Nine things you need to know about ADHD in adults

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a chronic neurobehavioral disorder. Usually, the most striking symptoms of ADHD include extreme emotions like impulsiveness, increased distraction, and hyperactivity. While ADHD is most common in childhood, it may have residual effects in adulthood. According to the National Institutes of health, ADHD is estimated to be 3-5% in children.

Here’s what you must know about ADHD in adults

What are the different types of ADHD?

• The most common type of ADHD is inattentive ADHD subtype
• Another common type of ADHD subtype is the hyperactive-impulsive
• A combination of inattentive and hyperactive ADHD is the third subtype of ADHD in adults

What is the average percentage of ADHD adults in the USA?

• Since ADHD symptoms are more prominent in children, identifying ADHD symptoms in adults is rather difficult as they may exhibit subtler symptoms.
• Due to this reason, several cases of ADHD adults in the USA often get undiagnosed.
• Statistically in the USA, at least 5% of the adult population has ADHD.

What are some of the most noticeable ADHD symptoms in adults?

• The most obvious ADHD symptoms in adults are related to managing and organizing routine tasks.
• Adults with ADHD conditions are usually the ones who have problems carrying out responsibilities of adulthood.
• While the inability to perform certain tasks already exists in children with ADHD, this becomes more pronounced when they grow up.

What are the consequences of ADHD symptoms in adults?

• Often ADHD symptoms in adults result in dishonoring commitments, indifference, poor listening skills.
• Most ADHD adults in the USA struggle with relationship issues due to this disorder and may be taken for insensitive partners.
• The immediate consequences of ADHD in adults include tumultuous relationships, marital disharmony, frequent strife, and more.

What are the tasks that suffer because of ADHD symptoms in adults?

• Everyday tasks like handling bills, managing children, carrying out routine jobs are all tasks that ADHD adults usually struggle with.
• Reckless driving, over speeding, traffic accidents, and the like are most common in ADHD symptoms.
• Adults with ADHD are characteristic of having impulsive shopping habits, inability to initiate a task, and difficulty managing anger.
• They also tend to procrastinate more, are distracted, restless, and disorganized.
• Often ADHD adults suffer from a poor self-image and become hypercritical of themselves.

What are the majority issues that ADHD adults struggle with?

ADHD adults are known to have difficulty prioritizing. They cannot, therefore, keep up with their commitments.

• Issues managing time
• Being forever late
• Underperformance at work
• Inability to perform at managerial roles, hyperactivity, and the like.
• Inability to relax or be at peace.
• Difficulty controlling extreme emotions.
• Lack of conversational, social, and problem-solving activities.
• People with ADHD are often socially inept and have no consideration to consequences.

What kind of focus issues do ADHD adults have?

• While people with ADHD symptoms are known to be easily distracted, many ADHD adults also exhibit symptoms of hyperfocus.
• Adults who have ADHD are often engrossed in tasks being entirely unaware of their surroundings.
• Being engrossed in certain tasks makes people with the ADHD condition lose the sense of time.

How can ADHD symptoms in adults be managed?

• ADHD is usually successfully controlled with medications.
• A variety of psychotherapies can also manage ADHD in adults.
• Often, general lifestyle changes like frequent exercise and a healthy diet can help manage the condition.
• Stress reduction activities and techniques also keep ADHD symptoms in adults in check.

What is ADHD in adults often misdiagnosed as?

Often ADHD is misdiagnosed in several adults as its symptoms mimic those of other conditions. Some of the common types of misdiagnosis have been listed below.

• Anxiety disorder
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Hearing disorders
• Petit mal seizures
• Conduct disorder