Absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, inattention symptoms. Distraction of attention in children and adults: causes and treatment. Poor concentration

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an island archipelago, in which out of 700 islands, 30 are inhabited. The Bahamas are located 90 km from Florida in the Atlantic Ocean. In the Caribbean, these islands are located in the very north. The islands of Abacos, Andros, Acklins, Exumas, Berry, Biminis and some others are considered the largest in the archipelago. The total area of ​​the state is approximately 14 thousand square meters. km. The capital is Nassau. This The largest city the country, which is both its cultural and commercial center.

Population of the Bahamas

The number of inhabitants of the Bahamas is approximately 366 thousand people. Blacks and mulattoes make up more than 80% of the population.

Nature in the Bahamas

Hundreds of kilometers of white sand beaches, 2,500 coral reefs, clear coastal waters heated by the Gulf Stream have long been associated by most vacationers with the concept of “chic vacation.” The untouched nature of most of the islands attracts crowds of tourists. Inagua Island is home to rare pink flamingos and iguanas.

Climatic conditions

The Bahamas has a humid subtropical climate. The rainy season begins in May and lasts until October. Thanks to the soft wind from the equator, winter is very warm with a temperature of +15°C, and in summer, due to trade winds, the temperature does not exceed +32°C. The warm Gulf Stream, washing the Bahamas from the west, warms the sea water to approximately +25°C throughout the year.

Language

In the Bahamas, the only official language is English. The entire population of the country speaks it fluently.

Kitchen

The cuisine in the Bahamas consists of fruits and all kinds of fish, crab and seafood dishes. The main ingredient in most dishes is the conch shellfish. It is a well-known aphrodisiac and is widely used here. In the Bahamas they like to cook very spicy dishes, combining them with lime juice. And coconuts are even used in ice cream.

Currency of the Bahamas

The national currency is the Bahamian dollar. It is equivalent to the US dollar, and therefore US currency is also freely used in the Bahamas.

Religion

In the Bahamas, the island population is Christian, but belonging to other religious denominations is not condemned, thanks to complete freedom of religion.

Holidays

Boxing Day is celebrated in the Bahamas on December 26th. This very solemn and colorful event is considered traditional for all former colonies of Britain. The holiday is very colorful, in the form of a colorful carnival, which begins at midnight on Bay Street.

Major resorts in the Bahamas

The most visited resorts in the Bahamas are on the islands of Paradise, Grand Bahama and New Providence. The island of Grand Bahama has a golf course, tennis courts, and you can go underwater fishing and diving. On the island of Inagua you can swim with dolphins.

Attractions

In the center of the capital of the Bahamas is the famous Parliament Square, where in the 19th century the buildings of Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Colonial Administration were built around the statue of Queen Victoria.

The Nassau Underwater Aquarium, Retreat Gardens and the beautiful beaches of Cable Beach are perfect for nature lovers. Not far from the center of the capital, Fort Charlotte is located, which was built back in 1788. Tourists will not be left indifferent by the labyrinth, which resembles the ruined Atlantis. A unique tunnel that passes under water and amazes with the beauty of the underwater world has no analogues in the world. "Sea Gardens" is a place where you can get acquainted with the rich flora and fauna of the underwater world. Souvenirs are very popular all over the world. self made, created by local craftsmen from clay, straw and shells.

But the main attraction of the islands is their unique nature. Walking to the reefs, visiting natural areas where flamingos live, observing the underwater world of the Atlantic will be an interesting pastime for all tourists.

- “a trait of the great,” but this is what people say who do not want to get rid of their shortcomings, which are not as harmless as they might seem.

What is absent-mindedness?

Experts determine absent-mindedness, as a state of attention, expressed in a person’s inability to concentrate on events and actions. Absent-mindedness is also called lack of concentration, inattention and forgetfulness; sometimes it is emphasized that this is not a vice, but just a property of nature or character.


However, no person is born absent-minded - of course, we are not talking about congenital mental disorders. Some people, wanting to console their inattentive acquaintances, call absent-mindedness a “cute flaw,” but there are many cases when this flaw became the cause of real tragedies: for example, it resulted in a violation of safety regulations at work or a road accident. Of course, not all absent-minded people pose a threat to the safety of society, but they create enough problems: they are ineffective at work, and they cannot build relationships in the family, creating everyday “cataclysms” and forgetting about the urgent needs of loved ones - everything is attributed to absent-mindedness and poor memory.

Absent-mindedness has nothing to do with memory impairment- this is a violation of attention, and this trait in the vast majority of cases is not innate - it is acquired in the process of life. Therefore, you can and should get rid of absent-mindedness if you want to improve your life and stop causing yourself and those around you minor, and possibly major, troubles.

Causes of absent-mindedness

Experts distinguish two main types of absent-mindedness: real and imaginary.

In the first case absent-mindedness may indeed be due to health problems: neurasthenia, anemia different types, diseases respiratory system and nasopharynx, chronic fatigue syndrome and severe fatigue. In such cases, people can hardly keep their attention on something specific, and are easily distracted - in order to concentrate on an action or object, they have to make a lot of volitional efforts.


Imaginary absent-mindedness, as paradoxical as it sounds, often arises precisely because of concentration, but excessive concentration, when attention is directed to one thing, and a person does not notice other objects and phenomena. This type includes “absent-mindedness of the great”: scientists, professors, executives, and even businessmen and politicians often “suffer” from it - the absent-mindedness of the latter is quite costly for other people.

In Western culture, there is a belief that absent-minded people “cannot be corrected,” but this point of view is not based on anything - people simply do not want to take care of themselves. But in the east there are few scattered people: it would not occur to an eastern person to justify his inattention to the world around him with weak memory and character traits.

So absent-mindedness is not a fatal trait, and its causes can be eliminated on your own.

How to get rid of absent-mindedness

We have the power to adjust our sleep and rest patterns, learn to avoid stressful situations, and arrange for ourselves balanced diet and give up bad habits. Already what is listed here is often enough for absent-mindedness to recede; if you can’t completely cope with it, perhaps it’s due to a lack of certain substances - for example, B vitamins, and especially folic acid and B12.

Folic acid, which the brain needs for normal operation, rich in peanuts, livestock and poultry liver, beans, green salad and spinach, nuts and seeds, broccoli and wild garlic, barley grits and horseradish, mushrooms and leeks, citrus fruits and whole grains, tomatoes and eggs. Some of the listed products contain a lot of vitamin B12, and it is also found in seafood and sea ​​fish, rabbit meat, cheese and sour cream. If you make sure that these foods are always in your diet - they can be alternated and combined - manifestations of absent-mindedness will significantly decrease or disappear altogether.


True, to this it is worth adding some methods of memory training, meditation, and also starting to learn to live and act in such a way that there is no room left for absent-mindedness.

This is especially true for women: not because they are more forgetful or inattentive than men - they just often have to deal with several things at the same time. Psychologists recommend accustoming yourself to strictly follow certain rules.


To begin with, as sad as it may be, you will have to give up the habit of doing several things at once: do one thing at a certain point in time. When attention is restored, it will be possible to return everything “to its place,” but without fanaticism.

