Dr. Nirmal G. Choraria

ADHD or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder refers to those psychological disorders, which significantly alter a child's behavior and considerably affects his or her relationships with others. This condition is seldom preceded by perceptible symptoms and even when they do, they are difficult to decipher. However some of them are:

1. Self-centered: Those children who suffer from the attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome tend to be encapsulated in their own subjectivity. Though this does seem harmless apparently, this tendency may lead them to be insensitive to other's needs and wants.
2. Emotional outbursts: ADHD makes children extremely susceptible to frequent emotional outbursts and makes them erratic.
3. Difficulty in concentration: Children who suffer from ADHD face extreme difficulty in concentrating or focusing on things. Many a times they fail to repeat what was told to them.

There might be several causes which can contribute to the development of this disorder. Some of them are:

1. A drastic change in the child's lives: A sudden or a drastic change like the divorce of parents may severely affect the child and maim him emotionally. This may lead to the development of this disorder.
2. Depression: Though always associated with adults, depression can be and is common among children as well. In such instances, a consequent development of ADHD is highly plausible.
3. Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder refers to excessive and incomprehensible mood swings. Many children suffer from it in their early lives, making them susceptible to ADHD.

Notwithstanding the ambiguity and the erratic nature of the disorder, there might be preventive measures which parents might adopt to deter the outbreak of the disorder. Some of them are:

1. Less use of preservatives: Parents must be careful about what their children eat. Those foods which contain a certain amount of preservatives tend to aggravate the disorder thereby causing more harm than good.
2. Consider alternative forms of medications: Another way of dealing with this problem is by exploring other forms of medications and not sticking to one form. In this respect, practicing yoga may be very beneficial.