Living with Adult ADHD:
As suggested by the name, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder includes a combination of persistent lack of attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. For a long time till now, it was assumed that ADHD is a disorder often found in children. However,
In recent years, due to social media, there has been a surge in the awareness of ADHD. However, this term is often loosely used amongst many of us. Many neurotypical people fail to understand the exact nature of the disorder and often misunderstand the actions of those with ADHD.
Some common symptoms of Adult ADHD include:
Distraction: This is one of the core symptoms of Adult ADHD. However, it is important to understand that distraction can be manifested through many different behaviors. Some common distraction related behaviors are:
Staying focused on a task: Very often, those with ADHD might get distracted by their external environment. For instance, conversations around them or even the birds chirping might tend to distract them from concentrating on a task. Furthermore, their minds tend to generate many ideas and thoughts. Therefore, when trying to focus on a task, their mind might hatch some new ideas and they might jump from one task to another making it hard for them to focus on the task at hand. The overstimulation can lead to reduced productivity.
Staring into space : People with ADHD might get distracted by their own thoughts. This tendency is known as mind wandering. Their mind might go on a journey of its own. Many people even zone out when they are in the midst of a conversation as focusing on a conversation requires a lot of sustained attention.
Getting late: Many of them experience difficulty in sticking to plans and might run late due to their tendency of getting distracted.
Poor working memory: Distraction might impact one’s working memory. There is evidence that auditory distractions demand a large amount of cognitive control which can reduce one’s control on working memory. This might lead to careless mistakes such as making spelling mistakes or not remembering numbers that were flashed in front of them just minutes ago.
Slow processing speed: Processing speed refers to the speed in which one takes in information. A slow processing speed can result in people with ADHD taking time to take in and process visual and auditory information. For instance, you might notice that they take some time to understand a joke or to follow directions. This might also lead to social issues as the neurotypical population might be unable to comprehend their actions.
Tendency to lose things: Due to the over-stimulation by the surroundings and the tendency to get distracted easily, they often tend to lose or leave things behind.
Hyperactivity: This is one of the primary ADHD symptoms as those with ADHD find it hard to stay still. For instance, they might constantly shake their legs or arms or play with an object. Some people with ADHD might also persistently find new tasks to keep themselves busy. It is important to note that anxiety might exacerbate their fidgetiness.
Impulsivity: Impulsivity is another core symptom of ADHD wherein a lack of inhibition results in impulsive decisions. For instance, interrupting other people, blurting out things without thinking them through or agreeing to sudden plans are symptoms often observed in those with ADHD.
Increased overlap with other disorders: People with ADHD are more likely to suffer from poor mental health. For instance, self-esteem issues, anxiety and depression are common comorbidities with ADHD.
Additionally, despite these common symptoms and behaviors, those with ADHD tend to have different manifestations of ADHD, most of them are commonly categorized in three subtypes: hyperactivity and inattention, inattention only and hyperactivity only.
It is important to understand the depth of these symptoms to avoid misunderstanding the behaviour of those with ADHD.
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