Start any business after you have clearly thought through the sequence of actions. In general, it is proposed to do all the actions mentally - this will take some time, but you are unlikely to forget where you wanted to go, what you wanted to say, take, bring, do, etc.

Other tips: associate your thoughts with certain images, select visual cues - this can be done, but there is also a way out - do not put off small matters “for later”. If the task requires preparation and time, immediately make a written reminder for yourself (or better yet, several, on bright sticky notes), and leave it in the place where you are most often: in the kitchen, in the bathroom or on the mirror in hallway The mirror technique helps many women - after all, we look at it more than once a day.

Another, rather unexpected piece of advice is to write down everything related to your absent-mindedness. For example, you forgot to do something important, and this caused problems, or even troubles - write it down and do this every day: after a few weeks you will notice that there are fewer cases of absent-mindedness.


Stop living “automatically” and start being aware of yourself at every moment of time - be “here and now”. You can start with the simplest thing: when performing actions, say out loud what exactly you are doing. Literally like this: “I close the car door”, “I turn off the electric stove”, “I take medicine” - gradually you will learn to monitor your actions in any situation, and the “isolation from the world” will disappear. Automatism is often a consequence of overwork: the brain needs rest, and it doesn’t care what happens to you if you forget about something important to you - it will simply turn off your attention, and you will begin to act unconsciously and mechanically. Review your affairs and responsibilities: perhaps some of them can be entrusted to others, and some can be abandoned altogether, and it’s fine to do without them while your absent-mindedness did not lead to any life catastrophe.

If you cannot get rid of absent-mindedness on your own, you will have to go to a specialist: perhaps it is hidden depression or another disease of the central nervous system - then special therapy will be required, including medication.

How often in the hustle and bustle of everyday affairs we forget about the little things. We won’t buy bread, we won’t take out the trash, we won’t watch an interesting movie on TV. But from time to time this forgetfulness can cause serious inconvenience. A missed meeting, an unanswered phone call, a forgotten birthday greeting. We blame our memory, although constant forgetfulness is not related to it. It's all due to absent-mindedness. Oddly enough, absent-mindedness has nothing to do with memory. But this quality is directly related to all your missed meetings, forgotten documents or undone work responsibilities.

Absent-mindedness and inattention can coexist with a good memory. They are usually associated with a lack of concentration. If a person is constantly looking for his keys, leaves for a meeting without the necessary documents, or forgets to call his colleagues back, then he simply cannot concentrate. And there may be several reasons for absent-mindedness. These include sleep disturbances, fatigue, dissatisfaction with monotonous work, and distractions. For example, you were about to turn off the stove after cooking dinner, but then guests came and the stove remained on. Sometimes the cause of absent-mindedness is the inability to concentrate, gather in right moment, habit of being distracted and not paying attention to details.

If you understand that all problems are associated with banal fatigue, then just give your body time to rest. Often a change of environment or activity helps overcome absent-mindedness. Find a new hobby, a new hobby, visit a new place. Read a book or watch a movie. But sometimes this doesn’t help either; absent-mindedness becomes a way of life and becomes firmly entrenched in your everyday life. Then the following tips will help you.

How to deal with absent-mindedness

  • Take short breaks in your work to realize what has already been done and what remains to be done. Before starting a new task, think it over, make a mental plan, understand what exactly you will need to complete. During such pauses, you need to protect yourself from any activity, just think about the upcoming lesson, about its progress.
  • You need to focus on what you are doing. Forgetfulness is often the result of a lack of concentration. A person can do one thing, but think about something completely different. You can recall a historical anecdote. One day Einstein was walking down the street, lost in his thoughts, and met an acquaintance. Einstein invited him to visit, saying: “Professor Stimson will be with me.” An acquaintance noticed in surprise that he was Stimson. “It doesn’t matter - come anyway,” Einstein replied.
  • Some things take a little time to complete. But we continue to put them off and postpone them until later. So they can drag on for several days or even weeks. This behavior only makes you more distracted. These things need to be done immediately and usually do not require much preparation. Do them, then you can get rid of a small problem. It’s much worse if there are so many small tasks that have accumulated that it takes several hours to solve. So you can definitely forget something important. Use the 2 minute rule.
  • Visual reminders are the key to eliminating inattention. Take a few items that will remind you of things to do. Place them next to you so that they are always in sight. This will help you remember what needs to be done.
  • You can also use conscious associations. Come up with a connection between the setting and the case, the subject and the important task. As soon as you find yourself in this environment, you will immediately remember what needs to be done.
  • Try not to create artificial conditions for distraction. A cluttered desk, unnecessary office supplies, extra magazines - all this distracts your attention. This also applies to the computer desktop. Labels or photos that you don't need right now can distract you from your tasks. Moreover, if you cannot immediately find the folder you need, required document or a program shortcut, then you will also be susceptible to absent-mindedness and inattention.

Following these rules is a great way to get rid of absent-mindedness. You can stop forgetting about important things, miss meetings and other events.

Absent-mindedness is a thing acquired, not hereditary, so you can get rid of it with some effort. Experts give practical advice what to do when bad memory and absent-mindedness. By using them, you can overcome absent-mindedness and “put it on your back.”

What is absent-mindedness?

The classic absent-minded state is characterized by wandering attention, distracting a person from important, priority matters or plans. This condition manifests itself in the following:

  • difficulty or even inability to focus on one subject or topic for a long time. Attention seems to wander extensively from object to object;
  • lack of concentration in sensations and thoughts, they are vague and uncertain;
  • powerlessness and relaxation;
  • indifference and disinterest in what is happening;
  • boredom.

Impaired attention and memory are very selective, unstable and have a small volume.

Understand the reason

The guarantee of victory in any battle is to know the enemy by sight. Therefore, in our case, asking the question of how to overcome absent-mindedness, you first need to understand why memory can become dull. One of the reasons is laziness, unwillingness to focus on business, which you don't want to do. The following reasons occurrence of poor memory: monotonous monotonous activity, chronic lack of sleep, physical and mental exhaustion. All this can serve as the beginning of inattention. If nothing is done to solve these problems in a timely manner, it can develop into pathological absent-mindedness. Another reason is psychological illness , which may be caused by brain damage. In this case, medical treatment is needed.

Need for treatment

Treatment for absent-mindedness depends on the severity of the disorder.

  1. Internal factors. Organic brain damage. The need for clinical treatment.
  2. External factors. Overwork or illness.

In the first case, inattention is considered a mental disorder, which can even occur with complete loss of memory. Most often this happens due to depression or anxiety disorder. With this diagnosis, drug treatment is prescribed, antidepressants or nootropic drugs are prescribed. At the same time, a psychologist is provided with help to work through emotional situations, if any.

"Flying" attention

The second type of attention disorder does not require serious medical treatment. It can be called “fluttering” attention. It is typical for teenagers and older people. This type of inattention is observed in people who are overworked or weakened by illness. Their inability to flutter like a butterfly, switching from topic to topic.

