Symptoms of Adult ADHD
Adult ADHD symptoms can be difficult to detect. They can be confused with characteristics or personal flaws, making seeking help difficult.
The signs of ADHD can cause serious problems in relationships, work and school. It can also cause health issues, like missed appointments with a doctor or unpaid bills from excessive spending.
1. You Can't Focus
It can be a hassle when you cannot focus. You might be prone to forgetting important tasks or failing to complete work in time. You might also have difficulty making decisions or weighing the pros and cons of various choices. These attention and focus problems can make it difficult to handle everyday tasks like paying bills or scheduling an appointment. They can also have a negative effect on your relationships.
ADHD can affect all aspects of your life. Adults who's ADHD went undiagnosed in childhood often don't realize they have it until they're older and discover themselves struggling to keep up with the demands of their job or family life, as well as their daily routine.
Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the hallmark symptoms of ADHD. These issues can manifest in a variety of ways, but they typically become more noticeable as adults. You might have ADHD when you struggle to stay organized or if you are always stressed due to procrastination.
Adults with ADHD may have excessive restlessness, making it difficult to sleep or relax. They may also have difficulty changing their focus, like when playing video games or cooking meals. They can also have difficulty with emotional regulation. This means they might experience extreme mood swings or difficulties controlling their behavior.
Some symptoms of ADHD can be subtle enough to be misinterpreted for other causes, such as fatigue or drinking too many cups of coffee. However, if your symptoms are affecting your life and having a negative impact on your relationships, you should think about undergoing a psychiatric examination to determine whether you have ADHD. A psychiatric assessment will consist of a description of symptoms as well as a medical and psychiatric history as well as interviews with teachers and caregivers as well as a review of your surroundings and upbringing, as well as tests to rule other disorders out.
2. You're Always on the Go
When people with ADHD are feeling restless they are usually because they are in a situation that require them to sit down, such as when watching a movie or doing their job. Dozing with your hands or feet, getting up to move around, and even moving away from your seat in situations in which sitting is the best option could be signs of restlessness.
People with ADHD also have trouble completing tasks and can result in feelings of task paralysis, a situation where you feel overwhelmed and reluctant to begin the task that you put it off or slip into a trance, failing to complete it. This can happen at school, work or even home. People with ADHD can also have difficulties keeping the track of appointments, deadlines and other important information which can lead to several missed opportunities and failure to fulfill commitments.
Difficulties with organisation are more apparent in later life, when the structure and help from parents who helped them handle their responsibilities in childhood isn't as present. Organizational problems can cause issues at work, with friends and in relationships. They can also lead to issues with money management and difficulty remembering details that are essential for daily living.
Another symptom of adult ADHD is impulsivity, in which you make decisions without thinking about the implications of your actions. This can cause you to quit your job suddenly or engage in sexual activities that are not protected or purchase something at the spur of the moment.
If you have these symptoms, a mental health professional can assess your symptoms and recommend treatments that include medication, psychotherapy focused on improving organisation and mindfulness or acceptance-commitment therapy strategies for anxiety and mood issues. They can also suggest self-care methods that could aid, such as colour-coding important dates on your calendar, making notes to yourself, lists, and the Pomodoro method where you set timers for 20 minutes and break at the end of each cycle.
3. You Have a Hard Time Listening
In relationships poor listening skills can be a deciding factor. People who don't hear the words spoken may feel that they are not understood and feel like their opinion is not being considered. In the workplace, it can lead to miscommunication, conflict and misunderstandings that are difficult to solve. And in relationships it can lead to confusion and frustration for the person who isn't heard.
One of the key signs that you have ADHD is the fact that it's hard to focus on what someone else is saying. This can be caused by many things, such as being distracted by the sounds and sights of your surroundings, becoming easily bored by conversations, having a million thoughts in your head while another person is talking, or being defensive when you are being criticized.
Adult ADHD symptoms can be subtler than the symptoms of children. An adult with ADHD may appear hurried in the sense that they are always late and have too many tasks to attend to. It's also possible that they appear to be in a hurry and interrupt others or jump into games, even when it is inappropriate.
Luckily, listening is something that can be learned and improved upon by practicing. It's worth learning how to become more attentive because good communication is vital in every aspect of life, including work, friendships and love. It's important to regularly examine yourself and consider how you may be affecting the people around you. You can then make a commitment to change your behaviour.
4. You're Always Remembering Details
If you frequently forget important details like dates or deadlines, cooking timers or important phone numbers, it could be an indication that your ADHD affects your memory. If you have trouble recalling information you've heard before, consider returning to the place where it was originally stored in your brain. This will help you re-create your thoughts and could help you recover the information that was lost.
Adults who struggle with ADHD often don't exhibit the hallmark hyperactivity of childhood but instead exhibit more subtle inactive behaviors such as fidgeting their hands or feet or leaving their seats in situations where they should remain seated. Many people have trouble in determining the time it will take them to finish tasks or complete projects, which can result in late work or missed opportunities.
People with ADHD are also more easily annoyed. According to a study in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, if you're prone towards anger or irritability, and often apologize it could be that you have ADHD.
Many adults who are not diagnosed with ADHD will live their entire life struggling with symptoms that go unrecognized. A diagnosis can change your life. It can help alleviate feelings of failure, anger and self-doubt that result from having ADHD. It can also give you insight into how you respond to certain situations and provide strategies for managing your ADHD.
Don't let the fact that adult ADHD symptoms are different from those in children deter you from seeking assistance. The fact is that most of the symptoms of ADHD are easily treatable through lifestyle changes, therapies and medications.
5. You're Suffering from Anxiety
It's normal to feel anxious at times, however, persistent nervousness, difficulties staying calm or feeling a pounding in your heart could mean that you may have an anxiety disorder. People who suffer from these symptoms are often afraid they'll harm themselves or others, have an anxiety attack or lose control of their emotions. This can cause them to withdraw from their family and friends, avoid specific places or behaviors and stay away from work. Avoiding situations only makes anxiety worse.
adult adhd signs with anxiety also have trouble staying focused on their work and tend to dwell on negative aspects of the situation. They can be preoccupied with worries about a loved one's financial health or wellbeing or about being embarrassed at school or at work. Other signs include difficulty sleeping or a feeling of anxiety. If you experience these symptoms discuss it with your doctor.
Anxiety can be caused by a variety of things, such as physical conditions or illnesses, and traumatic childhood experiences. However, the most frequent reason is stress. If you are suffering from severe anxiety, talk to your primary healthcare provider. Your physician may refer you to a mental specialist. These specialists include psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health counselors.
Your doctor will assess you for ADHD by asking you to explain your symptoms and their impacts on your life. This includes taking a psychiatric medical history by analyzing medical records, and gathering information from your parents and teachers about your behavior in childhood. They'll be looking for signs of the disorder that existed prior to age 12, including difficulties in school, at home and work. They'll also ask you about your relationships and if you feel that you have anxiety or depression.