ADHD Symptoms

What is ADHD?

ADHD is an acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. There are a number of signs of this disorder, and it is normally diagnosed in childhood, though happens occasionally that doctors who diagnose a child as having ADHD are misdiagnosing another condition. This is one of the reasons that testing for ADHD should necessarily be rigorous. While tests for ADHD are useful in diagnosing the symptoms of ADHD adults and children exhibit, many people who have ADHD also have other conditions having to do with behavioral problems or mental health. Despite the common nature of ADHD (it’s one of the most widely diagnosed mental/behavioral problem among children), it was not always so widely known, which is one of the reasons that diagnosing adult ADHD is so important. When today’s adults were children, they could have exhibited the symptoms of ADHD without anyone knowing the reasons for their behavior. Now that we have more information on ADHD and it is more thoroughly studied, there is adult ADHD treatment, just as there is ADHD treatment for children. The first step to adult ADHD help is diagnosis of ADHD signs symptoms and behaviors.

ADHD Signs, Symptoms, and Adaptations

ADHD symptoms vary from person to person, but if an individual has undiagnosed adult ADHD then it’s likely that they have adapted their signs of ADHD to become beneficial, or at least less of a hindrance, than the signs of attention deficit disorder that often spotted in younger children. While it can be true that the symptoms of adult ADHD can be more subtle through long years of behavioral adaptation, they are always there in a person who has ADHD. Others who have adult ADHD still have glaringly obvious symptoms, and simply were never in a position to have a test for ADHD as children. It is in this latter group that diagnosing of adult ADHD after spotting the symptoms of ADHD in adults is most important, as it means that they have, thus far, been unable to either subsume their ADHD symptoms or turn them to their advantage. This is not to say that the ADHD symptoms adults exhibit that are more subtle are unworthy of the treatment options for ADHD, but only that there are some people who are better able to control their symptoms of adult ADHD.

Regardless of how well controlled adult ADHD is, some of the common symptoms will still be apparent. Some of these include:

• Distractibility
• Loses objects easily
• Disorganization
• Forgetfulness
• Inattentiveness
• Inappropriate hyperactivity (i.e. running or fidgeting when stillness and silence are required)
• Inability to remain silent
• Overly impulsive
• Intrusive into the activities of others

Naturally, people who are more disruptive are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, due to the fact that their symptoms get more attention. Those who mostly have symptoms that have to do with inattention are too often ignored, or even written off as less than intelligent.

The Treatment for ADHD

After an adult ADHD diagnosis, the patient should consider whether they want to pursue treatment, and what kind they wish to pursue. The most popular medication for ADHD is still Ritalin, the same drug used for the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder, though others are often prescribed as well, such as Adderall, Docalin, Dexedrine, and others. Medications aren’t the only option for the treatment of ADHD. Some people decide to simply pursue behavioral therapy in order to learn the skills to control their ADHD symptoms without taking drugs that (hopefully) dampen such behaviors. Other people decide to use both medication and behavioral therapy, while still others go for a more holistic approach. There are some people who believe that ADHD can be treated with a combination of diet and exercise, and that if the ADHD patient in question is treated with an exemplary diet along with plenty of exercise to burn off excess energy the symptoms will largely subside. There has been some evidence that such an approach may be beneficial, and if nothing else it is likely helpful to the overall health of a person with ADHD. There are a number of treatments for ADHD, just as there are a number of symptoms that distinguish it.