For ordinary people of this type, it is temporary, provided that such inattention is combated and the reasons that cause it. This pathology is affected by a temporary decrease in the mobility of nervous processes. In the case of the clinic, this occurs due to brain oxygen starvation or cerebral atherosclerosis. Most often this occurs in older people.

“How to get rid of absent-mindedness and bad memory? What to do?" - a frequently asked question from anxious patients, which they address to psychologists. They are concerned about whether the disease is serious, whether it needs treatment, and how to deal with absent-mindedness. Often this type of inattention manifests itself in the inability to concentrate and difficulty switching attention from object to object or from one type of activity to another. This type does not need serious treatment for absent-mindedness. The cause may be simple physical, emotional or mental fatigue. In this case, it is clear what needs to be done. Just give your body a rest, perhaps even a change of scenery for a while.

Self-prevention

Here are some tips on how to deal with absent-mindedness, how to prevent it from reaching a critical state, when you already have to resort to treatment. War must be declared on absent-mindedness. Children need their parents' help in this area. People prone to absent-mindedness need to understand that this weak area needs to be worked on.

  • Learn to live thoughtfully and slowly. Often the nature of absent-mindedness is vanity and haste.
  • Monitor your thoughts to see if they are consistent; they need to be organized, stopping the fussiness in the head and directing the train of thoughts in one direction.
  • You need to learn to do only one thing at a time. This is discipline.
  • Fight the habit of living automatically. Train yourself to systematically put things in their place.
  • It is easier to memorize difficult words with the help of figurative hints by association. Also, don’t be lazy
    “reminders” that will help you live in a more organized way, keeping the priorities of the important things.
  • Don't overload your brain; Give yourself short breaks so as not to think about anything.
  • Develop observation skills by turning your gaze away from yourself to the outside, establishing contact with the outside world.
  • Vigilance is needed when a situation of haste, anxiety, or stress comes. Consciously say “stop” to panic or fuss, calm your mind and choose the right way out.

Everything will work out

If it is difficult to observe yourself, and absent-mindedness is not subject to self-control, then you should consult a doctor to prescribe individual treatment for absent-mindedness.

It is the responsibility of every person to monitor their lifestyle: am I able to relax, am I not being lazy in training my memory and attention, and developing self-control?

For more effective result It is important to find out the individual problem and try to deal with it instead of “fighting” with the consequences of the problem. Then everything will work out.

Author of the article: Laukhina Ekaterina

Experts define absent-mindedness as a state of attention, expressed in a person’s inability to concentrate on events and actions. Absent-mindedness is also called lack of concentration, inattention and forgetfulness; sometimes it is emphasized that this is not a vice, but just a property of nature or character.

However, no person is born absent-minded - of course, we are not talking about congenital mental disorders. Some people, wanting to console their inattentive acquaintances, call absent-mindedness a “cute flaw,” but there are many cases when this flaw became the cause of real tragedies: for example, it resulted in a violation of safety regulations at work or a road accident. Of course, not all absent-minded people pose a threat to the safety of society, but they create enough problems: they are ineffective at work, and they cannot build relationships in the family, creating everyday “cataclysms” and forgetting about the urgent needs of loved ones - everything is attributed to absent-mindedness and poor memory.

Absent-mindedness has nothing to do with memory impairments - it is a violation of attention, and this trait in the vast majority of cases is not congenital - it is acquired during the course of life. Therefore, you can and should get rid of absent-mindedness if you want to improve your life and stop causing yourself and those around you minor, and possibly major, troubles.

Causes of absent-mindedness

Experts distinguish two main types of absent-mindedness: genuine and imaginary.

In the first case, absent-mindedness can actually be caused by health problems: neurasthenia, anemia of various types, diseases of the respiratory system and nasopharynx, syndrome chronic fatigue and severe fatigue. In such cases, people can hardly keep their attention on something specific, and are easily distracted - in order to concentrate on an action or object, they have to make a lot of volitional efforts.

Imaginary absent-mindedness, paradoxical as it may sound, often arises precisely because of concentration, but excessive concentration, when attention is directed to one thing, and a person does not notice other objects and phenomena. This type includes “absent-mindedness of the great”: scientists, professors, executives, and even businessmen and politicians often “suffer” from it - the absent-mindedness of the latter is quite costly for other people.

In Western culture, there is a belief that absent-minded people “cannot be corrected,” but this point of view is not based on anything - people simply do not want to take care of themselves. But in the east there are few scattered people: it would not occur to an eastern person to justify his inattention to the world around him with weak memory and character traits.

So absent-mindedness is not a fatal property, and its causes can be eliminated on your own.

How to get rid of absent-mindedness

We have the power to adjust our sleep and rest patterns, learn to avoid stressful situations, arrange a balanced diet for ourselves and give up bad habits. Already what is listed here is often enough for absent-mindedness to recede; if you can’t completely cope with it, perhaps it’s a lack of certain substances - for example, B vitamins, and especially folic acid and B12.

Peanuts, livestock and poultry liver, beans, green salad and spinach, nuts and seeds, broccoli and wild garlic, barley and horseradish, mushrooms and leeks, citrus fruits and whole grains, tomatoes are rich in folic acid, which is necessary for the brain to function normally. and eggs. Some of the listed products contain a lot of vitamin B12, and it is also found in seafood and sea fish, rabbit meat, cheese and sour cream. If you make sure that these foods are always in your diet - they can be alternated and combined - manifestations of absent-mindedness will significantly decrease or disappear altogether.

True, to this it is worth adding some methods of memory training, meditation, and also starting to learn to live and act in such a way that there is no room left for absent-mindedness.

This is especially true for women: not because they are more forgetful or inattentive than men - they just often have to deal with several things at the same time. Psychologists recommend accustoming yourself to strictly follow certain rules.

To begin with, as sad as it may be, you will have to give up the habit of doing several things at once: do one thing at a certain point in time. When attention is restored, it will be possible to return everything “to its place,” but without fanaticism.

Start any business after you have clearly thought through the sequence of actions. In general, it is proposed to do all the actions mentally - this will take some time, but you are unlikely to forget where you wanted to go, what you wanted to say, take, bring, do, etc.

Other tips: associate your thoughts with certain images, select visual cues - this can be done, but there is also a way out - do not put off small matters “for later”. If the task requires preparation and time, immediately make a written reminder for yourself (or better yet, several, on bright sticky notes), and leave it in the place where you are most often: in the kitchen, in the bathroom or on the mirror in hallway The mirror technique helps many women - after all, we look at it more than once a day.

Another, rather unexpected piece of advice is to write down everything related to your absent-mindedness in a special notebook. For example, you forgot to do something important, and this caused problems, or even troubles - write it down and do this every day: after a few weeks you will notice that there are fewer cases of absent-mindedness.

