Adults with ADHD
Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
In adults, ADHD symptoms must be present since childhood and affect the person’s ability to function in daily life. These symptoms must create significant difficulty in at least two areas of life, such as home, social settings, school, or work.
Increasingly, researchers are studying ADHD in the context of executive functions—the brain functions that activate, organize, integrate, and manage other functions. Impairment of these executive functions is considered highly interrelated to symptoms associated with ADHD.
There are three primary subtypes of ADHD, each associated with different symptoms.
ADHD—Primarily Inattentive Type:
o Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
o Has difficulty sustaining attention
o Does not appear to listen
o Struggles to follow through on instructions
o Has difficulty with organization
o Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort
o Is easily distracted
o Is forgetful in daily activities
ADHD—Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive Type:
o Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in chair
o Has difficulty remaining seated
o Moves around excessively
o Has difficulty engaging in activities quietly
o Acts as if driven by a motor
o Talks excessively
o Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
o Has difficulty waiting or taking turns
o Interrupts or intrudes upon others
ADHD—Combined Type:
o Meets both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive criteria
Evaluation & Treatment
How is ADHD Diagnosed?
Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD can have devastating effects, with adults often thinking of themselves as “lazy,” “crazy,” or “stupid.” As a result, proper diagnosis can be profoundly healing, putting present difficulties into perspective and making sense of lifelong symptoms
A comprehensive evaluation for adult ADHD is best made by a clinician with experience in the disorder. This may be a behavioral neurologist, psychiatrist, clinical or educational psychologist, nurse practitioner, or clinical social worker. A comprehensive evaluation should focus on past and present ADHD symptoms; the person’s developmental and medical history; and school, work, and psychiatric history, including medications, social adjustment, and general ability to meet the demands of daily life.
Various adult rating scales have been developed for clinicians to use in evaluating adults for ADHD. Self-report by the adult being evaluated will likely be the source of most of the information. The evaluation should ideally include several other sources of information, however, such as reports from a parent or significant other.
How is ADHD in adults treated?
Treatment for adults with ADHD also involves a comprehensive approach. This usually means a team approach works best. The team includes not only the adult with ADHD, but also healthcare professionals, a spouse/significant other, and others in the adult’s immediate family. Adults can benefit from learning to structure their environment as well as from vocational counseling. Short or long-term psychotherapy can also help. Medication may also be part of the treatment to improve the symptoms of ADHD, as many adults report that this helps them gain more control and organization in their lives.
Suggested web sites:
o CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder http://www.chadd.org
o ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association http://www.add.org
o Wright’s Law http://www.wrightslaw.com
Retrieved from:
http://www.chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/Adults-with-ADHD/Symptoms-and-Causes.aspx
http://www.chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/Adults-with-ADHD/Evaluation-and-Treatment.aspx
Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
In adults, ADHD symptoms must be present since childhood and affect the person’s ability to function in daily life. These symptoms must create significant difficulty in at least two areas of life, such as home, social settings, school, or work.
Increasingly, researchers are studying ADHD in the context of executive functions—the brain functions that activate, organize, integrate, and manage other functions. Impairment of these executive functions is considered highly interrelated to symptoms associated with ADHD.
There are three primary subtypes of ADHD, each associated with different symptoms.
ADHD—Primarily Inattentive Type:
o Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
o Has difficulty sustaining attention
o Does not appear to listen
o Struggles to follow through on instructions
o Has difficulty with organization
o Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort
o Is easily distracted
o Is forgetful in daily activities
ADHD—Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive Type:
o Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in chair
o Has difficulty remaining seated
o Moves around excessively
o Has difficulty engaging in activities quietly
o Acts as if driven by a motor
o Talks excessively
o Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
o Has difficulty waiting or taking turns
o Interrupts or intrudes upon others
ADHD—Combined Type:
o Meets both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive criteria
Evaluation & Treatment
How is ADHD Diagnosed?
Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD can have devastating effects, with adults often thinking of themselves as “lazy,” “crazy,” or “stupid.” As a result, proper diagnosis can be profoundly healing, putting present difficulties into perspective and making sense of lifelong symptoms
A comprehensive evaluation for adult ADHD is best made by a clinician with experience in the disorder. This may be a behavioral neurologist, psychiatrist, clinical or educational psychologist, nurse practitioner, or clinical social worker. A comprehensive evaluation should focus on past and present ADHD symptoms; the person’s developmental and medical history; and school, work, and psychiatric history, including medications, social adjustment, and general ability to meet the demands of daily life.
Various adult rating scales have been developed for clinicians to use in evaluating adults for ADHD. Self-report by the adult being evaluated will likely be the source of most of the information. The evaluation should ideally include several other sources of information, however, such as reports from a parent or significant other.
How is ADHD in adults treated?
Treatment for adults with ADHD also involves a comprehensive approach. This usually means a team approach works best. The team includes not only the adult with ADHD, but also healthcare professionals, a spouse/significant other, and others in the adult’s immediate family. Adults can benefit from learning to structure their environment as well as from vocational counseling. Short or long-term psychotherapy can also help. Medication may also be part of the treatment to improve the symptoms of ADHD, as many adults report that this helps them gain more control and organization in their lives.
Suggested web sites:
o CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder http://www.chadd.org
o ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association http://www.add.org
o Wright’s Law http://www.wrightslaw.com
Retrieved from:
http://www.chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/Adults-with-ADHD/Symptoms-and-Causes.aspx
http://www.chadd.org/Understanding-ADHD/Adults-with-ADHD/Evaluation-and-Treatment.aspx