Understanding Attention Deficit Disorder In Adults

Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as ADD, or its slightly worse cousin ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, can occur in adults as well as children, although most people simply think of it that is limited to kids. Adults can have it as well in varying degrees, although most adults who have it did not acquire it suddenly, but have had ADD since childhood. Many adults who had attention deficit disorder when they were younger children were able to overcome it as they grew and matured. They developed the extra strength required to focus their concentration on the task at hand, and therefore were able to keep up with the other kids in school. 

The maturity of the adult world is also helpful in this regard since they know better how adults behave, what is required of an adult, and to concentrate more than their peers to maintain focus on a task. Recent studies would indicate that approximately 2% to 5% of the entire population is affected by attention deficit disorder, which includes adults. Sometimes when ADD occurs in adults, it is known as Adult Attention Deficit Disorder, or AADD. Although adult ADD is significantly rarer than children with ADD, it is not unheard of. 

For kids, it is estimated that 1 in about 15 children have ADD or ADHD to some degree, and the more severe cases are the ones where the afflicted person will not grow out of it as they get old and mature, which creates a major problem in modern society. For adults, it is estimate that approximately 4% of all adults have ADD to a certain degree. One method of dealing with ADD in children or adults, interestingly enough, is through karate. The reason for this is because karate requires intense mental concentration and focus, and a good karate master will teach the mental discipline necessary to master the art of karate. For the ADD-afflicted person, focusing the mental energies requires more effort than his peers in the karate class, but once mastered, the extra benefit is that this has gone a very long way towards coping with or even neutralizing the ADD symptoms.