Stop living “automatically” and start being aware of yourself at every moment of time - be “here and now”. You can start with the simplest thing: when performing actions, say out loud what exactly you are doing. Literally like this: “I close the car door”, “I turn off the electric stove”, “I take medicine” - gradually you will learn to monitor your actions in any situation, and the “isolation from the world” will disappear. Automatism is often a consequence of overwork: the brain needs rest, and it doesn’t care what happens to you if you forget about something important to you - it will simply turn off your attention, and you will begin to act unconsciously and mechanically. Review your affairs and responsibilities: perhaps some of them can be entrusted to others, and some can be abandoned altogether, and it’s great to do without them until your absent-mindedness leads to some kind of life catastrophe.

If you cannot get rid of absent-mindedness on your own, you will have to go to a specialist: perhaps it is hidden depression or another disease of the central nervous system - then special therapy will be required, including medication.

Absent-mindedness: more about the phenomenon

Distraction of attention is a psychological term that is commonly understood as a violation of the central nervous system, and it is quite serious and can occur in almost any person.

Concept and varieties

In order to answer the question of what absent-mindedness is, we must first decide what we mean by the word “attention.” This is a psychological process that allows you to process information coming from the outside. In other words, mindfulness and attention can also be called the ability to focus on any object, subject or action. Due to attention, a person not only navigates in life, but can also carry out certain actions.

In the case when a person cannot concentrate on something and constantly forgets something, we can talk about absent-mindedness and inattention. It is noteworthy that they do not appear in a person from birth, but are acquired during life due to certain circumstances. Absent-minded people can have a lot of problems, and this is not surprising, because it is extremely inconvenient to communicate with them, if only because they constantly forget everything.

There are three main types of absent-mindedness:

The first type of inattention appears in people who perform monotonous work for a long time. It can also occur as a result of headaches or sleep problems, as well as due to the presence of chronic diseases (especially those related to the central nervous system).

Minimal distraction is characteristic of those people who are deeply focused on their inner experiences and in this regard, they concentrate little on what they consider not very important. This type of inattention in psychology is sometimes called professorial inattention. Poetic absent-mindedness is usually understood as such inattention, which arises because a person almost always has his head in the clouds or fantasizes. Often this creative people- poets, artists, writers.

Attention impairment in different people may manifest itself in different ways. For example, it may be insufficient concentration, due to which a person does not remember well what he saw or heard. This disorder can occur in both adults and children.

Absent-mindedness can also manifest itself in the form of rigidity - this is when a person slowly and inhibitedly switches from one topic to another. It can manifest itself in people with mental disorders or be determined by the type of temperament. In particular, this property is inherent in phlegmatic people.

A person who has such a trait as instability, i.e., can also be inattentive. spasmodic attention. Such people jump from one topic to another and therefore cannot remember either one or the other well. This often happens in childhood, especially in hyperactive children.

A little about the reasons

Is it possible to cope with absent-mindedness, and in what ways can this be done? These questions can be answered only if you understand the causes of absent-mindedness.

First, let's talk about the fact that there are physiological factors that lead to inattention. These include physical and emotional fatigue, insomnia, diets, as well as the presence of a profession that requires a person to perform tedious and repetitive actions. People who are overly focused on only one object or subject may scientific work, may also suffer from a disorder such as lack of concentration.

It is worth noting that they do not suffer from others psychological characteristics, such as memory. On the contrary, it is improving - it's just that scientists often discard what they don't need and focus only on what really interests them.

Elderly people often suffer from inattention. Over the years, older people's concentration weakens and attention disorders arise. But it also happens that very young people can be absent-minded. For them, the reasons for this often lie in dysfunction of the body or diseases, such as osteochondrosis, arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, schizophrenia, epilepsy, etc. By the way, during pregnancy, women can also often experience attention problems.

We should also talk about the importance of inattention in childhood. The development of attention in children largely depends on parents - in particular, on how much they engage with the child. The most important thing that adults should try to instill in their children is self-control. If it does not develop, then the child’s attention will “flutter” and he will not be able to concentrate deeply on anything.

By the way, scientists say that the reasons for children's absent-mindedness can be seemingly harmless things: a passion for sweets, preservatives and nutritional supplements, lack of magnesium and iron, etc. It is easy to notice that your child is prone to absent-mindedness - he is hyperactive, restless, constantly fussing, often switches from one thing to another, etc. Remove unnatural foods from your baby’s diet, or even better, contact a professional psychologist so he can advise you on how to overcome the problems that arise.

Setting up life

How to get rid of absent-mindedness and inattention? There are several tips that can help a person become more focused and understand how to deal with absent-mindedness. It is not necessary to immediately consult a doctor or psychologist. You can start with simple steps: establish a daily routine, try to avoid stress and conflicts, start eating a balanced diet, and give up bad habits.

If this is not enough to overcome absent-mindedness, then the reason may be a lack of certain substances - folic acid and B vitamins, which can help overcome forgetfulness. The first is found in products such as wild garlic, poultry liver, spinach, nuts, citrus fruits and eggs. Useful vitamin B12 is found in sea fish and other seafood, sour cream and cheese.

But how to deal with absent-mindedness forever? Only daily routine and proper nutrition often not enough to defeat her. Exist special techniques memory training and meditation.

It is worth noting that women are naturally more absent-minded than men. The fact is that they usually tend to perform several actions at once. For example, putting on lipstick, watching your favorite TV series and talking on the phone. If you find yourself thinking that you are forgetting a lot, you should give up this habit.

Try to distribute all your tasks and do them in a strictly defined order. After all, you must admit, nothing bad will happen if you first talk on the phone and then put on lipstick. It’s worth getting rid of inattention systematically: think through your actions several steps ahead, and before starting something, first mentally do what you wanted. There are a few more tips: try to put things in their place, don’t put off small things “for later”, write yourself “reminders” - and after a while you will notice that absent-mindedness no longer bothers you...

What to do when you are overcome by forgetfulness and absent-mindedness?

Hello everybody! Forgetfulness and absent-mindedness, such seemingly insignificant nuances, can actually destroy a person’s professional and personal life, and if not destroy, then greatly complicate it. After all, agree, it’s difficult to move towards your goal when a lot of information flies out of your head?

1.Modern human life

Basic Concepts

If you are able to absorb information, remember it and then reproduce it when necessary, you have an excellent memory. But as soon as a failure occurs in one of these stages, it’s time to think about whether you are treating yourself correctly? Because forgetfulness or inattention is not congenital, except in cases of psychiatric abnormalities. This means they arise as a result of our wrong image life. Let's first distinguish between these two concepts, because they mean slightly different states.

Forgetfulness is directly related to difficulties with memory. Remember, in the article about types of memory, we discussed that it can be short-term and long-term? So, the information that has entered the short-term reservoir evaporates from it very quickly. To keep it in the long-term zone, you should randomly pay attention to it. And this is where absent-mindedness comes in, namely, difficulty concentrating this same attention. And these two factors can be the cause of entire disasters, if a person with any of the above violations is responsible for other people, for example, while driving an airplane or train.

The symptoms, I think, are familiar to everyone: a feeling of indifference to some processes and events, the inability to focus and concentrate, a feeling of powerlessness, excessive relaxation, inactivity. Frequent experiences of boredom, unsuccessful attempts to remember something important, leading to irritability and dissatisfaction. Sometimes the effect of déjà vu occurs, that is, when it seems that what is happening now has already happened before. Excessive relaxation, sometimes similar to irresponsibility and carelessness, as a result of which others have a desire to take control of the fulfillment of some of your obligations or, in general, your life.

