Understanding Adult ADD

Since the concept that ADD occurs in adults is a fairly new concept over the past decade or so, much more information is available about ADD in children at this time.

However, in a nutshell, as an adult, ADD has matured into a chronic neurobiological disorder, displaying three main traits:

Impulsivity
Hyperactivity
Inattention

Although there is yet a positively identified determined set of factors, by they genetic, biological or physiological, that cause a person to become afflicted with ADD, fingers point to biological and heredity factors as playing major roles.

Causes of Adult ADD

Cases in which heredity has been ruled out point to the following contributing factors:

Alcohol and tobacco
Exposure during fetal development
Extremely high levels of lead in the body
Birth weight recorded low
Difficulties with birth and/or premature delivery
Postnatal injury to the prefrontal brain areas

Note several popular “mythical” factors that many attribute to causing ADD when in reality they don’t:

Too much television
Too much sugar and food additives
Social environment (like divorce, poverty) or “bad” parenting

Adult ADD seems to know no national boundaries, afflicting people worldwide where studies have been performed. Although ADD strikes both genders, adult male sufferers seem to outnumber females in a 2:1 ratio or lower.

Adult ADD Symptoms

Now let’s take a look at the symptoms or traits characteristic of adults who have ADD …

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DSM-IV), adults with ADD most generally:

Fail to give close attention to details
Make negligent mistakes at work
Fidget with hands or feet, twist about in seat
Have difficulty with attention span during tasks and activities
Are unable to remain seated in situations where seating is expected
Don’t appear to listen when spoken to directly
Feel unable to relax
Have difficulty following instructions, often failing to finish work
Express difficulty with quiet participation in leisure activities
Suffer difficulties with organizational skills and activities
Feel energized; i.e. “on the go” or “motor-driven”

and …

Don’t like engaging in lengthy mental effort; i.e. they prefer NOT to engage in anything that asks for sustained mental effort

Talk a lot (an inordinate amount of time)
Lose necessary items for tasks and activities
Rush to supply answers before questions are completed
Become distracted easily
Tend to be impatient
Are forgetful with regards to everyday activities
Interrupt frequently or intrude upon others

As a result of the above major characteristics in adults with ADD, the following issues are among the most popular that are prevalent in adult ADD lives. Note that both the characteristics above and the following problematic issues can range in scope from mild to extreme, depending upon the person’s own unique health combined with their ADD and other social, personal and economic situations.

Adult ADD Major Problems Areas

A professional health practitioner is recommended for best evaluating each case.

Suffering repeated anxiety, depression and / or mood swings
Experiencing relationship, behavioral and self-control problems
Struggling with poor memory skills and work effort
Managing troubles with emotional, arousal and motivational issues
Undergoing low self-esteem, boredom and time mismanagement issues
Ongoing employment or substance abuse issues
Annoying chronic tardiness, risk-taking and (greater than average) multi-tasking behaviors

Actually any of the variety of social, personal and economic problematic areas in adult ADD lives is what causes the person to seek professional help when their disorder is undiagnosed.

Often referred to as a “hidden disorder,” ADD in adults can underlie many outstanding mood disorders, substance abuse and other complicated cases.

Often it’s not until after a person has been diagnosed with something else like anxiety or depression, or until after his or her own child is diagnosed with ADD, that healthcare providers are alerted to the adult’s ADD.

Thus many today still go undiagnosed, untreated, which is a shame …

Because without the diagnosis, many believe ADD sufferers to be lazy, unintelligent and immature.

But There is Help with ADD Treatment

Many afflicted with ADD can even apply for help under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (prohibits employment and public accommodations discrimination against people with a record of and / or who have current physical or mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities, including learning and working.)

For a diagnosis, people can begin with their healthcare provider or consult an educational psychologist, a behavioral neurologist, a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

They would undergo an evaluation that would generally include a complete developmental, medical, psychiatric, educational and work history, interview about any medications used and noted ADD symptoms / characteristics and overall look at personal health, well-being and life in general (relating to social and environmental factors).

Normally more than one person is involved in this diagnostic processing that spans a couple hours time. And main areas of focus are whether or not, and if so, to what extent, the person has the three main ADD traits:

Hyperactivity
Lack of attention
Impulsivity

Adult ADD evaluations also include DSM-IV AD/HD symptom rating scales to go over previous records; for instance, past medical evaluations and test results, past work and school records in order to present a more accurate assessment and diagnosis.

Then a program of treatment and coping skills can be put in place and any possible other health issues may be uncovered for further treatment or ruled out.

To find out more about adult ADD take a look at the Help4ADHD website which contains great information.

Legal Disclaimer

The information contained in this web site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.