My Teenage Brother Living with Type 1 Diabetes and Attention Deficit Disorder: The Effects of Attention Deficit Disorder on Jacob's Life

Jacob told me that he has felt "dumb" in school and also felt like it has been difficult to talk to people because he has felt "slow" his whole life. When he was growing up the doctors just assumed he was having trouble focusing because of fluctuating blood glucose levels with his diabetes. Sometimes this is true because he has told me that his blood glucose has gone very low during a test before and he winds up failing because he can't concentrate. In high school he was not doing well at all. Hwe said he could never concentrate long enough to study, read or do homework. His ACT score was not very high either. So his doctor decided to give him a written ADD test to see if there was concern and he scored at a very high level of concern. She put him on medication in August of 2010, right before starting his senior year of high school. After he started the medication he retook the ACT and scored 2 points higher than he had before. He was on the medication for awhile and then he started to feel very depressed at times. He would throw tantrums for no reason. The medication was causing him to be bi-polar. So, he switched medications once and then was put on an anti-depressant which also treats ADD but not as well. He is doing a lot better now. I was confused because Jacob told me he had ADD but my mom said he had ADHD and I found out that they are sometimes used interchagably depending on what the root of the problem is. Here is an article I found describing ADD from the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.

IS IT ADD? OR ADHD? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
The difference is mainly one of terminology, which can be confusing at times. The "official" clinical diagnosis is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or AD/HD. In turn, AD/HD is broken down into three different subtypes: Combined Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type.
Many people use the term ADD as a generic term for all types of AD/HD. The term ADD has gained popularity among the general public, in the media, and is even commonly used among professionals. Whether we call it ADD or AD/HD, however, we are all basically referring to the same thing.

DEFINITION OF AD/HD:
AD/HD is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time. The most common core features include:

distractibility (poor sustained attention to tasks)
impulsivity (impaired impulse control and delay of gratification)
hyperactivity (excessive activity and physical restlessness)

In order to meet diagnostic criteria, these behaviors must be excessive, long-term, and pervasive. The behaviors must appear before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months. A crucial consideration is that the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life, such as school, home, work, or social settings. These criteria set ADHD apart from the "normal" distractibility and impulsive behavior of childhood, or the effects of the hectic and overstressed lifestyle prevalent in our society.

According to the DSM-IV (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) some common symptoms of ADHD include: often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes; often has difficulty sustaining attention to tasks; often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly; often fails to follow instructions carefully and completely; losing or forgetting important things; feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming; running or climbing excessively; often talks excessively; often blurts out answers before hearing the whole question; often has difficulty awaiting turn.

Please keep in mind that the exact nature and severity of AD/HD symptoms varies from person to person. Approximately one-third of people with AD/HD do not have the hyperactive or overactive behavior component, for example.

Jacob has been known for his artwork since he was very young. However, he told me that once he started his ADD medication he was able to focus more on it and felt like he had more ideas and talent with his art. He has won numerous awards for his artwork and has even had people buying it from him for up to $100 a piece! I am so happy that this medication has given him the opportunity to take his artwork to another level. He worked very hard to put together a portfolio for a Half Tuition Scholarship for the Institute of Art and that is why a lot of the art he has done is not pictured. He likes to work on his paintings and drawings in his room alone while listening to music to help him focus.

I wanted to see if I could find any research on ADD related to art because I had heard some rumors that people with psychological disorders like ADD usually are more artistic. I was not sure if I should believe this but I found an interesting article called Artists and Attention Deficit Disorder which starts off by saying "Artists have often been stereotyped as having an "artistic temperament." This phrase has been used to explain many traits, including moodiness, quick temper, chronic forgetfulness, disorganization, jumping from one project to another, and obsession with one’s work. These are also typical traits of a person with Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD." Here is a link to the rest of the article if you would like to read it.

Artists and Attention Deficit Disorder

Here is more of Jacob's art work that I thought I'd share with you.