When you hear the words ‘ADHD what do you think of? Your brain probably flashes to a boisterous little boy, climbing all over the furniture or creating havoc at school. What you probably don’t think of, is a 25 year old woman who consistently forgets her doctor’s appointments, is constantly losing her car keys, and can never seem to show up to lunch on time.
Adult ADHD, whilst the same condition, manifests itself quite differently than childhood ADHD does. While around 3% to 4% of the population in the UK has adult ADHD, an alarming number of these individuals are undiagnosed.
But why is this so? Is there a stigma around adult ADHD?
Let’s take a quick dive into the differences between childhood and adult ADHD and what signs to look out for that may signal an assessment is needed.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD, otherwise known as ‘Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder’ is a neurological disorder commonly found in children that makes focusing, information retention, impulse control, and emotional regulation incredibly difficult.
There are a few common signs of ADHD found both in children and adults:
- Attention Difficulties
- Often making careless mistakes
- Easily losing focus or becoming side-tracked
- Have a difficult time with organisation
- Forgetful during daily activities
- Hyperactivity
- Often taps fingers, shakes leg, or is fidgeting with something
- Has difficulty in situations where seating is necessary for long periods
- Is always on the go
- Talks excessively
- Interrupts others that are talking
For a child or adult to be diagnosed with ADHD, symptoms are required to be present in more than one setting. For example, if an individual has difficulty focusing at school or work, but does just fine when doing chores at home, there may be another disorder going on.
What Does Childhood ADHD Look Like?
Just as ADHD doesn’t look the same in adults as it does in children, the signs of ADHD can also differ depending on each unique child.
For some, they may be more predominantly inattentive, meaning they struggle much more with retaining focus and taking in new information. For others, they may be more predominantly hyperactive meaning they show much more signs of an inability to sit still or relax.
Still, other children may present both types of ADHD making them the pinnacle of Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder.
Around 2%-5% of UK school children have ADHD. Those that catch this disorder early on have a much greater advantage than children who are left undiagnosed.
Undiagnosed ADHD In Children Can Present Itself As:
- Trouble making friends
- Trouble keeping friends
- Struggling with short-term memory
- Difficulty staying focused in a conversation
- Frequent interruptions when others are talking
- Emotional overreaction to certain situations
- Overstimulation
- Victims of bullying
- Having difficulty keeping up in school
- Difficulty sleeping at night
While some children may find their ADHD disappears as they get older, others might discover their symptoms getting worse with age. ADHD primarily affects executive functioning meaning any skill used for organisation, emotion management, daily planning, and memory retention. If not caught early on, children with ADHD will likely struggle to keep up with almost every area of their life.
What Does Adult ADHD Look Like?
It was once believed that as children grow up, they grow out of their ADHD. This is now known to be far from the truth. Many adults that are diagnosed later in life did in fact have ADHD as children.
Adult ADHD likely causes many problems for an undiagnosed individual, such as extreme forgetfulness, relationship strains, job performance troubles, time management issues, and more.
Adults that grow up with ADHD often learn many different coping strategies to help manage their symptoms. In some cases, undiagnosed adults may create these coping techniques simply to help them get through their daily life, as many find these struggles to be ‘normal daily occurrences.’
It is often not until they are diagnosed that they come to realise just how badly they were struggling with even the most basic tasks.
Undiagnosed ADHD In Adults Can Present Itself As:
- An inability to concentrate on a task for long periods of time
- Short-term memory loss
- Being known as someone who is ‘messy’ or ‘disorganised’
- A struggle to maintain daily routines
- Impulsive or ‘thoughtless’ behaviour
- Speaking without thinking beforehand
- Angry outbursts
- Low self-esteem
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Poor social skills
- No sense of time management (aka time blindness)
- A constant feeling of being overwhelmed by daily tasks
If you are someone with adult ADHD, or you know someone who is, it is likely you are constantly switching from task to task while leaving projects left unfinished. For adults with ADHD, the brain needs to constantly be stimulated for an activity to hold attention. If a job or project begins to get boring, the brain calls it quits and makes it nearly impossible to continue.
Why Does the Stigma of Adult ADHD Exist?
While childhood ADHD has been a hot topic of debate, adult ADHD is even worse. Many people believe it is over diagnosed, while others believe that it’s all about getting medication. Still, some individuals flat out refuse to believe ADHD even exists.
ADHD is not simply a lack of motivation. It doesn’t mean someone is ‘weak minded’ or doesn’t carry the ability to deal with responsibilities. These kinds of negative statements are exactly why the stigma of adult ADHD exists. Stigmas occur when an individual is misinformed and uneducated about a particular topic. In this case, those who fail to believe that adult ADHD (or even ADHD in general) is a very real, very debilitating condition, simply lack the proper knowledge to come to an informed decision.
However, anyone that struggles with ADHD knows it is not simply fun and games. ADHD can make even the most basic tasks seem overwhelming and impossible.
The only way we can lift the stigma of adult ADHD is to keep talking about it. Bringing awareness and education will eventually lead to a more accepting perspective for everyone. A world in which every person who struggles with ADHD can live long, happy, healthy lives.
Treatment for Adult ADHD
Treatment for adults with ADHD works similarly to treatment for children, but with slight variations. A combination of stimulant medications and proper psychotherapy, along with family support, can treat the symptoms of ADHD.
Drugs are classified as stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants such as Adderall, Concerta, and Daytrana. They reduce the hyperactivity and increase alertness, with certain side-effects. People with ADHD and comorbidities would have to take a lesser dose as it may trigger other symptoms. Non-stimulants such as Strattera (Atomoxetine), can have a slower effect compared to stimulants, but work well with fewer and less intense side-effects.
With regard to talking therapies, the two most commonly used are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Family Therapy.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT enables people with ADHD to gain more control over their daily activities and to be more focused on their tasks. It helps in the important functioning aspects of life, such as in the workplace, interpersonal relationships, and personal development.
Family Therapy or Counselling
Family therapy helps family members in understanding how to support them, and how to communicate with an adult with ADHD. They also learn how to identify their patterns and sustain the daily functioning of that person. Another form of therapy is to have a specialised coach to guide the patient and their family on how to deal with ADHD in adulthood.
Orchestrate Health offers bespoke mental health services that people can access from the comfort of their own home or within their community, with rapid response times and even daily visits if needed. Orchestrate Health can provide help for those struggling with adult ADHD, and remove the inconvenience of travelling to and from appointments.
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