You haven’t been able to concentrate lately. You’ve been caught daydreaming at the office more times than you’d like to admit. On top of that, you’ve been more impulsive than you normally are.
Despite being busy, you feel bored. And let’s not even get started on how many things you’ve been misplacing lately. You’re constantly losing track of papers, your car, and house keys, and you can’t seem to keep your work to-do lists or inbox in order.
What’s that matter with you? You’ve heard of children experiencing some of these signs before, but why is it happening to you? All of these examples are pointing to one thing: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Adults can experience ADHD too. Here are the symptoms.
Difficulty Staying Focused
One of the main components of ADHD is Attention-Deficit. Adults living with ADHD will have an increased challenge focusing on tasks that they don’t actually enjoy. While they may be able to focus on tasks that are engaging to them, they’ll have a harder time being able to concentrate on tasks that are tedious to them.
ADHD will make it easier for individuals to become distracted due to feeling bored at a quicker rate compared to an average person without ADHD. These distractions, on top of poor listening skills, constant daydreaming, and overlooking details can make it more challenging for adults when it comes to school or their careers.
Impulsivity
Adults with ADHD may find themselves with a poor sense of self-control. They may constantly be interrupting others, speaking before they think, and rushing through things without reading or having a full understanding of the tasks before starting.
This impulsivity may cause them to act recklessly or behave poorly in social situations and group settings. For example, at work, they may have little patience for sitting through long meetings for the duration of the meeting.
Poor Organization Skills
ADHD can make it feel like your life is out of control. Organization can be more of a challenge for something with ADHD. They have a harder time prioritizing items on their to-do lists, keeping track of tasks, and especially with managing their time.
In most cases, adults with ADHD have very poor organizational skills. This means that their house, desk, or car can look or be very cluttered, chaotic, and disorganized. The lack of organization will also cause them to constantly misplace or lose certain items like their phone, keys, wallet, bills, or other important items.
Restlessness
The hyperactivity or restlessness portion of ADHD in adults may look very similar to how it does in children.
Some adults with ADHD may appear to be very energetic and constantly moving. Other adults living with ADHD may experience the opposite and actually start to slow down as they grow older.
Other signs of restlessness in adults involve constant fidgeting, getting bored easily, having racing thoughts, and trying to multitask to the extreme.
Next Steps
Both children and adults can experience ADHD. When adults are diagnosed with ADHD, it’s often because it was unrecognized when they were a child.
Living with ADHD can be overwhelming, but there is hope. You don’t have to continue living with the symptoms you’re experiencing each day from here on out. With the right time, learning, and support, you can learn some ways to help you manage the symptoms of ADHD.
If these symptoms or experiences sound like you you may consider having a comprehensive ADHD assessment completed. An ADHD assessment at Colorado CBT will provide you with a personalized and in-depth summary of your strengths and difficulties and will clearly establish if you are currently experiencing ADHD. Learn more information about Colorado CBT’s ADHD assessment services here.
Even if your ADHD wasn’t diagnosed until now, it’s never too late to try better manage your symptoms and get back to living your life to the fullest again. If you’re struggling with symptoms of ADHD and are looking for additional support, reach out today to set up a consultation for ADHD Counseling and or medication management.