But before looking for methods to deal with this, let's explore the probable causes of disturbances in cognitive processes.

Causes

1.Modern human life

2. Insomnia or simply lack of sleep

But you and I know what devastating consequences a lack of sleep leads to, so forgetfulness is just a flower compared to depression, severe chronic disease or oncology. If you don’t remember all the consequences of lack of sleep, read here.

3.Lack of water

Our body consists of 70% water, every schoolchild knows this, but drinking carbonated drinks, coffee and other things does not saturate it required quantity fluids, which causes the brain to suffer greatly and malfunction.

4.Alcohol, drugs and smoking

They reduce the efficiency of thinking, the speed of perception and cause vascular spasms, disrupting the activity of not only the brain, but also the body as a whole, even causing changes in the psyche.

5.Diets

Poor memory is sometimes a consequence of diets that simply throw the brain into shock due to a lack of carbohydrates, fats, and other things. Most often, women are guilty of this, it’s not for nothing that there is even a phrase “girl’s memory”.

6. Stress

They can lead to a state of chronic fatigue, that is, to neuropsychic weakness. With such weakness, it becomes very difficult to concentrate and, in general, to remember information, if only due to the fact that it becomes irrelevant for the person. You can read about this disease here.

7. Excessive concentration

As paradoxical as it may seem, inattention can occur due to excessive concentration. I'll explain now. When we are carried away by some process, we may not track the moments happening around us. Well, has it ever happened to you that, lost in thought, you didn’t notice how you got from work to home? This is how inventors, too immersed in their ideas, are able to create brilliant creations, but at the same time are completely helpless in everyday life.

Routine also makes it difficult to concentrate and keep track of events. After all, when the process goes as planned, it does not require our inclusion, which means that consciousness directs attention to internal processes.

9. Internal state

If you notice that absent-mindedness has appeared, try to listen to the general condition, because often these problems are caused by diseases such as tumors, epilepsy, atherosclerosis, provoke traumatic brain injuries, infections and disorders of the thyroid gland.

  1. Try to use a large number of clean drinking water, excluding soda and sugary drinks. And, of course, control your diet by including vegetables, fruits, herbs and other foods rich in vitamins, minerals and, in general, substances necessary for the body.
  2. Exercising, especially yoga, will help saturate every cell of your body with oxygen, which will increase its activity and performance. To improve your mindfulness, get into the habit of meditative practices aimed at concentration and the ability to stop and simply observe what is happening, both within yourself and the surrounding reality. I described these methods in this article in a quite accessible way for beginners.
  3. Use reminders in the form of stickers, notifications and a board on which you will pin sheets of paper with tasks and thoughts.
  4. Read the article about time management carefully. Because it’s very difficult to keep a bunch of thoughts in your head, to start solving several things at once and, in general, not to understand in which direction this moment move. Such multitasking will lead not only to absent-mindedness, but also to depression in general.
  5. Clean up your desk, every thing should have its place. Then there will be no need to overload your brain. You won't have to remember where you put your mobile phone or keys, you'll just know where exactly they should be in any case. Therefore, before you wonder how to get rid of forgetfulness, you should conduct general cleaning, both in the head and in the home and office.
  6. Play associations, that is, if you have problems remembering names, repeat it to yourself several times and come up with an association that is consonant with it. In some cases, you will have to create a whole associative series associated with place and actions. For example, if you need to call your parents as soon as you get home, then imagine an image of your home telephone and how you call it. Then, once you get into the apartment and find yourself next to him, you will immediately remember that they are worried about you and you need to make yourself known.
  7. Many people also recommend this remedy. It improves brain function and function. You can read more details on this website.

Conclusion

The most important thing is to learn to notice yourself in the present moment, then there will be no difficulties with concentration. No matter how ordinary life may seem, it is still diverse, you just have to look around and you will notice all its diversity. If you don’t know how, read the article “How to learn to live here and now: consciously and in this moment?” And that’s all for today, dear readers! By the way, as an advertisement, I created a group on VKontakte about self-development, I will be glad to see you there. See you soon.

  • How to deal with absent-mindedness and inattention
  • How to deal with inattention
  • How to improve memory folk remedies in 2018

Causes of absent-mindedness and inattention

One of the most common causes of absent-mindedness is routine. Habitual activities are most often performed by inertia, automatically, while attention is focused on something else. And if a person is distracted, he most likely will not be able to remember at what stage he finished his work. In addition, reasons distracted attention may be stress, mental or physical fatigue, age, or the presence of external or internal distractions.

How to focus and stop getting distracted

If your attentiveness suffers due to the monotony of work, psychologists recommend not relying on habit, but monitoring each stage and key points with the participation of consciousness. Always check that you have completed all the steps. Stop between stages of work and mentally plan further operations.

Distraction of attention: causes and ways to overcome

Have you noticed that it is increasingly difficult for you to focus on one thing? Have you already disrupted the promised actions, simply because it simply slipped out of your head? Congratulations! You have absent-mindedness.

This is not good, since a decline in concentration and attention indicates that work frontal lobes brain is damaged. The reasons can be completely different. An accurate diagnosis can only be made qualified specialist, we will analyze cases in which absent-minded attention is not the result of an illness, but the result of a lifestyle.

Causes of absent-mindedness

Fatigue

So, the first reason for the decline in attention is ordinary fatigue. We live in an age high technology, information boom, active movement. We try to do everything, find out everything, do everything. As a result, our brain simply cannot cope with the abundance of information and puts up a protective block, cutting off everything that, in its opinion, we do not need. This is not a sign of incipient sclerosis, it is a reason to reconsider your life. How busy are you, is there anything you can get rid of without harming yourself and your family? I bet that at least 30% of such unnecessary cases will be found. So cut them off from yourself.

A schedule for the next day helps very well in this matter. Get yourself a diary or just write down on a piece of paper every evening the things you need to do tomorrow. Such a plan will help you avoid being distracted by things that do not require immediate attention and will allow you to keep in mind what is necessary.

Trouble

If things that are unpleasant for you are constantly happening in your life, then this also reduces your attention and concentration. Again, it’s all to blame for the brain, which blocks what can cause breakdown. A kind of repression occurs. You cannot concentrate on anything, your thoughts are beating like a caught bird in a net, your attention is zero point, zero tenth.

Of course, take a break from bad thoughts and constantly replaying an unpleasant situation within yourself is quite difficult, but quite possible. Therefore, pull yourself together and start working on yourself as quickly as possible. With this you will kill two birds with one stone - you will learn how to get rid of absent-mindedness and inattention, and increase your level of self-esteem. And as a result of such work on ourselves, troubles will naturally fade into the background, because most often we ourselves inflate them to enormous proportions, although in fact they are not worth a damn.

