Concussions has been very prevalent through some high-profile cases related to sports. But the effects of head injuries and its impacts has been better understood in the mental health community. In individuals with ADD and ADHD, it will exaggerate the effects it has on the individual.
In a recent conversation with a female adult (she played hockey in college) became concussed her senior year during her last game. At first, she just thought she only hit her head. But as the effects started to set in, she was unable to function due to issues of concentration, focus and light sensitivity. Sound like ADD/ADHD? Well it certainly shadows some of the conditions. Considering she also has ADHD, it magnified her conditions.
As someone that has participated and coached sports, I STRONGLY suggest that any blows to the head are treated with the utmost urgency. As the young lady above suggested, she felt no immediate impacts of her head trauma and her symptoms became exaggerated days after the incident. Seek immediate attention and closely monitor the situation.
Interventions for concussions are similar to those that are suggested for individuals with ADD/ADHD. Keeping this in mind, the potential for exaggerated impacts cannot be ignored on us ADD/ADHD folk. If it’s your child, staying the course of treatment and increasing the intervention is a place to start. I’ve coached children and adults who have suffered head injuries and the involvement of a team approach is essential. A regular and intense treatment plan is key. The individual involve needs to stick with the program. Think of it as, in many cases, retraining the brain. Or think of it another way; if, for instance, you injure your leg and require surgery. You need to reteach your leg how to properly function. The same goes for individuals that are concussed. Relearning how to properly function and retain information requires retraining and reinforcement.
For more helpful tips an suggestions, please check out my ADHD Guru podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. You can also find me on Twitter (@adhdguru) and Instagram (@adhdguru). Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call 877.398.ADHD (2343) with any additional questions.