From TODAY, Voices
Friday December 12, 2008
By Dr James Dobson
Psychologists used to believe that attention deficit disorder, or ADD, went away when children reached puberty. That’s what I was taught in graduate school.
But we now know that the problem is a lifelong condition.
Many adults with ADD learn to be less disorganised and impulsive as they get older. They channel their energy into sports and often gravitate toward professions that keep them active and busy. Many function quite well in life, as long as they can stay away from desk jobs. Outside of work, these adults are often attracted to high-risk activities such as rock-climbing and bungee jumping.
Others, however, have trouble settling on a career or holding down a job. They flit from one task to another and seldom follow through on projects they start. They are usually more susceptible to drug use, alcoholism or other addictive behaviours.
If you’re the parent of a child with ADD, the key is to hang on and not lose heart. Teach them to channel their energies while they’re young and chances are, they will use that same approach when they reach adulthood. The odds are that they will grow to be happy and productive people, well into their later years.
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