ADHD: an invisible disease

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) affects 2-5% of the adult population and as many as 10% of the mental health outpatient population. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder with difficulty maintaining attention, being overactive and impulsive. It is accompanied by various degrees of impaired emotional regulation and impaired executive functions. ADHD symptoms are related to decreased dopamine levels, mainly in the prefrontal cortex, striatum and nucleus accumbens.

ADHD symptoms accompany patients throughout their lives. They have a cumulative, negative impact on development, work and relationships, significantly increasing the risk of other mental illnesses. Comorbidity is the norm in ADHD: 75% of adults with ADHD have at least one additional psychiatric diagnosis and more than 1/3 have two or more. It is because of them that an adult patient with ADHD comes to the clinic presenting symptoms of: depression (up to 37%), generalized anxiety (almost 17%) or abuse of psychoactive substances and/or alcohol (26.6%).

The serotonin drugs used in the above diagnoses can reduce dopamine levels, often aggravating ADHD symptoms, complicating the course of treatment and making it difficult to achieve remission. Diagnostic vigilance enables the treatment of both diseases and increases the chance of remission.