ADHD, with or without hyperactivity, is considered in the professional literature to be a “developmental disorder”, i.e., one that is present and develops since childhood, and not acquired throughout life. Therefore, it is not possible to “get” ADHD along life span, and when diagnosed, even if done at a late age, signs and symptoms must be identified retrospectively since childhood, even if it they were mild.

Although today there is a higher awareness of attention deficit disorders (and some would say – too high), there are still many cases of children who are not diagnosed with attention deficit disorders. Such cases are especially common in cases where the ADHD is relatively mild, and especially when the mental abilities of the child are relatively high, i.e., they manage to compensate for the attention difficulty with high intelligence.

But even in this case, the ADHD is still manifested, and the child (or adult) has difficulty maintaining attention over time. In such a case, especially if the ADHD is not being treated, there is a tendency to naturally develop an attention-grabbing strategy of “self-induced stress”.

When a person induces one’s own stress, they may actually imagine in their mind a critical scenario of stress, overload or catastrophe (“If I fail the test they will throw me out of school”, “Parents will ‘kill’ me if I do not tidy the room”…) and then under pressure, dopamine and norepinephrine levels rise, and thus they manage to raise the attention temporarily as well, and for some extent, do their tasks.

In such cases there seems to be a tendency for catastrophic thinking, a stressed trait pattern, and procrastination. Procrastination (and imagining of serious stress) allows a person to function under conditions of stress, which are not met when there is a long time to perform the task.

People who have accustomed themselves to the strategy of “self-induced stress” are often not sufficiently aware of their attention difficulty or disorder (since it is relatively manifested moderately due to stress), and may blame themselves for procrastination and laziness (of course unjustly), and in many cases suffer from symptoms of stress and anxiety. Some suffer from constant stress (chronic stress), and some from stress that comes and goes on demand (i.e., when you need to focus or perform a mental prolonged task). Among the negative consequences of high or persistent stress there may be many medical complications – such as migraines and headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, hypertension and even effect on the immune system (such as hyperresponsiveness or immunosuppression), as well as psychological effects such as anxiety, mood disorders or insomnia.

These people will often ask for treatment to alleviate their anxiety or medical (physical) problems, thus their primary treatment will mostly be relaxation techniques or anxiolytic drugs . These techniques may include – meditation and guided imagery, CBT, biofeedback, relaxation exercises or sedatives. But it is important to note that anxiolytic drugs (especially from the benzodiazepine family, such as Xanax or Valium, themselves often cause fatigue and decreased attention).

Once the person becomes calm, it is important to find out what is happening to one’s attention and sustain performance abilities – whether attention becomes improved or impaired. If attention improves – this means that there is probably no attention deficit disorder at all, but there might be anxiety, which may itself cause difficulty in attention, and once we have reduced it – attention is at normal level when the person is calm (then there is no need for designated attention treatment). If after acquiring relaxation techniques, when the person is calmer – their attention becomes worse – and it is harder for them to concentrate or perforne, there may be an attention deficit disorder, then it is recommended to undergo a full diagnosis (by a certified professional) and then to choose a treatment or training for attention deficit disorder, while consulting with the physician. In such a case therapies may be drugs (which are stimulants and in themselves can sometimes cause stress or anxiety) or neurofeedback, which helps to increase attention without the need for a stimulant effect.

It should be noted that even in the case of attention deficit disorder combined with hyperactivity, it is important to pay attention to whether there is an emotional factor that intensifies the hyperactivity, and treat it separately and distinct from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Also, in many cases of ADHD, the side-effects may cause social impairments or lower self esteem due to environmental reaction (i.e., social behavior in the peer group, parents disappointment, being labeled as lady). This may also cause anxiety and depression, which needs to be addressed directly or indirectly by a professional therapist.

If you suffer from chronic or persistent stress, and suspect you also have ADHD, , it is recommended to get a comprehensive professional diagnosis from a certified practitioner  to diagnose ADHD.

If ADHD has been diagnosed, it is advisable to consider neurofeedback treatment so that it does not involve common attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder medications (such as Ritalin, Adderall, Vivans), and allows for gradual improvement of attention without   stimulant effect. Although,  in many cases the medications are also appropriate, and do not always cause emotional arousal or stress response.

In any case, the article is not in lieu  of medical or psychological counseling, and any medical or mental decision should be made according to a qualified professional.