Barbie director Greta Gerwig on ADHD diagnosis: “Always had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm” – Times of India

Greta Gerwig has opened up on being diagnosed with ADHD- Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder.
The Barbie director has spoken about her health condition in an interview with The Guardian. The actor has revealed how she was “a real rule follower” at school and “had a ton of energy”. She talks about her mother, who wanted to sign her up for every activity.
“But as a kid, my mum was like, ‘Let’s sign her up for every activity.Let’s tire her out.’ I’ve always had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. I was just interested in, like, everything. I had a really active imagination. I had a lot of really deep feelings. I was emotional,” she told the media outlet.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Kids with ADHD often have trouble focusing, and paying attention and have impulsive behaviors. As the symptoms advance, these kids find it difficult to cope at school and with friends.
More than 350 million people globally have ADHD. The symptoms show up differently in different people making it difficult to identify the symptoms and get them diagnosed and treated. The signs of ADHD get overlooked easily.
There are three types of ADHD: Predominantly Inattentive Presentation in which the individual forgets basic things and gets distracted easily, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation in which it is difficult for the person to remain silent and sit still, Combined Presentation in which the individual shows both the types of symptoms.

The US CDC lists the following as the common symptoms of ADHD: daydreaming, forgetting or losing things a lot, squirming or fidgeting, talking too much, making careless mistakes or taking unnecessary risks, having a hard time resisting temptation, having trouble taking turns and having difficulty getting along with others.
There are several factors that increase an individual’s risk for developing ADHD. While studies link genetic factors, other factors like brain injury, premature delivery and low birth weight increase the risk for this disorder. Exposure to lead and other environmental toxin and/ or consumption of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy also increases the risk of the child developing ADHD.