Understanding the Symptoms of ADHD in Adults
Medically reviewed by Kira Graves, PhD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that causes symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Most people think of ADHD as a childhood disorder, but it can also be diagnosed in adults. Approximately 4.4% of adults in the United States have ADHD.
About two-thirds of children diagnosed with ADHD have symptoms that persist into adulthood. ADHD in adulthood can look like forgetting important appointments, struggling to keep up at work and in social life, difficulty managing multiple responsibilities, and more.
In this article, learn more about symptoms of ADHD in adults, including steps you can take to find diagnosis and treatment options.
Three Subtypes of ADHD
There are three types of ADHD, based on the distribution of symptoms:
Combined: Symptoms in both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity for greater than six months.
Predominantly inattentive: Symptoms in inattention, but not hyperactivity/impulsivity for greater than six months.
Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive: Symptoms in hyperactivity/impulsivity, but not inattention, for greater than six months.
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Disorganization
One symptom of ADHD is disorganization. This can look like having difficulty organizing tasks or appointments, losing or misplacing their belongings frequently, or having a messy home.
Concentration
Adults with ADHD can have trouble with concentration due to inattention. This can manifest as difficulty following spoken directions and staying on task, lack of attention to detail, being easily distracted, or not appearing to listen when spoken to.
Related: ADD vs ADHD: What Are the Differences?
Procrastination
Procrastination can be a symptom of ADHD in adults, that can get in the way of having a fulfilling and successful work and social life.
Ways that procrastination in adults with ADHD might appear include:
Completing college papers or work assignments at the last second or late
Delaying replying to text messages or emails for days or weeks
Putting off important chores or errands, like laundry, grocery shopping, or dishes until beyond reasonable
Sleeping in or pressing snooze on your alarm many times
Postponing paying your bills or opening mail until it becomes problematic
Procrastination and ADHD is a newer area of research, but it is believed that people with ADHD are more likely to procrastinate due to struggles with regulating emotions, impulsivity (being more focused on the present than the future), and avoiding/delaying expected periods of required focus.
Boredom
People with ADHD are prone to boredom. Boredom is essentially a period of low arousal, dissatisfaction, and lack of stimulation. Two people can be in the same situation but one may feel bored whereas the other does not.
Due to their problems with attention span and hyperactivity, people with ADHD will be more likely to feel bored. In adults, this can look like someone who struggles to engage in quiet activities, doesn't do well working on their own, or is always "on the go."
Restlessness
Likewise, adults with ADHD can appear restless. Physically, this can look like fidgeting, pacing, sitting with their legs in odd positions, or getting out of their seat often. Behaviorally, restlessness can appear as difficulty waiting in lines or for appointments, hanging up the phone when put on hold, always needing to do something physical, or frequently starting new tasks before finishing old ones.
Hyperfocus
While people with ADHD notably struggle with attention and focus, they can also have periods of intense focus on subjects or activities that interest them. These periods are called hyperfocus.
There are both positives and negatives to hyperfocus. Some people with ADHD view hyperfocus as a "superpower," and they enjoy these periods of intense concentration as they are able to complete tasks and meet goals. However, hyperfocus can also come with ignoring physical cues for food and water, extreme irritation when interrupted, and losing track of time and other commitments or responsibilities.
Time Management
Time management is often an issue for adults with ADHD. Research shows that people with ADHD actually have a different perception of time. Poor time management with ADHD can look like being chronically late, agreeing to too many commitments and not having time to complete all of them, not finishing work assignments on time, and more.
Forgetfulness
Forgetfulness is a very common symptom of ADHD in adults. People with ADHD struggle with attention, and when a person is inattentive they do not properly encode information into their working memory.
This can appear as forgetting physical items (such as losing your car keys or misplacing your wallet) or forgetting important information. People with ADHD report that they struggle with remembering information in relationships, such as forgetting anniversaries or tasks they were asked to do. In work life, this can appear as forgetting deadlines or information about clients.
