Giving condition full attention

12:21pm Tuesday 18th July 2006

As an Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) support group celebrates its first birthday, CHRIS JOHNSON explodes the myth the condition only affects children.

DISRUPTIVE schoolchildren losing concentration in class and kicking up a fuss are commonly associated with ADHD.

‘ADHD can’t be cured but it certainly can be managed.’

NICOLA HASAN, ADHD GREENWICH

But while this holds some truth, support group ADHD Greenwich is making steps to raise awareness about how the condition can also affect adults.

Nicola Hasan, who set up the support group last July, is a mother-of-two holding down a job as a senior social worker for Greenwich Council.

Her eldest child Lauren, 14, has suffered from the condition for 10 years and her youngest daughter Selen, 11, is beginning to show symptoms.

And last September Mrs Hasan was also diagnosed with ADHD.

She said: "One of the myths of ADHD is that it is outgrown by the age of puberty.

"When I was first diagnosed I kept it quiet.

"I didn't tell anyone at work as I was afraid people would not see me as a professional."

She added: "But now I feel differently. Once I came to terms with it I told people at work and my friends and everyone has been very supportive.

"If I had the choice to flick a switch and not have ADHD I wouldn't flick it.

"I would like to think ADHD makes me the dynamic person I am."

According to charity the national Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service (ADDISS), 80 per cent of ADHD cases are inherited.

ADDISS chief executive Andrea Bilbow says there are thousands of adults who suffer from ADHD but do not know it.

She said: "If you are a parent and have a child with ADHD, you could have it too.

"Adults who may have the condition often think they are depressed and end up on anti-depressants which makes things worse."

She added: "ADHD needs to be treated with medication which stimulates the part of the brain which is not working properly."

Mrs Hasan say life has improved for her since she came to an understanding about how to cope and live with ADHD.

And she has dealt with it by taking the stimulant methylphenidate.

The 36-year-old said: "I have managed to maximise my strengths and focus on my weaknesses, which can be achieved with medication.

"There are certain things I still cannot cope with or concentrate on.

"Queues drive me mad, as do automated telephone responses and I have hired an ironing lady as this also drives me batty.

"But at the same time I hold down a job, look after my family and am constantly looking for new things to stimulate me."

She added: "ADHD is not a life sentence.

"It can't be cured but it certainly can be managed."

Mrs Hasan's next mission is to get funding for ADHD Greenwich, which she and her husband Huseyin have so far self-funded.

The service offers support to around 25 families who have members suffering ADHD.

It is one of 21 affiliated groups across the country linked to ADDISS.

The group meets on the last Saturday of every month at 3 Wensley Close, Eltham, between 1pm and 3pm.

For more information, call 020 8269 0515 or email greenwichadhd@aol.com

ADHD SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS:

• Restlessness and easily distracted.

• Chronic forgetfulness.

• Frequent moves or job changes.

• Tendency to interrupt people.

• Difficulty controlling temper.

• Difficulty concentrating and impulsivity.

• Periods of depression.

ADHD awareness week is 18-23 September.

For more information, visit the website addiss.co.uk