What do symptoms in adults look like?
I think we're overdue for some changes in the ADHD research and literature that frames ADHD as a lifelong disorder. I am confident that, while some symptoms may lessen as our brains fully develop, ADHD is always there. Those who no longer consider themselves ADHD have simply become better at coping with it, learned how to hide it, and/or learned how to work with it. In the right environments, ADHD may not be as noticeable. It's still there.
The examples below can occur in anyone, yes. We all forget our keys. However, for folks with ADHD, the symptoms happen much, much more often. These mistakes happen regardless of the amount of effort we put in. For example, if you have a really important meeting with your boss and it's scheduled in your calendar to remind you about that meeting, you won't ignore that reminder. For folks with ADHD, especially if we're hyperfocusing, we can 100% miss that reminder, and it's not because we don't care or didn't take the meeting seriously. Whereas an ADHD child may have difficulty staying in their seat during class, an ADHD adult may constantly fiddle with something but remain working at their desk. An ADHD child might have trouble remembering to raise their hand before speaking, and an ADHD adult might struggle with interrupting others. |
Inattentive-like symptoms can include:
Hyperactive-like symptoms can include:
It's important to remember that symptoms may be masked, because we've often developed elaborate systems to manage our ADHD without realizing it. It's also important to remember that these are just a select few of the ways ADHD can manifest itself. If you find yourself agreeing with every item, that's great, but you may still have ADHD, even if you don't make impulsive purchases on Etsy or work fine from 9am-5pm.
- Making little errors (typos, spelling mistakes, copying a number down wrong) despite putting in the effort
- Ignoring reminders from your phone or calendar app for appointments/meetings
- Always working on multiple projects (to the extent you have too many things on your plate)
- Gets startled easily
- Sensitive to noises, smells, new things in working environment
- At times, focuses so much important bodily functions like eating, sleeping, drinking water, and using the restroom are completely forgotten
- Turns on the subtitles for every video
Hyperactive-like symptoms can include:
- Trouble interrupting others
- Brain feels like it's going a million miles a minute
- Always making multiple connections to ideas that others may miss
- Makes impulse purchases
- Switches jobs and careers frequently
- Fidgets often
- Multiple hobbies
- Doodling helps focus
- Trouble regulating emotions
- Replying to emails/texts in your head
- Caffeine has a calming effect on your mental state
- Works best late at night or early in morning
- Elaborate note-taking systems
It's important to remember that symptoms may be masked, because we've often developed elaborate systems to manage our ADHD without realizing it. It's also important to remember that these are just a select few of the ways ADHD can manifest itself. If you find yourself agreeing with every item, that's great, but you may still have ADHD, even if you don't make impulsive purchases on Etsy or work fine from 9am-5pm.
What if I wasn't diagnosed as a kid? Can I still be diagnosed now?
Yes, you can still be diagnosed with ADHD. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to have a harder time finding a doctor who will take you seriously. Many doctors believe that if someone really has ADHD, it would have been diagnosed as a child or they think people with steady jobs, who have gotten good grades, or who graduated college are too successful to possibly have it. It might take some searching to find a doctor who is willing to listen to you and take you seriously.
Regardless, all doctors in the US will have to do a history with you to try and identify if you had symptoms as a kid. They may want to see your school records or they may ask you about what you were like as a child. Did you always forget your homework? Did you get in trouble for shouting out answers in class? Were you always staring out the window? Start thinking back and talk to people who knew you and cared for you as a child. Remember, you may have developed coping mechanisms to hide or manage your ADHD like perfectionism or your teachers may have created really great organizational systems for you that you relied on for absolutely everything. When we're a kid, most of us have at least one or two adults in our lives making sure we brush our teeth and get on the bus every day. These adults may have created systems to manage our ADHD or they may have spent more time on us compared to other children to manage the ADHD, all without knowing. ADHD is also genetic, so it's entirely possible you have a parent who also has undiagnosed ADHD and who doesn't realize that most people don't need an elaborate system of rewards and a checklist of basic hygiene things that need to be accomplished every day.
Regardless, all doctors in the US will have to do a history with you to try and identify if you had symptoms as a kid. They may want to see your school records or they may ask you about what you were like as a child. Did you always forget your homework? Did you get in trouble for shouting out answers in class? Were you always staring out the window? Start thinking back and talk to people who knew you and cared for you as a child. Remember, you may have developed coping mechanisms to hide or manage your ADHD like perfectionism or your teachers may have created really great organizational systems for you that you relied on for absolutely everything. When we're a kid, most of us have at least one or two adults in our lives making sure we brush our teeth and get on the bus every day. These adults may have created systems to manage our ADHD or they may have spent more time on us compared to other children to manage the ADHD, all without knowing. ADHD is also genetic, so it's entirely possible you have a parent who also has undiagnosed ADHD and who doesn't realize that most people don't need an elaborate system of rewards and a checklist of basic hygiene things that need to be accomplished every day.
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