Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition that is characterized by a combination of impulsivity, restlessness, trouble focusing, low self-esteem, and other issues. ADHD starts in childhood and continues into adulthood. Many people are not diagnosed with it until they are adults.
In adults with ADHD, symptoms can vary from mild to severe. If the symptoms are severe, ADHD can interfere with daily life and relationships. ADHD can make regular chores or activities a challenge. Making decisions can be difficult. Due to the adverse effect it has on concentration, those with ADHD are easily distracted and often tasks are left uncompleted. They also may find it difficult to prioritize and remember what they need to do. Impaired impulse control can present as anger, impatience, and frustration.
ADHD can make it hard to manage stress. It can also cause mood swings and problems with emotional regulation. If you have ADHD, you may have difficulty multitasking, managing your time, and planning. These factors combined can lead to poor performance at work or school.
What Does ADHD Feel Like?
Adult ADHD often has other underlying mental health conditions with it. These include anxiety or depression.
Having ADHD feels like you are not able to remember things, keep track of tasks, or follow things through to completion.
Other people may complain to you about your forgetfulness. They may express frustration that you are inattentive when they are speaking to you.
You have trouble explaining why or how you forgot an important date or occasion.
Your disorganization can cause you frustration. You may feel discouraged when you cannot keep track of tasks and complete them.
You lose things often. This could be your phone, a bill you need to pay, or your keys.
You get easily distracted. You often get pulled off course by something else that catches your attention. It is hard to be completely present. This can also cause anxiety.
You may fidget a lot. Fidgeting could be shaking your leg, tapping your pen, biting your nails, etc. This is a sign of what is known as chronic restlessness. In people with ADHD, restlessness interferes with their lives to the point where it affects their ability to sleep, work, study, etc.
People with ADHD often engage in impulsive behavior. This could be interrupting others, entering a room without knocking, or being unaware of other people’s boundaries.
What Causes ADHD in Adults?
ADHD in adults can be triggered by a variety of factors. The most common triggers that are associated with ADHD symptoms are sensory overload, stress, lack of sleep, lack of healthy eating habits, and changes in your environment.
What Makes ADHD Symptoms Worse?
Lack of sleep, an inadequate diet, stress, overstimulation, and environmental changes all trigger ADHD symptoms. Likewise, these triggers can make existing ADHD symptoms worse. Other things that can aggravate adult ADHD include anxiety, depression, junk food, and electronic devices/social media.
Ways to Cope with and Manage ADHD in Adults
Symptoms of ADHD vary from person to person. There are some things you can do that may help you cope.
To help with prioritizing and time management, keep a list of things you have to do in one place. This list should include appointments or meetings as well. This could be in a diary or on your phone calendar, with set reminders. It can be useful to leave reminders on post-notes around your space. Establish a system and a central place to organize and file your documents.
Keep items that you use every day in the same place to avoid misplacing them.
Ask friends or family to help you manage. Make sure you communicate clearly what you need from them. When those around you better understand what you struggle with, they will be more accommodating in your relationships. You can also join a support group for people living with ADHD.
Think about the things that improve your symptoms. Keep track of those things that make your symptoms worse.
Get proper sleep, enough exercise, and maintain healthy eating habits.
If you have a project that seems overwhelming, divide it into smaller tasks, in order of importance.
Therapeutic treatment, such as individual therapy, can help in the management of ADHD.
Misconceptions about ADHD
ADHD is a real mental health condition. It is on a spectrum and involves actual neurobiological differences.
Below are some misconceptions about ADHD.
A common misconception is that someone who is struggling with ADHD is just lazy or messy.
Another stereotype is that if the person just made more of an effort they would be more organized, successful, etc.
It is often thought that those with ADHD cannot focus at all. This is not true. Someone with ADHD are highly focused when they find something interesting.
ADHD is thought to be only a childhood condition. In fact, ADHD affects both children and adults, though it does start in childhood.
ADHD is not something that affects boys and men exclusively. Young girls and women can also present with ADHD. However, ADHD presents differently in young boys than it does in young girls, which is why girls are often undiagnosed.
If you are struggling with ADHD or any other mental health condition, Trust Mental Health can help. Contact us today for a free 15 minute consultation. We will match you with a therapist who understands your individual needs. Our diverse team of BIPOC therapists speaks multiple languages. We have the cultural sensitivity to tailor your treatment to your unique background and situation.
FAQs
How can I find anxiety therapy near me?
Trust Mental Health offers therapeutic services all over California. We are headquartered in San Jose. We also offer telehealth, which is therapy conducted through online sessions.
What are common depression symptoms?
Common depressive symptoms include sleep disturbances, changes in diet and/or weight, a pervasive low mood or sadness lasting for 2 weeks or more, withdrawal, physical aches and pains. Other symptoms include frustration, mood swings, anger, irritation, and difficulty concentrating. If these symptoms persist and begin to interfere with your daily life, consider reaching out to a mental health professional.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD call it anything, is medically termed as a Neurodevelopmental Disorder (brain and/or spinal cord impairment) usually characterized by inattention, distraction, dissolution, hyperactivity, and impulsivity which begins in earlier children aged 12 years.
ADHD/ADD is one of the most common mental health disorders.
It is a condition that causes a person to have a variety of symptoms which may include impulsive behavior, hyperactivity, and difficulty paying attention.Children with ADHD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and poor performance in school.
Still, if one finds themselves constantly late, disorganized, forgetful, and overwhelmed by his responsibilities, needless to say, that one may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), previously known as ADD.ADHD or ADD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder often goes unrecognized throughout childhood, and this was especially common in the past when very few people were aware of it.
Alternately, you may have been able to compensate for the symptoms of ADD (or ADHD) when you were young, only to run into problems as your responsibilities increased as an adult.The more balls you’re now trying to keep in the air; pursuing a career, supporting your family, running a household—the greater the demand on your abilities to organize, focus, and remain calm.
Adults with ADHD may have difficulty controlling anger, anxiety, depression, poor organization skills, employment issues, punctuality problems, low self-esteem, and maybe impulsive and forgetful.ADHD in ChildrenChildren with ADHD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and poor performance in school.
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