Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, is a dysfunction of the central nervous system. This dysfunction results in an inability to concentrate and pay attention, learn and memorize things, and makes it difficult for its sufferers to sort out information given to them.

There are many people who believe that bad parenting causes ADD, or that the child simply has problems controlling their attitude, but that is completely wrong. What really happens is that someone who suffers from ADD does not have enough neural connections that allow information to come in smoothly. Because of this, demands on their nervous system (brain and neurons and so on) such as new learning, memory and information processing end up unfulfilled.

The neural pathways are constantly overworked and overstressed, which usually results in a shutdown. When this happens, nothing can become processed at all. This usually produces frustration in the person with ADD, along with behavior problems, too.

Even though Attention Deficit Disorder begins in the brain, it actually involves your senses as well as emotion. When there are not enough neural connections needed to process information, competition can take place between your different senses. There might be too many feelings or emotions, or maybe too many visuals, too much sound, or any other kind of over-stimulation.

All of this competition can cause aggravation and frustration. When this happens, the mind is unable to focus on anything. This inability to focus causes a type of "noise" that is so annoying to the Attention Deficit Disorder patient, they can't even attempt to pay attention.

Some signs of ADD are hyperactivity, fidgeting, wandering, having trouble concentrating in quiet activities such as reading, difficulty waiting in turn, an inability to sleep, and other learning disabilities.

Adults can have ADD as well. The symptoms are similar, but not exactly the same. Instead of the disorder interfering with school, it interferes with work, home and relationships with others. Most adults don't even realize they have ADD until they are directly educated by their child or indirectly educated on the topic.

Luckily, there are medicines out there that can help control ADD. Because of these medicines, children can go to school and learn just like a normal kid, and adults can also go to work just like a normal grown-up. There are many success stories out there that show how these medicines have made a dramatic impact on their child's or their own lifestyles.

Now that people can understand what ADD actually is, hopefully there won't be as many uninformed and ignorant people who accuse kids of being lazy or the parents are bad parents, rather than knowing the facts. I know many people who have ADD, including a few who are in my health class. They have told us about what they go through, and they help the teacher explain it.

I hope that you now have a better view on what ADD is, and can pass on this information to people in the future who haven't been so lucky to learn the full story.

This is Jilly3, signing out once again...
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Source: My health teacher!