Exercises to overcome absent-mindedness

  1. As soon as you feel your attention “floating away,” rub your ears vigorously. There are points in our ears that activate the brain, causing it to perk up. You need to rub your ears for at least one minute.
  2. Massage your shoulders. Right hand left shoulder, left hand - right. Also at least one minute.
  3. On the way to work, walking, going to the store, concentrate on passing cars. Remember the color, brand, number of people sitting in the cabin, car number. Pay close attention to passersby. How many women, men, children passed by you? Who was dressed? Who walked fast, who walked slowly? How do you think these people live? Are they happy, or are they currently experiencing difficulties in life? Try to notice even the smallest details.
  4. Before going to bed, already lying in bed, mentally “scroll through” your entire day, remembering all the little things. Who did you meet, who did you talk to, what did you talk about? Who smiled, who was sad? Who called you, what did you talk about? Try to remember everything, preferably in bright colors.
  5. Or take up volleyball, football or basketball, or just play badminton or tennis in the yard with your child. Such games are very good at helping to get rid of scattered attention.
  6. Learn poetry by heart. Passages in prose. Learn a new word every day and apply it in your daily life. Start learning any foreign language. All these actions make the gray matter seethe and work, which means that attention will be restored.
  7. Set a timer and start reading a book thoughtfully. As soon as you notice that your attention has flown away, stop the timer. Focus and start again. Good result– 20 minutes of thoughtful reading without distraction. Don't know what to read? Check out our list of self-help books.
  • Rest. Get more rest. And not passively - near the TV, but actively - on fresh air. The body will thank you and reward you with increased concentration.
  • Nutrition. Review your diet. Various fried “delicacies” make the brain go into hibernation, and there is no need to talk about any attention. Load up on carrots, broccoli, and seafood - the vitamins they contain are very useful for proper brain function.
  • Oils. When you lose your attention, it’s a good idea to inhale the aroma essential oils basil, lavender, mint, rosemary, lemon. You can inhale with them and take a bath, adding only three to four drops to the water.

By performing these simple exercises and recommendations, you will quickly restore your ability to concentrate and get rid of scattered attention. You just need to do this every day, at least for 15 minutes. It’s not difficult, you have a lot of free time when you’re traveling in a minibus, standing in line, or stuck in a traffic jam. Do something useful at these moments - develop your attention, and very soon both you and those around you will notice the results.

Forgetfulness and absent-mindedness - causes, symptoms, what to do?

Forgetfulness can occur in many people due to poor lifestyle choices. Many experts say that if people sleep less than 6 hours a day, they may experience memory loss.

The main reasons for forgetfulness in people

  • Frequent stress. During stress, the brain is quite overloaded, and our nervous system loses minerals and vitamins too quickly.
  • The body lacks fluid. In this case, brain function will deteriorate significantly, so sometimes it is better to drink a glass of clean water along with a cup of coffee or tea.
  • Frequent dieting to lose weight can cause forgetfulness. People who are on diets sharply and quickly reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fats in the body, therefore, the brain will be in a state of shock.
  • Smoking and alcohol provoke the development of forgetfulness. They can cause vascular spasms, poison the brain, reduce the speed of perception, and slow down the thinking process.
  • Other causes of forgetfulness: chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic intoxication, tumors, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral atherosclerosis, inflammation and infections.

Absent-mindedness is a thing acquired by a person, to get rid of which you need to make some effort. Very often this condition can manifest itself in the following:

  • boredom;
  • inability to concentrate on a subject or topic for a long time;
  • relaxation and powerlessness;
  • disinterest;
  • indifference;
  • lack of concentration in thoughts and sensations.

To treat absent-mindedness, you need to know what factors caused it:

  1. External factors - illness or overwork.
  2. Internal factors - brain damage, need for clinical treatment.

Forgetfulness and absent-mindedness - treatments and methods for improving memory

People who are prone to forgetfulness and absent-mindedness need to understand that they need to be worked with:

  • Don't overload your brain, take a break for a few minutes.
  • Follow the train of thoughts, direct them in one direction.
  • Stop the fussiness in your head.
  • Follow physical exercise for body. Any movement saturates the brain with oxygen; physical exercise is an excellent way to combat stress.
  • You only need to do one thing at a time.
  • Develop your powers of observation, look at other people, the world.
  • Practice mindfulness. Learn to concentrate on only one process, so you can remember more and focus at the right time.
  • In any nervous situation - anxiety, stress, haste, you must consciously say “stop”, today is not the time to panic, calm your mind and you will definitely find a way out.

Also, in addition to special training, what you eat affects your performance. Below is a list of things that will help improve your memory.

Dehydration is one of the main causes of brain disorders. Human fluid is the main component for normal functioning. Try to drink 6-7 glasses of clean water a day.

Many studies have proven that fat contributes to clogged arteries. Therefore, oxygen cannot fully saturate the brain. Avoid margarine, baked goods, butter with trans fats, cookies, etc. This way you can improve your memory and also help the whole body - blood vessels, heart, brain.

You need to add fish to your diet. It is advisable to use it at least 3-4 times a week. Fish has a beneficial effect on the human body, improves brain activity and cleanses blood vessels.

The menu should include food rich in vitamins B6, B12, niacin, and thiamine. Such components have a positive effect on human memory and improve brain performance. High levels of such substances are found in bananas, sprouted wheat and rye.

Inattention, attention deficit disorder (ADHD): causes, symptoms, treatment

It is difficult to even call absent-mindedness or inattention in everyday life a symptom, since more often it is simply a person’s condition due to fatigue or life’s troubles. When “everything is somehow piling up”, it is difficult to have a clear, bright head, quickly switch from one job to another and keep up with everything, so there can be absent-mindedness that is justified and explainable, and inattention that arouses suspicion.

Attention deficit disorder (ADD), which we hear about more often from teachers and child psychologists than from pediatricians, concerns mainly children of primary school age who have learning problems. Along with ADD, the concept of “hyperactivity” is often used. In such cases, it is customary to talk about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the essence of which will be covered below, in one of the sections of the article.

Age, fatigue or “always like this”

Absent-mindedness of absent-mindedness is discord. But more often than not, we perceive it as one of the features or characteristic features of a person’s temperament. There are people who are inattentive in life, they often irritate colleagues and loved ones, because it is difficult to reach them, they do not “get in” the first time, they have to repeat and repeat the same phrases. Others behave this way only at work, immersing themselves in it headlong, and some relax in this way at home, devoting all their strength to professional activities and not responding to requests from loved ones to help with the housework or take care of the child.

