ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurobehavioral disorder that can cause physical and mental problems if left untreated. The disease could take a toll on one’s life by causing problems in relationships and at the workplace as well. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 5% of all children in the country have ADHD, and almost half of those children carry the disease to adulthood. Thus, with time, this condition could disappear for some patients. However, in other cases, though the symptoms begin in childhood, ADHD continues through teenage and adulthood. It then becomes important to understand and know the signs and symptoms. Adults who have ADHD are often not aware that they suffer from this condition, and so they don’t consider it essential to treat it. However, if they wish to live a normal and healthy life, it is best to watch out for some obvious and less obvious symptoms.
Hyperfocus
Adults with ADHD tend to focus intently on things, and this is one of the prominent symptoms of this condition. These adults can get so engrossed in doing or watching something that they might completely ignore everything else happening around them. It can lead to strained relationships and erratic work life.
Lack of focus
People who have ADHD get distracted easily and have a short attention span. They have trouble listening to other people in a conversation or and are not able to pay attention to details. It is the opposite of hyperfocus where the patient is excessively focused on one topic of their interest.
Lack of organization
At some point or the other, life may seem chaotic to everyone. However, for ADHD patients, life seems disorderly all the time because of their state of mind. ADHD could make one’s life seem disorganized and chaotic.
Problems with time management
Poor time management skill is one of the symptoms of adult ADHD. Patients lack organization skills. People with ADHD often face difficulties in managing their time effectively and have a tough time keeping track of the tasks in hand and prioritizing them.
Forgetting things
Adults with ADHD might forget things about their everyday life. This forgetfulness comes into the forefront on a regular basis. They might even fail to remember what they did last evening. It is one of the more severe symptoms of adult ADHD.
Having emotional problems
As life becomes chaotic and disorganized, patients are bound to face emotional difficulties as their personal life starts getting affected by ADHD. ADHD patients get bored quickly or become frustrated because of their inability to remember something. They could even end up dealing with depression.
Impulsiveness
Being impulsive is one of the common symptoms of adult ADHD. Patients will often interrupt others while having a conversation or behave in a socially irresponsible way. They will always rush to do things without paying any heed to the consequences of their actions.
Poor self-image
Adults with ADHD could become hypercritical of themselves. As children, their school life suffers, and as adults, their work life suffers. All of this lowers their self-esteem and self-confidence. They have problems in dealing with personal failure, or they judge themselves as underachievers.
Lack of motivation
There will be times when patients of ADHD decide to do something. However, they may give up as they lack the motivation to complete it and fail to focus on the job in hand. They might set big goals for themselves, but due to procrastination and a short attention span, they find it difficult to achieve those goals.
Anxiety and restlessness
Anxiety is a common trait of ADHD patients. They constantly move around and are always engaged in doing something or the other. Not being able to do anything makes them restless and leave them frustrated.
Fatigue
Patients with ADHD tend to face the problem of fatigue. They have erratic sleep schedules, or they might be hyperactive without any reason. It leads to fatigue and an unwillingness to work.
Problems in relationships
The kind of symptoms an ADHD patient has makes them struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with their loved ones. Not being able to listen, being impulsive, having a short attention span, getting bored quickly, all of these things wreak havoc in their personal life as patients may come across as uncaring and insensitive.
The symptoms mentioned above may indicate that a patient has ADHD. So, one must consult a healthcare professional if they face some of these signs. Patients with ADHD can manage their life well if they learn organizational skills and cope up with the stress that comes along with this disorder. They should also think about consulting a therapist for help and emotional support.
