Adult ADHD is a Real Thing

Many adults are living with ADHD without even knowing it. If that's you, getting diagnosed can greatly improve your quality of life. 

The concept of ADHD in adults seems to have taken the world by storm. In recent years it’s been a regular feature in both mainstream media and social media.

ADHD in adults – symptoms 

Symptoms of ADHD in adults are also far different from the typical childhood ‘hyperactive’ or ‘easily distracted’ versions. In fact, the symptoms are quite wide and varied, and can also range from very mild to extremely severe.  

So what are adult ADHD symptoms? 

1. Impulsivity 

2. Disorganisation 

3. Poor time management 

4. Problems becoming bored easily 

5. Losing things often 

6. Trouble multitasking 

7. Problems managing money 

8. Inattentiveness  

9. Trouble organising tasks 

10. Missing appointments or being consistently late 

11.Difficulty completing tasks 

12. Aversion to difficult or boring tasks 

13. Sleep difficulties 

14. Frequent mood swings 

15. Trouble coping with stress 

16. Problems managing emotions or temper 

ADHD in adults – diagnosis 

It’s important to note that everyone will experience some (or many) of the symptoms listed above at some point in their lives. We’ve all lost keys, or misplaced important documents. We’ve all lost our temper at times. And we’ve all found ourselves running late for appointments. 

When it comes to getting an ADHD diagnosis, just having experienced the above is not enough. In fact, in order to get a diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood, you’ll need: 

1. Persistent symptoms 

2. Disruptive symptoms 

3. Symptoms that can be traced back to early childhood (before the age of 12) 

It’s only when you meet those three prongs, that an ADHD diagnosis is appropriate. 

Another difficulty with diagnosing ADHD in adults is that many other conditions can offer similar symptoms. For example anxiety or mood disorders. And these may mask ADHD, or a diagnosis of ADHD (when improperly done) may mask another diagnosis. Or, you may have both ADHD and another mental health condition, such as anxiety.  

Benefits of ADHD in adults 

Of course, a diagnosis of ADHD is certainly not all doom and gloom. In fact, it’s vital to recognise that ADHD can actually provide an individual with many benefits. For example, people with ADHD are often: 

1. highly creative 

2. fantastic socially and conversationally 

3. able to hyperfocus and create outcomes of great quality 

4. resilient due to facing so many challenges in life 

5. incredibly high energy, leading them to become amazing at sports or other physical activities  

These abilities mean that individuals with ADHD have something distinct to offer the world, as well as a unique perspective.