Plus by Truehope ( https://www.truehope.com/). There are others, but I have found this to be very effective.

3. Development

The third thing to consider is brain development. As we age, we assume we’re going to grow up in every way, that our body will develop fully, and our mind also. However, this doesn’t happen. Nobody is fully-developed at age 20.

Normal Brain Development

The graph gives us a rough outline of where you can expect your brain to be at any given age. In other words, you can look to see how your development is progressing. If you know your attention span, you can know your level of development. For example, if you can only pay attention to a task for 20 minutes, your brain is about 5 years old. You have arrested development.

We all develop at different rates, and not everyone is going to be fully-developed mentally by the time we are fully grown. Take the quiz to determine your approximate mental age. 

Attention Deficit Quiz

Scoring:

Cross-out 2, and 11 because they are passive entertainment, and don’t require attention.

Add up the other 18 and divide by 18

• 1 = 2-year-old; your brain is that of a toddler
• 2 = 8-year-old; you have a child’s level of attention
• 3 = 15-year-old; your development level is that of an adolescent
• 4 = 30-year-old; you have a normal adult brain
• 5 = Advanced adult; you’re very well-developed in this area

There are Ways to Develop Your Brain and Improve Your ADHD

Practice

The brain is like a muscle that can change. The things that interest us will allow for more concentration, but the trick is to be able to focus on things that don’t interest us. The way to work around this is to set goals for accomplishing what needs to be done today. A goal gives a focus. If we set a goal to finish a task, and keep coming back to it when distracted, then we will train our brains to pay attention.

Activities that are entertaining and passive don’t help us pay attention. Reading novels, watching movies and so forth don’t increase our ability to focus. The activity of learning, growing, and improving is the focus of attention. Activities like learning a musical instrument, a new language, or starting a new job or business will build brain power if you consistently practice.

Adults are expected to focus for a minimum of 90 minutes. However, tasks requiring more than 90 minutes, may require breaks for 15-30 minutes before going back to the task for another 90 minutes. This has been shown to improve performance.[7]

If you are not doing what you enjoy, then it’s harder to pay attention. Finding your work, your mission, or your purpose is a great way to improve your attention. For example, if you are a person who needs physical activity, and you choose to be an accountant, it would be natural to be distracted and inefficient. However, if you love crunching numbers and get high from reconciling your checkbook to the penny, you may be well-suited for accounting. Interest is mostly attention. That’s why it’s easy for even little children with their undeveloped brains to sit through a movie they love for two hours, for the hundredth time, without even blinking.

By working to improve your abilities, you can increase your development over time. Remember, it takes about 20 years to reach our full physical stature, and it can take just as long, or longer, to develop the brain. It takes patience, which is what you get from a mature brain.

Turn Your Weakness into Your Strength

If you start yourself on a program of repair instead of ADHD drugs, you can improve instead of getting worse.

• Do the elimination diet (like the Whole30).
• Take a supplement (such as EMPower Plus).
• Find your purpose, or your contribution to the world. Do what you love to do.
• Set goals.
• Take breaks every 90-120 minutes for 15-30 minutes.
• Practice. Practice. Whatever we persist at doing becomes a strength. Train your brain!

A combination of the above will benefit everyone. Even if you find you are sensitive to gluten, for example, and feel calmer when you’re gluten-free, you may still need to build your brain and practice paying attention. You can re-take the quiz every year and watch your score climb. Doing all the above at the same time is the best way to handle ADHD and avoid the dangerous ADHD drugs that are given to treat it.

 

 

 

 

Sources:
[1]DSM-5 Adult ADHD diagnostic criteria; https://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/basc-3/basc3resources/DSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_ADHD.pdf
[2]http://www.vyvanse.com/doctor-discussion-guide-for-adults-with-adhd
[3]http://time.com/25370/doctor-adhd-does-not-exist/
[4]https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-medication-chart
[5]https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/long-term-risks-adhd-medications#2
[6]http://time.com/25370/doctor-adhd-does-not-exist/
[7]https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201704/how-do-work-breaks-help-your-brain-5-surprising-answers