Identifying the Symptoms of ADHD in Adults
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often used to go unrecognized throughout childhood as the disorder was fairly unheard of back then. Instead of being diagnosed and receiving treatment, children with the symptoms were labeled slackers, dreamers or just plain bad students or bad influences to other kids. Read more about ADHD Symptoms at add test. When they grew up, they became adults with ADHD, with symptoms taking more serious forms, and the labels got worse.
Fortunately, that era is long one, and almost everyone now understands that ADHD is a real mental health disorder that requires real attention and treatment. Even better news is that regardless of how a person with ADHD feels or how much difficulty he goes through, ADHD can be beat. It can be overcome.
If you've always suspected you have the disorder, your first step is to educate yourself on the symptoms. Adult ADHD is more subtle and thus less noticeable compared to ADHD in children ages 6 to 17. While grownups will not be as hyperactive as kids, it is equally important to determine the symptoms. Get more info about ADHD Symptoms at signs of adhd.
For instance, a child with ADHD may climb or run excessively, but in an adult, this may manifest as a restless feeling.
To help you assess yourself, check if any of the following applies to you:
> You forget small but important tasks, like paying your bills, keeping appointments, etc.
> You tend to interrupt when people are talking.
> You have poor time management skills, miss deadlines all the time and are just plain disorganized in everything you do.
> You lose things like your wallet, your cellphone, your car keys, etc.
> You can't sit still.
> You have difficulty focusing and always make careless mistakes.
> You can't seem to enjoy yourself without causing trouble in other areas of your life (for example, getting drunk even if you know you have a presentation to make the next morning).
> You can't stand driving in traffic or waiting for your turn at the bank, the supermarket cashier, etc.
> You talk too much.
ADHD Diagnosis
The following is not the official criteria used by doctors and other health care providers in diagnosing ADHD in adults, but it gives you a good idea:
> You mus have at least five symptoms of inattention and at least 5 hyperactivity/impulsiveness symptoms for at leas 6 straight months.
> Many of your inattentive or hyperactive symptoms should have been present before you turned 12, and in two or more settings (for example, at work, in school, etc.)
> There should be evidence that the symptoms affect your daily functioning.
> The symptoms are not because of another mental disorder (for example, disorganization can be a symptom of schizophrenia).
So do you or don't you have ADHD? No matter what you think after reading the above, only your doctor can make that diagnosis. But again, it helps to have an idea of how they do it as this increases your awareness of the disorder, and improves your ability to cope and potentially overcome it. Learn more from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder.
