Disorganized, Overly Emotional and Forgetful? You Might Have Adult ADHD
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ADHD (sometimes known as ADD) is almost always associated with children, especially boys. Many people don’t know that ADHD is actually common in girls as well, and that it can impact someone’s life into adulthood. If you feel like you’ve always struggled with showing up to places on time, getting work done, keeping your home clean or controlling your emotions, you might have adult ADHD.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Like other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism or learning disabilities, ADHD begins early in life or sometimes before birth. Many children start to show symptoms and are diagnosed at a young age, but some don’t show symptoms in childhood or their symptoms aren’t recognized.
People used to be diagnosed with either of two conditions: ADHD or ADD (attention deficit disorder). Now, they’re both considered to be the same disorder – ADHD.
ADHD has three different subtypes:
Predominantly Inattentive Presentation
It’s hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted. They may forget details of daily routines.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation
The person might fidget or talk a lot. They often find it hard to sit still for long and may feel restless or act impulsively. They might find it difficult to wait their turn to talk during a conversation. Smaller children may run, jump or climb constantly.
Combined Presentation
Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the individual.
What Causes ADHD?
We’re not 100% sure what causes neurodevelopmental disorders, but we know that genetics plays an important role.
Some other potential causes are:
- Brain injury
- Exposure to environmental risks (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age
- Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy
- Premature delivery
- Low birth weight
ADHD and the Brain
When someone has ADHD, their brain is different from the average person’s brain. For one, an ADHD brain has less norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that increases alertness, arousal and attention. This lack of norepinephrine also affects the sleep-wake cycle, mood and memory.
There is also less dopamine, one of our ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters that plays a role in how we feel pleasure. Dopamine helps us to think and plan and to strive, focus, and find things interesting.
Because ADHD brains are dopamine-deficient, they’re always trying to find ways to get more of that feel-good dopamine. What makes it hard is that people with ADHD often have trouble feeling rewarded from everyday activities. A neurotypical person might find that finishing all their tasks for the day is rewarding in itself. They might feel accomplished and pleased with themself. Someone with ADHD often needs more, so they may seek out high-stimulation experiences – like food, alcohol, drugs, shopping or sex – to feel rewarded.
This is why it’s so hard for many people with ADHD to stay motivated to complete their daily tasks or even their life goals. You might have heard that people who’ve been diagnosed with ADHD are just lazy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The struggles that ADHD causes are very real.
Symptoms of Adult ADHD
ADHD can last into adulthood and some adults who weren’t diagnosed in childhood might not even realize they have ADHD until later in life.
While children with ADHD often show symptoms like hyperactivity, having trouble taking turns or getting along with others, symptoms in adults aren’t as noticeable or are often attributed to personality flaws like laziness or insensitivity.
Symptoms of Adult ADHD include:
- Disorganization
- Relationship problems
- Lack of focus
- Restlessness, anxiety or high levels of stress
- Being overly emotional or feeling like you can’t control your emotions
- Sudden or frequent mood shifts or other emotional problems
- Feeling like your life is out of control
- Problems with time management
- Forgetfulness
- Impulsivity – impulsive shopping is a major concern for some people with ADHD
- Negative self-image
- Lack of motivation
- Sleep problems
- Substance misuse – people with ADHD are more likely to misuse substances like alcohol, tobacco or other drugs
- Some people with ADHD experience hyperfocus – getting so engrossed in something you’re doing (typically something you enjoy) that you become completely unaware of what’s going on around you
If you feel like you’ve always struggled with just getting through life or that, despite being as smart and as capable of your peers, you’re always falling behind them, you might have adult ADHD. Symptoms are often overlooked, especially in girls and women.
Adult ADHD in Women
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but young girls with ADHD tend to be more inattentive and distracted than hyperactive and impulsive. This means they aren’t as likely to get diagnosed as boys with ADHD, who tend to be more hyperactive.
Girls with ADHD grow up to be women with ADHD. If you’re a woman who’s experienced any of the above symptoms, there’s a chance you might have ADHD. Symptoms usually show up differently in women and girls. As a child, you may have gotten in trouble for talking too much or drawing or passing notes in class, rather than for being unable to stay still.
Just like men and boys, girls and women can have any of the three presentations of ADHD and their symptoms can vary, but they seem to have the inattentive presentation of ADHD most often.
Girls and women with ADHD might be more likely to:
- Fail to pay close attention to details or make careless mistakes
- Have difficulty sustaining attention
- Struggle to follow through with instructions
- Have difficulty with organization
- Avoid or dislike tasks that require sustained mental effort
- Lose things easily
- Be more easily distracted or forgetful
Do I Have Adult ADHD?
No matter your gender, adult ADHD is very real and can seriously impact your career, relationships and your ability to achieve your goals. If you think you have adult ADHD, you can start by taking an online assessment, like this Adult ADHD Test from ADDitude magazine.
ADDitude also offers an Adult ADHD Test for Women, which might more accurately describe your experiences if you’re a woman.
These short online quizzes can’t give you an official diagnosis, but they can give you an idea of whether or not you might have ADHD. If you decide you want to pursue a diagnosis, you can show the results to your doctor when you talk to them about what to do next.
Related: Women: Do Your Doctors Really Listen to You?
Don’t Forget To Take Care of Yourself
If you’ve been having a tough time, don’t neglect taking care of yourself! Self-care matters and, whether or not your stress, anxiety or poor mental health stems from a condition like ADHD, holistic practices like massage therapy can help a lot. Bodywork is powerful, and touch, relationship, connection and energy can have a huge positive impact on both your physical and mental wellness.
If you feel overwhelmed with the world around you or just like you need a little relaxation, practice self-care by booking a massage today.
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