
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995                   TAG: 9510060021
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

CAN'T CONCENTRATE OR FINISH THE JOB? AD/HD COULD BE THE PROBLEM|

Bill is a 39-year-old account executive, an intelligent man who has a likable personality. But he misses deadlines at work, and sometimes he doesn't complete projects. It seems like he is always playing catch-up, something that began back when he was a student making mediocre grades.

At home, the lawn is constantly half-cut. His wife and children say he is uninterested in them, that he would much rather watch television down in the basement alone. They are growing tired of having to remind him about routine things. And they are growing tired of his drinking.

Joan is a mother in her mid-30s who shares many of Bill's characteristics. She ascribes her "forgetfulness" to having lots of energy. She is constantly on the go, always rushing about. She makes impulsive mistakes and misreads social cues. Her anger can be sudden and explosive.

Bill and Joan are not real people, but their symptoms are indicative of a mental condition that health care professionals say is increasingly common. Bill shows the signs of attention deficit disorder; Joan has the disorder, plus hyperactivity.

Dan Porter, a licensed professional counselor who works with patients with these disorders at Cooper House in Blacksburg, calls the condition an "epidemic" for two reasons. The first is that attention-deficit/hyperactivity is only now being recognized as a unique disorder. Previously, sufferers were labeled as "slow" or as having willful behavior problems. The second reason is there is no cure, and it is hereditary, meaning its incidence may increase.

The condition now is often diagnosed in childhood, thanks to better training for teachers and counselors. But many people who work with children, including physicians, Porter said, don't realize attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, called ADHD by professionals, is biologically based, the result of a neuro-chemical imbalance, according to contemporary thinking.

"I continue to be amazed at how many parents and teachers, and to some extent physicians, want to see this disorder as something the child can control," he said.

Adults have the disorder, too, Porter said, but often they have learned how to manage its symptoms. Still, the condition's cost can be measured by such things as strained relationships, addictions and missed professional opportunities.

Porter said from 3 percent to 5 percent of children have the disorder, though that is a ballpark figure because the condition is often mistaken for behavioral or anxiety problems.

Medication can help, Porter said. People should consult their family doctor.

by CNB