Do You Have Adult ADHD?

ADHD is surprisingly common in adults, and is often misdiagnosed as another mood disorder. ADHD doesn't present as the hyperactive disorder many of us expect, and is often recognized as a result of the anxiety, stress, low self esteem, and anger that many of those with ADHD suffer. Many adults live with ADHD for years, developing coping mechanisms to help manage symptoms before they ever realize that ADHD is what they have been coping with all along. The year he turned 30, my partner took on a new job and his stress level had shot up more than expected. Depressed, anxious, and suffering from a plummet in self esteem, I began to piece together that he had been suffering for a long time from adult ADHD, and the coping mechanisms he had stopped working to cover up what he was having trouble with.

Symptoms of Adult ADHD

ADHD is a lifelong condition that has many symptoms, and each of these symptoms presents differently in different people. One of the reasons for this is that each individual will often find their own coping mechanism for dealing with their ADHD symptoms, never realizing they were suffering from a deficit at all. Some of the primary symptoms of adult ADHD include:

Distractibility: All forms of ADD/ADHD come with some form of distractibility or difficulty concentrating. If you find yourself having trouble sitting through a meeting, are very easily distracted by noise, or are consistently wandering away from the task at hand, you may have a deficit of attention.

While we often thing about distractibility as a momentary concern, those with ADHD may become so distracted that they forget to do something entirely, and as you'll see below, this distractibility may be related to other problems:

Trouble listening: Part of the distractibility that comes along with ADHD is trouble listening. If you find that you often get lost during conversation, losing the thread or not being able to take in what is being said, this can be a big red flag for ADHD.

This issue can be particularly apparent during difficult or emotional conversations

Impulsive behaviour: With a deficit of attention often comes a lack of ability to control behavior. Those with ADHD will often have trouble with impassivity, making immediate decisions without thinking them through, shopping, or diverting from plans in the moment.

This can often lead to shame and confusion, as the person with ADHD struggles to bring consistency and balance to their own life.

Restlessness and an inability to relax: We may imagine ADHD as a complete overabundance of nervous energy, but in adults, this hyperactivity is often expressed as an inability to relax, or a constant restlessness.

Difficulty getting started on tasks: People with adult ADHD often find they have trouble getting started with tasks they need to do. Without the extreme pressure of a deadline or social urgency, they will allow anxiety or distraction to entice them to procrastinate, often avoiding things to the point that they are months or years overdue.

Difficulty finishing projects: Many adults with ADHD love to start things! They love to envision themselves doing projects, and often have a million things on the go. But, you'll notice that adults with ADHD often have trouble finishing things, even when they are moments or steps away from completion.

Emotional outbursts: Because they lack impulse control, many adults with ADHD often suffer from intense emotional outbursts. They may show bursts of anger, hurt, resentment, or sadness, and may move through emotions quickly. For this reason, many with ADHD are diagnosed with anxiety, anger issues, or Bipolar Disorder, when their emotional responses are actually symptoms of untreated ADHD.

Underachievement: Many people with ADHD are bright, creative, and full of potential, but find themselves not quite achieving what they set out to do. Goals with relationships, money, and their lives may seem just out of reach, and unattainable for reasons they do not understand.

Trouble with scheduling and calendars: Adults with ADHD often have a poor sense of time, and have difficulty keeping appointments and following schedules. They may have trouble with punctuality, with remembering important dates, and with remembering to get gifts.

These are just some of the symptoms that adults with ADHD experience. As you can imagine, that is a lot to content with in daily life, and these issues can impact a person's work, relationship, and happiness.

If any of these symptoms sound familiar to you, you might want to do some research into adult ADHD.

ADHD Treatment

If you think you may be suffering from ADHD, it is important you speak to your doctor about getting an official diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is in place, you'll be set up to get the treatment you need to deal easily with your ADHD symptoms.

Medication is often prescribed for adults with ADHD, either to assist with concentration issues, or to help manage some of the anxieties that come as a side effect of symptoms. Many people notice that medication provides some immediate improvement, but that they need some support to create constructive habits.

Effective adult ADHD treatment also involves therapy to address behaviours that can help minimize symptoms. This may mean working with a counsellor, psychiatrist, or life coach to address symptoms and how best to minimize them in the future.

One thing to keep in mind is that many doctors are not informed about what adult ADHD truly looks like. For this reason, you may find it helpful to do your own research into symptoms and how you believe they are expressed in your own life, so you can be prepared to advocate for yourself.

Living with adult ADHD

People with ADHD are often bright, creative, and intelligent enough that there is no noticeable deficit in their functioning despite the challenges that their ADHD brings about. Treatment, whether it is therapeutic support, life coaching, medication, or some combination, can help you more easily manage ADHD symptoms, so you can put your energy toward things you truly enjoy.

Since his diagnosis, my partner has had a lot more insight into himself, and has found a lot of new and healthy coping skills that have helped him feel better about himself, and worry less, and we could not be happier. His mood, his outlook, and the health of our relationship have improved, and we both have a deeper understanding of the way his mind works.

If you suspect you have adult ADHD, be sure to do some research and speak to your doctor. It may be scary to consider speaking to someone else about your concerns, but your whole life might change as a result.