There are many options, so let’s try to identify the main ones:

  • With true inattention, a person is so distracted from what is happening around him that he creates the impression of his complete absence at a given moment and in a given place. Usually in such cases neither facial expressions nor eyes express anything. Similar condition can happen to anyone after prolonged exercise, fatigue, sleepless night, monotonous activities. The person himself defines his condition as “confusion,” those around him say that “he is out of touch,” and experts call it prostration.
  • Imaginary absent-mindedness includes excessive concentration of attention on some one’s own problem, which comes to the fore, eclipsing all others. Concentration on one thing, the inability to hear and understand the interlocutor, and solve other problems except one single one, is called imaginary absent-mindedness. It is typical for people who withdraw into themselves to daydream and think, or who pursue some kind of specific goal for a certain time (“target hypnosis”), for example, this happens in professions that require special vigilance and concentration (drivers, pilots, dispatchers). Switching mental activity to foreign objects in similar cases may have negative consequences, therefore, in order to perform his professional duties efficiently, a person has no right to be distracted by other matters. By the way, American scientists believe that driving a car is suitable for preventing Alzheimer's disease - constant concentration trains the brain and improves memory.
  • Student absent-mindedness is familiar to everyone who went to school. You don't need to know this by personal experience, even very diligent students could be affected by such absent-mindedness of a neighbor, who was distracted from the lesson, engaged in extraneous matters and interfered with children reaching for knowledge.
  • Senile absent-mindedness that overtakes many people who have been retired for a long time. With age, memory deteriorates, the ability to concentrate on specific things, clearly make plans and purposefully go towards the intended goal decreases. Memory impairment leads to the fact that some moments from this chain fall out, are forgotten, lost, which is why the productivity of all activities suffers. For older people, things move more slowly and often with mistakes, causing additional grief and even greater distraction.
  • Cognitive and selective inattention. Getting used to some constantly present things, sounds, situations, we stop reacting to them: we don’t watch the clock tick, we don’t count the beats of our hearts, we don’t pay attention to how the furniture is arranged in our own apartment. Knowing in advance where and what is located, we do not directly see the object that we look at every day and do not think about it. We won’t notice his disappearance right away either, although we can feel: “something is wrong”...
  • Motivational inattention - a person tries to drive away thoughts and memories associated with unpleasant events, avoid communicating with by individuals, ignore some places or roads.

It is unlikely that anyone has not caught himself inattentively, repeatedly reading a text he had memorized, or checking a work he had written in his own hand. Everything familiar, as a rule, falls away and thoughts go to the side. Simply because it’s not very interesting to delve into something that has been known for a long time.

Causes of absent-mindedness

Distraction of attention in most cases has reasons, including: serious illnesses You can put it in last place:

  1. Physical and mental fatigue.
  2. Lack of sleep, insomnia.
  3. A profession that requires performing the same type of monotonous movements or focusing on one object. Work behind the conveyor belt (monotony) and behind the wheel (all attention is directed to the road) weaken attention to the same extent.
  4. Developed in the course of life, representatives of the scientific world have a habit of focusing on the subject of their scientific research and ignoring “earthly” problems. However, it should be noted that the memory of people involved in science does not fit the generally accepted canons (the relationship between attention and memory), they, as a rule, are well trained (professional memory), it’s just that a person considers something unnecessary and deliberately omits it, devoting attention to things that are of interest to him - gradually this approach becomes a habit.
  5. Age. “Whether old or young” is a deficit of attention in both cases: old people can no longer concentrate on one topic for a long time, and children still cannot.
  6. Strong anxiety prevents many people from concentrating, however, there are calm-blooded individuals who know how to control themselves in any situation.
  7. Diseases ( vascular pathology brain, organic lesions, mental disorders and etc.).

Inattention and absent-mindedness, which seem to arise for no reason and have a tendency to progress, always require a search for a cause, because the inability to concentrate associated with fatigue always passes quickly after rest, and disturbances in concentration, which have no explanation, are always alarming, since they often go along with symptoms of memory impairment and other signs of mental illness.

Attention deficit due to illness

It is difficult to imagine a person who is inattentive and absent-minded, but has a good memory. As a rule, these categories are interconnected - with a lack of attention, memory suffers. The terminology used by specialists does not always explain to patients the degree of impairment. Based on the reasons, the loss of the ability to concentrate on individual objects can have a different nature:

  • Insufficient concentration of attention, and therefore a low ability to remember what is seen and heard, is often characteristic of people who are said to be “on their own wavelength” or especially sensitive to unfavorable factors(fatigue, anxiety, lack of sleep);
  • Rigidity (inhibition - difficulty switching from one topic to another) is often found in patients suffering from epilepsy, hypomania, and hebephrenia.
  • Instability of attention, which is characterized by constant jumping from one object to another, so none of them remains in memory. Attention deficits are common in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are a cause of memory problems and poor academic performance.

In principle, the causes of inattention and absent-mindedness are the same as the causes of memory impairment; these are various pathological conditions of the body:

However, if in most of the listed cases attention deficit occurs as a secondary symptom (along with other, more significant signs), then regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, it plays a role that determines the diagnosis.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a problem for parents and teachers

Neurologists call attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a violation of the functional abilities of the central nervous system. It is not difficult to guess that the development is based pathological condition are predominantly neurological problems, the causes of which are complex and largely unclear ordinary people, disorders (imbalance in the synthesis of neurotransmitters - catecholamines, serotonin, etc., genetic mutations, dysfunction of the frontal cortex and reticular formation). In addition, the appearance of ADHD can be provoked by seemingly harmless factors:

  • Flavorings, preservatives and other food additives, which nowadays abound in various “delicacies”;
  • Medicines – salicylic acid derivatives;
  • Excessive craving for sweets;
  • Disorders of carbohydrate metabolism;
  • Allergic reactions to food;
  • Deficiency of chemical elements that are very necessary for the child’s body (especially iron and magnesium);
  • An increased level of such a representative that is, in principle, alien to the body heavy metals, like lead - constant contact with its compounds, which were previously allowed to improve the characteristics of automobile fuel, forms mental retardation and other severe pathology of the central nervous system in children.

ADHD is most common in primary school, where the path to diagnosis begins with extreme restlessness, inattention and absent-mindedness, which cause poor academic performance.

A thorough study of a child’s behavior reveals the main symptoms of ADHD:

  1. Instability of attention;
  2. Memory impairment;
  3. Low learning ability;
  4. Excessive physical activity;
  5. Incontinence in actions and desires;
  6. Violent disagreement with personal defeats.

It should be noted that attention deficit always occurs with ADHD, but increased mobility does not belong to the necessarily present signs of the syndrome (ADD without hyperactivity). In addition, sometimes a complicated version of ADHD occurs (cerebrasthenic form, neurosis-like or combined).

Manifestations of ADHD are noticeable to others

Due to the fact that with ADHD there is no significant damage to the brain, the symptoms will not differ in the severity of clinical manifestations.

To some extent (usually insignificant) in children suffering from ADHD, due to increased distractibility, developmental difficulties intellectual abilities there is a delay in the formation of language and speech skills (speech impairment). In conversation, such children show intemperance, they are tactless and cheeky, they easily interfere in the conversation of their classmates or a teacher with another student, inserting indiscreet remarks. They are not afraid of offending someone and do not even think about what might follow such behavior.

Coordination of movements

Impaired coordination of movements is mainly limited to difficulty performing fine work:

  • Children find it difficult to tie their own shoelaces;
  • They do not like to color and cut out pictures, since such activities require precise movements and are difficult;
  • They say about such children that they are not at all athletic, it is difficult for them to follow the ball (impaired visual-spatial coordination), and attempts to learn to ride a bicycle or master a skateboard do not have much success.

