ADHD is a developmental disorder and is often diagnosed during childhood. Yet, ADHD can also occur in later stages, even in adulthood. Often, ADHD disappears in adulthood, but in some cases it can be so that the symptoms simply change, but that ADHD does not go away. This article describes the symptoms of ADHD and also ADHD in adulthood. Furthermore, we will see which other mechanisms have a possible influence on ADHD in adults, and which possible treatment methods there are for ADHD in adults.
ADHD adults: symptoms of ADHD in adults
There are three main characteristics of ADHD: Attention issues, hyperactivity, and problems with impulse control. The first symptom regards issues with focus. This can come up in any type of situation: when someone is explaining something, when they have to be quiet and sit still in class, when they are playing with something. Children with ADHD easily tire of things and find it difficult to pay attention to things. In ADHD adults there is not much about this symptom that changes. People find it difficult to pay attention to something for extended periods of time. It is so that they find it easier to pay attention to something than they found it to be during childhood, but you still notice that adults with ADHD find it more difficult to pay attention than people without ADHD. The second symptom of ADHD is hyperactivity. Children with ADHD often find it difficult to sit still. They like to move and school is often very difficult for them. Even when doing homework they find it difficult to sit still. Adults with ADHD often choose for jobs where they can work with their body. In some cases, ADHD in adults can cause them to often change profession, because they easily tire of things. The final symptom is impulse control issues. They find it difficult to suppress desire, and this often causes them to say whatever they want, without thinking about it. When you want to reward children with ADHD, it is thus best done right away. Otherwise, they often do not link the reward and the behavior.
ADHD adults: treatment of ADHD in adults
ADHD in adults is in many cases linked with high levels of stress. A lot is expected from adults so it is often stressful for adults with ADHD to deal with this pressure. Symptoms of ADHD also cause stress, but the other way around, too. It namely is so that stress causes the symptoms. When adults with ADHD are stressed, the symptoms will get worse in many cases. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program which helps adults with ADHD to treat their stress. It helps them to create new habits, which reduce stress and will also reduce stress in the future.
ADHD adults: take the stress test
If you want to know to what extent stress influences your symptoms or if your symptoms might influence your stress, you can take the free stress test!