COVID has highlighted ADHD鈥檚 health risk and helped more adults realize they鈥檝e been unnecessarily struggling for decades.聽 聽聽聽
CADDAC, the Centre for ADHD Awareness, a national charity working to better the lives of those with ADHD, wanted everyone to start recognizing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for what it actually is 鈥� a serious and in most cases, lifelong聽mental health disorder聽and聽.
A ground breaking聽聽in 2018 showed that ADHD could reduce life expectancy by more than 20 years. During this year COVID further highlighted these risks. A recent large-scale聽聽of 14,022 patients in Israel found the COVID-19 infection rate was nearly 50 per cent higher in individuals who were not being medicated for their ADHD compared to individuals without ADHD. Those being treated for their ADHD showed no greater risk of contracting COVID. Therefore, having ADHD and not knowing it, denying it, or ignoring it, significantly increases an individual鈥檚 chances of contacting COVID.
COVID has also led more adults to seek out an ADHD assessment. Being forced to slow down due to COVID made some adults realize the things they thought were due to an overscheduled lifestyle were in fact symptoms of ADHD. Their inability to stay focussed, get organized, keep track of belongings, remember routines and appointments, be on time and regulate their emotions did not stop once their busy life slowed down.
Krista Broda, aged 34 from Saskatchewan, credited the pandemic for her recent diagnosis of ADHD.
Broda always blamed her hectic schedule for her inability to stay on task, get organized and keep track of her belongings.
Once her world slowed down considerably, this was no longer possible. Without a routine and schedule things actually became worse instead of better. Broda said, 鈥淚t took a global pandemic for me to discover I have ADHD. I struggled through self-isolation, trying to learn how to relax while having no commitments on the calendar, but nothing seemed to work. A diagnosis and an effective treatment have been nothing short of life changing. I鈥檓 a happier person, a more patient mother and I have a much better understanding of who I am.鈥�
October is ADHD Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. CADDAC asked everyone with an interest in ADHD to help spread real facts about the impact of this disorder by joining their聽.
Untreated ADHD has serious social and economic costs few recognize. ADHD impairs learning thereby reducing years of education. ADHD increases accidents, physical health disorders, additional mental health disorders, substance use and abuse, increases offending rates and costs to correction systems.
Yet, ADHD is often ignored in mental health campaigns and government funding programs even though untreated ADHD聽聽of dollars yearly.聽
CADDAC is a national charity providing leadership in education, awareness and advocacy for individuals with ADHD and their families. CADDAC provides a wide-range of support and information for, parents, adults, children/adolescents, educators聽and health care providers through its website,聽, along with an up-coming online conference occurring October 17-18.