Hyperactivity

Excessive activity, called hyperactivity, does not always occur in ADHD. In some children, activity is within normal limits or is generally reduced, which causes errors in the diagnosis of attention deficit disorder and untimely initiation of correction. But if hyperactivity is still present, then it is difficult not to notice a child who has it: he constantly fidgets, cannot sit in one place, gets up from his desk during school hours, and walks around the class. In children with ADHD, motor activity is usually aimless: the child is constantly climbing somewhere, running, cannot stop to play, and talks a lot.

It would seem that unrestrained mobility cannot be accompanied by drowsiness, but, nevertheless, such “perpetuum mobile” tends to sleep several times during the day - it’s just that these children often have problems falling asleep, and many also experience bedwetting.

Emotions

Emotions in the case of ADHD are poorly controlled: children are unbalanced, touchy, quickly become angry, and do not know how to accept even a minor defeat with dignity. Emotional disturbances almost always lead to changes in social relations that are not for the better. Unhealthy children, as a rule, negatively influence their peers, which causes problems with their parents and teachers - one impulsive child with irrepressible energy becomes too many, he interferes with everyone, bullies, and destroys everything in his path. Often children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder display aggression towards peers and adults. Especially to aggressive behavior boys are inclined.

Inattention

Attention deficits in ADHD are noticeable both at school and at home. Lessons at school cause boredom in the child, which he tries to replace by talking with his neighbor at his desk (even during a test), some games or dreams. The diary of such a student is always replete with entries that have the same meaning: “he gets distracted in class and daydreams”, “disturbs his neighbor at his desk”, “is unable to concentrate and work independently”, “does not listen to the teacher”...

A similar picture is observed when doing homework - independent activity is difficult, and sometimes not given at all, so children desperately resist any work that requires mental effort. True, they react quickly to tasks, without even listening to their essence, and then just as quickly abandon the work they started. However, it should be noted here that by finding an approach to the child, managing to interest him and showing maximum patience, parents and teachers together can achieve considerable success in learning, and the performance indicators of such a student will not differ from the average.

Impulsiveness

With attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit is almost always accompanied by impulsivity, which significantly complicates the life of the child, and even more so for his parents. Carelessness, frivolity, carelessness, inability to calculate one step ahead the consequences of one’s actions, and, at the same time, the desire to show one’s courage, daring, and endurance often turns out in the most sad way (injuries, poisoning, etc.).

And yet, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not always diagnosed with conduct disorder - this symptom alone is not enough for diagnosis.

It all starts in childhood

ADHD, as a rule, attracts the attention of others and, although the symptoms of the disease on which the diagnosis is based (decreased concentration, hyperactivity, impulsivity, difficult to control) appear before the first school bell (7 years), the child usually gets to the doctor in eight to ten years of age. Parents in most cases consider their child to be simply super active, although behavioral problems have already appeared in kindergarten, and inattentive due to his youth, hoping that the school will help discipline him. In the first grade, everything is attributed to difficulties in adaptation, but then the child is required to have some independence, composure, and perseverance. All this is missing, academic performance is “lame”, behavior is extremely bad, communication with peers is impossible, teachers pose questions to parents...

50% of children diagnosed with ADHD in elementary school enter teenage years with the same problems, although the hyperactivity is somewhat subsiding. At this age, such children require special attention adults, since more often than others (successful) they show a tendency to drink alcohol, drug addiction, and substance abuse. Unable to fit into a children's group, they easily succumb negative influence streets and are quickly joining the ranks of juvenile delinquents.

Unfortunately, no more than 50% of problem teenagers, with the help of adults, manage to leave their diagnosis in adolescence; many come with it in adult life poorly adapted, not socially adapted, without normal education and profession. Due to increased impressionability, hot temper, impulsiveness, and sometimes pronounced aggression aimed at the outside world, it is difficult for such people to make friends and family, therefore, in this situation, they often experience a number of personality disorders and the formation of antisocial psychopathy.

Diagnosis: ADHD

It is unlikely that in the absence of explicit somatic pathology absent-mindedness in adults will be a reason to visit a doctor. Usually, both relatives and colleagues get used to such a person, only occasionally becoming indignant at the inattention and absent-mindedness when he forgets about a request or does not complete an important assignment.

As for children, the reason for them to visit a psychologist and then a neurologist is the presence of the following symptoms:

  1. Inattention, inability to concentrate;
  2. Impulsiveness;
  3. Impaired coordination of movements;
  4. Hyperactivity;
  5. Emotional lability;
  6. Memory impairment, learning difficulties.

The first step towards diagnosis is:

  • Examination by a neurologist who evaluates fine motor skills and identifies neurological symptoms;
  • Questionnaire with filling out a diagnostic card;
  • Neuropsychological testing (assessment of the level of attention, intellectual abilities, performance in relation to long-term mental activity, etc.)

In addition, a wide range of laboratory and instrumental methods research:

  • Biochemical blood test (sugar, microelements - iron, magnesium and lead - in mandatory), study of dopamine metabolism;
  • Genetic analysis;
  • Ultrasound of head vessels with Doppler;
  • Electroencephalography (EEG, video-EEG) using evoked potentials (EP) methods;
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The main thing in treatment is a good attitude

TO ADHD treatment a comprehensive approach, including in the program:

  1. Behavior correction techniques;
  2. Psychotherapeutic methods;
  3. Neuropsychological correction.

Participation in healing process parents and teachers, who first need to explain that such children do not do anything “out of spite,” it’s just how they do it.

Of course, raising a difficult child is not easy, but one should not go to extremes: permissiveness due to excessive pity for a sick child and excessive demands that a little person is simply not able to follow are equally not allowed. You should always build a relationship with a difficult child with a positive, friendly attitude. Under no circumstances should you transfer your Bad mood and personal problems for the child, you need to speak to him softly, calmly, quietly, without shouting or prohibiting words like “no”, “no”, “never”.

Parents with problem children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will have to:

  • Adapt to your baby’s daily routine and strictly follow it:
  • Make sure that the day goes by without fuss, overwork, or long periods of sitting in front of the TV or computer screen;
  • Try to interest the child in some way sports games, go with him to the pool and for walks in the fresh air;
  • Try not to attend events with large crowds of people, do not invite too noisy, cheerful (or vice versa?) guests.

It must not be allowed that primary classes To little man the label of uncontrollable, incapable, unsuccessful has stuck - everything can be fixed, it just takes time, which should not be rushed. Adults will need maximum patience, faith in success, support everywhere and in everything, so that the child himself believes in his own strength. If a difficult child receives help, understanding, and a kind attitude towards himself, then the results, most likely, will not disappoint - here the parents have a special responsibility.

Concerning drug therapy, then they try to use it as a last resort if psychotherapeutic measures do not give the desired effect. Indications for prescribing medications are strictly individual. Of course, specialists use antidepressants, central nervous system stimulants, nootropics and others pharmaceutical groups drugs, however, extreme caution should still be exercised with medications - the child’s psyche is sensitive and vulnerable.