Adult ADHD
Managing ADHD as an Adult
Are you always “on the go” and feel that you should be accomplishing more each day? Do your friends and family tell you that you just can’t relax? Are you usually late for meetings, disorganized, and chronically stressed about not having enough time? Are you forever losing your keys, forgetting appointments, rarely finishing anything you start and frequently annoying others with your interrupting?
If the above sounds familiar, you may have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD consists of dysfunction caused by poor attention and distractibility (Predominantly Inattentive Type), or impairment due to impulsive and hyperactive symptoms (Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type). Many people have problems in both of these categories (Combined Type). This disorder begins in childhood and continues into adulthood for many individuals, affecting how well they function in work, family and social situations.
The core features of ADHD essentially are the same for children as they are for adults, and generally include some or all of the following:
Inattention features
- Difficulty staying focused on necessary tasks
- Making careless mistakes due to not paying attention to details
- Difficulty finishing work or other tasks
- Often losing things
- Easily distracted by thoughts or external stimuli
- Frequently forgetful in daily life
Hyperactivity/impulsivity features
- Can’t sit still without fidgeting
- “On the go,” driven like a motor
- Excessive talking
- Frequent feelings of restlessness or hyperactivity
- Often interrupting or intruding on others
- Blurting out answers before questions are completed
- Difficulty waiting in lines
- Acting before thinking
Associated characteristics that may occur in adults with ADHD
Experts have suggested that additional characteristics that may be associated with ADHD in adults:
- Disorganization in work situations as well as at home
- “Short fuse,” resulting in episodic, explosive reactions followed by rapid calming down
- Mood lability, frequent shifts in mood from “up” and excited to feelings of boredom or mild discontent in short periods of time, with or without an external event
- Overly reactive to stress-becomes overwhelmed or “stressed out” easily
- Impulsive decision making with respect to work, friends or family life
- “Underachiever,” academic or vocational success below individual’s potential or expectations
- Relationship instability compared to others of the same age and educational level
Coping strategies
- Don’t diagnose yourself. Get a good evaluation with a qualified clinician, such as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, who is very familiar with ADHD.
- Become educated about ADHD: Read about it, use the Internet, find out what it is and what it isn’t. Help educate your friends and family about ADHD, too.
- Consider a variety of modalities to improve your lifestyle. This may include a careful medication trial, planning extra time to get organized for events, and recognizing and cutting back on activities that are likely to cause repeated stress.
- Make lists whenever possible, even if you think you will not “forget.”
- Give yourself at least one more hour than usual for every important task; you probably will need it.
- Do not plan to achieve everything you want to do each day. Instead, plan no more than three important things to accomplish each day. If you are a parent with ADHD, plan a reasonable number of activities for your child that you can manage; don’t “overbook” your child with so many activities that you are overwhelmed and unable to get to them on time.
- Reward yourself when you finish each meaningful task.
- “Play to your strengths.” Try to structure your lifestyle to include more activities that result in success.
If you are a parent with ADHD and observe similar traits in your child, obtain a good evaluation for your child with a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
Treatments for adults with ADHD
Medication and therapy have been proven effective in treating ADHD so talk with your doctor about your options. Stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin®, Concerta®), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®), and dextroamphetamine/amphetamine salts (Adderall®, Adderall XR®)-well known to be effective for children with ADHD-are also beneficial in improving symptoms in most adults with ADHD. Individual psychotherapeutic interventions for adults with ADHD generally are aimed at increasing an adult’s awareness of behavior patterns that are not working well and improving problem-solving skills.
You might want to invite a cooperative adult family member to provide constructive feedback concerning symptoms of ADHD, and their improvement after treatment begins.
Resources
Contact the major medical center in your area to get information about existing support groups and parent-training programs for adults with ADHD and those with children who also have ADHD.
By Caroly Pataki, MD, University of California, Los Angeles © 2002 Achieve Solutions
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