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According to
recent studies, ADHD is one of the most
costly health conditions in the U.S. - topped only by alcohol abuse and
clearly
ahead of drug abuse in terms of cost.
The Cost of
ADHD - Treatment a Must for Emotional, Physical
and Financial Health
According
to recent studies, ADHD is one of the
most costly health conditions in the U.S. - topped only by alcohol
abuse and
clearly ahead of drug abuse in terms of cost.
Annually,
alcohol abuse costs American families
$86 billion in lost household income. The annual cost for ADHD is $77
billion
and the annual cost for drug abuse is $58 billion.
Hard
costs, like out-of-pocket medical
treatment, are only one aspect of lost income. ADHD high school
graduates and
college graduates make considerably less money annually than their
non-ADHD
counterparts.
Research
indicates that it doesn’t matter if the
person with ADHD has the same level of education as someone who does
not have
ADHD, the person with ADHD will make less money than the person without
ADHD.
The numbers are between $4500.00 and $10,000.00 annually. People with
ADHD
suffer from symptoms like inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity -
which
are not always conducive to the work environment.
Although
about half the children with ADHD learn
to adequately manage their symptoms into adulthood, the other half
continue to
struggle as they transition from school to work. If ADHD goes untreated
into
adulthood, the symptoms can affect their financial health by making it
harder
to hold down a job, making it harder to obtain the education needed to
land
high-paying jobs and it can cause more lost work days.
Many
psychiatrists that treat adults with ADHD
ask their clients to bring in their employee evaluations, most of the
evaluations brought in read like a textbook case. The ADHD adult will
talk out
of turn, have difficulty following through with instructions, show lack
of
focus, have difficulty finishing projects and complain of being
disorganized.
Symptoms
like these make it very hard for an
adult with ADHD to maintain a successful work environment. More often
than not,
these are the employees that get passed up for a promotion or are
under-employed according to their abilities.
Not
only does the adult with ADHD have more
problems at work, without successful treatment the ADHD adult typically
also
has:
_
Higher Divorce rates.
_ Lower levels of satisfaction with all aspects of their lives.
_ Less likely to have a positive self- image or be optimistic.
_ More likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.
_ More driving accidents.
Most experts agree that if ADHD is detected and treated at a young age,
the
ADHD adult will be less likely to struggle with work and their everyday
duties.
The
key is in finding successful and healthful
treatment for the ADHD adult.
Jeannine Virtue
Jeannine
Virtue is a freelance writer who focuses on
health related issues. For information about effective and healthy
treatments
for Attention Deficit Disorder in adults and children, visit the
Attention
Deficit Disorder Help Center at
http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com
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