ADHD in adults

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects different brain functions. These can include:

• communication
• movement
• learning
• emotions
• attention

Everyone can experience the symptoms of ADHD differently. For some people, the symptoms can have a positive impact on life. For others, the impact is negative.

The information that follows may be most helpful when symptoms are making your life harder.

You can read about the positive experiences of ADHD on the Procrastination Station website. Procrastination Station is an organisation in Scotland, run for people with ADHD by people with ADHD.

The symptoms of ADHD can include:

• inattentiveness, which means finding it hard to concentrate
• hyperactivity, which means feeling restless and struggling to sit still
• impulsiveness, which means saying or doing things without thinking about the consequences

Anyone can have these experiences at some point in life, or in certain situations. You might struggle to concentrate after a bad night's sleep, for example, or when you're going through a stressful time.

If you have ADHD, these symptoms affect your life in a negative way on a regular basis. They might hold you back from moving ahead in education or work, for instance.

For most people with ADHD, these difficulties begin in childhood and carry on as they grow up, though they may change or improve. They also affect more than one area of the person's life.

If you have ADHD, you might notice that:

• you get distracted easily
• it's hard to focus on one thing when you need to
• you make a lot of mistakes
• you're forgetful, and you tend to lose or misplace things
• you find it hard to notice details, especially with things you find boring
• it's hard to follow instructions
• you find it hard to organise yourself or to start a new task
• you start many things without ever finishing them

If you're an adult with ADHD, you may find that you:

• feel restless or edgy
• have difficulty turning off your thoughts
• have difficulty waiting
• fidget and can't sit still
• get irritable, impatient or frustrated easily
• lose your temper quickly
• find stress hard to handle
• do things on the spur of the moment, without thinking, which gets you into trouble

It can also be hard to listen to other people. You may find yourself finishing their sentences or interrupting them.

Some people with ADHD have problems with inattentiveness, but not with hyperactivity or impulsiveness. ADHD can also cause problems like difficulties with relationships and social interaction.

ADHD in adults can occur alongside other problems or conditions. These can include:

• personality disorders
• bipolar disorder
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• autism
• social anxiety disorder
• post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• agoraphobia
• substance use disorders
• eating disorders

Mental health conditions often overlap, which means the same symptoms can show up in more than one condition. Difficulty concentrating is a good example. It can be a symptom of depression, but it can just as well be a symptom of ADHD.

So your mental health needs to be assessed and looked at as a whole. That helps make sure you get the right diagnosis and treatment.

No one knows for certain what causes ADHD in adults. It may be a mix of factors rather than a single one.

Several things have been linked to ADHD, including:

• having a sibling or parent with ADHD
• having a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism
• having a learning disability
• having epilepsy
• being born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy)
• environmental factors
• having had a brain injury

There isn't a single test or checklist that can confirm if you have ADHD or not. Your symptoms, and the effect they have on your life, should be considered as part of a full assessment of your health. This helps rule out other conditions that could be mistaken for ADHD.

Speak to your doctor if you think you may have ADHD and it's having a negative effect on your life. They can talk through your concerns with you and discuss what the next steps should be.

Treatment can help you manage the symptoms of ADHD.

Waiting lists for an assessment can be very long, so there are things you can do in the meantime to help with your symptoms. In many cases, you'll need to try these changes before an assessment can be completed.

Often these same changes form part of the treatment plans for ADHD that healthcare professionals provide.

The first steps in managing the symptoms of ADHD are changes to your surroundings and your daily lifestyle.

Your doctor might offer you coaching or therapy for ADHD in adults. This could include:

• sessions explaining your condition
• coaching to help you live with your condition
• behaviour therapy and social skills training
• coaching for your friends and family members
• cognitive behavioural therapy

Your doctor may offer you medicine to help manage ADHD symptoms.

If you've tried changes to your lifestyle and surroundings for a few months and still have significant difficulties, it may be worth thinking about whether medicine would help you. Talk this over with your doctor.