Hypoactivity is a learning disability that affects an individual’s ability to process and react to information or situations in a timely manner, often misdiagnosed as other psychological disorders. It is related to ADHD, but the individual presents in a completely opposite way. Treatment involves prescribed psychological medications and therapy.
Hypoactivity is a learning disability that affects an individual’s ability to process and react to information or situations in a timely manner. It is closely related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The individual, however, presents in a completely opposite way to what one would expect with someone who is considered hyperactive.
Often called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity, hypoactivity can be a debilitating disorder. It is characterized by an inability to process information fully and quickly, behavior that appears to be slow to react, and difficulty managing stressful and social situations. It is believed to be a genetic neurological condition affecting the frontal lobes of the brain, although there are other possible causes, including environmental exposures and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth.
People who have hypoactivity disorder show a disconnect in being able to take a thought and convert it into quick action. Signs include a delay in being able to answer questions, difficulty taking timed tests, inattentiveness in school, and poor or poor grades. The sufferer has an unusually shy or quiet demeanor, has delayed motor skills and reflexes, and will exhibit social problems. Teachers and parents often see children with hypoactivity as not doing enough in school or lazy.
Anxiety and disorganization are also common symptoms. Anxiety about not fitting in socially and peer judgment pressure can lead to the individual being emotionally exhausted and even more withdrawn by the end of the day. Handwriting, desks, bedrooms, vehicles, and other environments inhabited by someone with hypoactivity tend to be highly disorganized and messy due to an inability to focus on more than one goal at a time.
Social problems resulting from underactivity can be debilitating and are often misdiagnosed as other psychological disorders. These individuals may suffer from depression caused by a feeling of being an outcast from society. Depression and anxiety are usually the initial diagnosis of people suffering from this disorder.
The diagnosis can be made through positron emission tomography (PET) scans, through which a decrease in brain activity can be observed. There are also psychological and intellectual tests, such as the Processing Speed Index test, that can be administered by teachers or therapists. Direct observation and close attention from parents and teachers can speed up diagnosis by being able to provide a complete behavioral picture to clinicians.
Initial treatment of hypoactivity is a mixture of prescribed psychological medications and therapy. For children, it is useful that there is a report on the individual educational program for parents and teachers as a work direction tool. Over time, with proper learning and coping mechanisms in place, medication use can be reduced or even ceased.
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