Do I Have ADHD?

Are you wondering if you have adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? It can be difficult to figure that out because sometimes ADHD comes along with other mental health disorders. Bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and addiction are some of the illnesses that both coexist with adult ADHD and can disguise the neurodevelopmental disorder’s symptoms. The answer to, “Do I have ADHD?” can be complicated, so let’s explore what adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might look like.

What Does ADHD in Adults Look Like?

If you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it can drastically reduce your ability to concentrate on one task or make you hyper-focus on one task to the exclusion of all others. For example, you may be unable to pay attention in a meeting at work, but able to intently focus on a work of art or a video game.

Some adults who have ADHD find it difficult to keep a job. In addition, due to poor decision-making, ADHD can cause relationship problems and financial issues.

Other people may carelessly describe you as tactless, unorganized, incompetent, forgetful, and even lazy. Unfortunately, those people do not know what it’s like to live in your brain. Some people who have ADHD describe it as a buzzing in their brain. A constant “noise” that won’t quiet down. Interestingly, some people with ADHD find peace in a busy environment, the outside stimulation calming the inner racing chatter.

Learn more about the impact of ADHD on adults and on women with ADHD in particular, as well as what it’s like to live with ADHD.

What Are the Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder definition is “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.” (1) The symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are the criteria laid out in the “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).”

A very small overview of the symptoms of adult ADHD is as follows:

• You often cannot pay attention to details and make careless mistakes.
• You are often accused of not listening when spoken to directly.
• You tend to blurt out answers before questions have been completed, have difficulty waiting your turn, or often interrupt others.

Learn about the diagnostic criteria and full symptoms of ADHD.

Take an adult ADHD test.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment

Treatment for adult ADHD is quite effective with the right ADHD doctor. Adult ADHD treatment usually includes ADHD medication. Treatment can also include ADHD coaching or adult ADHD therapy, both of which rely on your cooperation to work well.

To supplement treatment, you might find an adult ADHD support group, some natural ADHD treatments and ADHD self-help useful tools in learning to cope with ADHD.

More About Adult ADHD

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Sources

1. DSM-5™ Diagnostic Criteria, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2020, from https://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/basc-3/basc3resources/DSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_ADHD.pdf