ADHD
About
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s a mental health disorder that affects your brain’s executive functioning, as well as your ability to self-regulate and control your thoughts, words, actions and emotions.
ADHD used to be called attention deficit disorder (ADD). Around 1 in every 20 Australians has ADHD. The exact causes of ADHD aren’t known, but it can run in families and may have co-existing conditions such as anxiety and depression.
If you have ADHD, it’s most likely you were diagnosed during childhood, as that’s when symptoms begin. But sometimes, ADHD isn’t diagnosed when you are a child. It can be diagnosed later, when you’re a teenager, or a young adult. But ADHD always begins during childhood.
Recently, research has shown that while ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys, it has often been mis- or undiagnosed in girls.
ADHD can present in 3 ways:
* Inattentive symptoms — a person is easily distractible but isn’t hyperactive or impulsive.
* Hyperactive-impulsive symptoms — a person has symptoms of impulsivity and hyperactivity.
* Combined symptoms — a person has a mixture of symptoms including hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity.
Each of these presentations can include a wide variety of symptoms. It’s important to remember that the symptoms and experience of ADHD may be different from person to person, and the combination of symptoms you present is probably unique.
There are many myths surrounding ADHD: you might have been told that ADHD isn’t a real medical condition (it is), that it required medication (it doesn’t always) and that you will grow out of it (not necessarily).
The truth is, ADHD actually comes with positive as well as negative attributes. It’s only when the negative attributes are very disruptive that they can affect your life in a negative way. If you have ADHD, the condition can be effectively managed with a variety of approaches, including medicines, psychological support and nutritional, dietary and supplemental methods. Often, simple lifestyle changes can have a significant affect on your experience of your symptoms.
You can also find strengths in your cognitive difference: people with ADHD are often creative, enjoy problem solving and can display hyper focus. These things are superpowers in particular situations and careers!
What to do
It’s normal for people to get restless and distracted from time to time, especially at university, but if you are struggling to concentrate and you are feeling frustrated and confused by your attention span (and possibly some other related or unrelated symptoms), it might be time to talk to someone.
The first step is to see a doctor. They will be able to discuss your symptoms with you and will usually refer you to a psychiatrist who can make a diagnosis of ADHD or otherwise. Because the symptoms of ADHD are wide and varied, it’s likely that you might be experiencing another condition or co-existing conditions.
If you’ve previously been diagnosed with ADHD, it’s likely you understand (or are learning) how the disorder affects your ability to study, socialise and perform in a workplace. This means it’s also likely to have an effect on your experience at university. It’s important to discuss your studies with your health care professional (for example, your psychiatrist) - they will have advice on how you can manage your health and your studies.
It’s also important to remember that if you have ADHD, it’s common for you to experience co-existing conditions that may also have an effect on your studies, like anxiety or depression.
If someone close to you has ADHD, like a friend or someone you’re working with on a group project, there are many ways you can support them. It’s best to start by talking to them to find out how they would like to be supported, and working with them to delegate tasks that suit them so you can cooperate toward a shared goal.
Getting support
At Deakin, you can make an appointment with Deakin's Counselling service or Deakin Medical Centre to discuss a previous ADHD diagnosis, or to talk about your symptoms if you think you might have ADHD.
Our doctors at the Medical Centre can provide an initial assessment of your symptoms and make a referral to a psychiatrist if necessary.
Our counsellors can explore problem-solving strategies with you to manage the symptoms you have immediately, as well as help you access the variety of academic supports that Deakin offers. You might also want to chat to a counsellor if you’re caring for or supporting someone in your family or life with ADHD.
Both of these teams offer tele-health (over-the-phone) appointments.
If you have a diagnosis of ADHD, our Disability Resource Centre offers various types of support for students with learning disabilities, from alternative assessment arrangements to access to an Academic Support Worker. They can organise an access plan for you that will guide and support you for the entirety of your degree.
More help and advice
You can learn more about ADHD from ADHD Australia and the ADHD Foundation.
Our Disability Resource Centre has advice for managing your study with ADHD.
Deakin also runs an ADHD Support Group – you can contact adhdgroup@deakin.edu.au for more information.
Read more about the myths and facts on ADHD.