Impulsivity
Impulsivity is one of the core symptoms of ADHD. It is essentially a problem with self-control. Most people have sudden urges to do things but stop when those things appear to be unsafe, rude, ill-timed, or unrelated to their current activity. People with ADHD have a harder time stopping that urge.
There are a lot of ways impulsivity appears in ADHD. Some examples include being impatient, constantly starting new projects, saying things you regret, agreeing to too many commitments, unsafe driving, and spending money recklessly.
Low Self-Esteem
People with ADHD tend to have lower self-esteem than the general public. This is particularly true of those with untreated ADHD. It is easy to blame yourself for the symptoms of ADHD and think that you are a "failure" when in reality this is a serious condition and many of your behaviors are beyond your control.
Motivation
People with ADHD can struggle with a lack of motivation, particularly intrinsic (internal or self-directed) motivation. For adults, this might appear as anything from putting off work-related tasks to leaving dirty laundry around.
Fatigue
Many adults with ADHD report feeling fatigued. This may seem counterintuitive since hyperactivity is a symptom of ADHD. However, managing hyperactivity and concentration difficulties exhausting.
Talking Excessively
Excessive talking is another sign of ADHD in adults. The person may seem to "babble" or talk continuously, jumping from one subject to the next. They may also interrupt or answer before a question is done being asked.
Related: The Psychology Behind Excessive Talking
Trouble Listening
Listening to another person requires periods of sustained attention. It also requires the ability to suppress urges to share your own stories or information. Because people with ADHD struggle with both attention and impulsivity, they can have difficulty listening to other people, frequently interrupt or blurt things out, or appear to be listening but not retain information because they are mentally distracted.
Relationship Concerns
Maintaining healthy relationships can be challenging for adults with ADHD. Partners or friends may feel hurt by you forgetting important events, or they may feel that they can't rely upon you, or that you don't listen to them. In reality, these are symptoms of ADHD rather than signs that you don't care about the other person. However, these symptoms can still be hurtful.
Physical Health Concerns
ADHD is related to linked to certain physical health concerns.
These include:
Sleep disorders
Seizure and epilepsy
Allergic rhinitis
Atopic eczema
Emotional Health Concerns
ADHD in adults frequently comes with co-occurring mental health conditions. In comparison to adults who do not have ADHD, adults with ADHD are more likely to have anxiety, depression, stress, and antisocial behaviors. They also are more likely to have difficulty controlling anger.
Substance Misuse
People with ADHD are more likely to experience substance use disorder than the general population. There are a few theories for this connection, including:
Self-medication, in that individuals with ADHD report using substances to help with mood regulation, sleep, attention, and executive functioning
Coping mechanism to deal with feelings of failure or demoralization associated with ADHD
Neurobiological differences in the brain's reward system
Genetic inheritance
Resources for Substance Abuse
If you or someone you know with ADHD is struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
ADHD Testing for Adults
If you are an adult who thinks you may have ADHD, talk to your primary care provider about diagnosis. They may ask you about your health and social history, as well as have you do tests on working memory, attention, and more.
For an adult to be diagnosed with ADHD, several of their symptoms must have been apparent before the age of 12. They also need to have at least five symptoms of inattention and five symptoms of hyperacitvity/impulsivity, as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). This is the handbook that mental health professionals use to diagnose disorders.
Additionally, these symptoms must be present in at least two life settings (such as work, home, or school).
How Is ADHD in Adults Treated?
Untreated ADHD in adults can make it very difficult to manage the complex responsibility of adulthood, from work to relationships to self-care.
Treatment for ADHD can help, and typically includes a combination of psychotherapy, behavioral treatments, and medication.
Related: Common Risks of Untreated ADHD in Adults
Summary
ADHD is a developmental disorder with symptoms in the three main areas of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. While ADHD is generally thought of as a condition diagnosed in childhood, its symptoms can continue into adulthood and be very challenging for the individual, due to the complex demands of adulthood.
People whose ADHD was missed in childhood may also struggle with undiagnosed ADHD in adulthood, and wonder why they struggle with things that their adult peers are able to cope with.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
