Wondering If You Have ADHD? 8 Common Symptoms and How to Control It

If you’ve been online lately, you may have noticed more posts about ADHD in adults. Understandably, you may wonder if you might fall into the group of people who didn’t know they had ADHD at all. In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week, I’m going to break down what ADHD is and what the common symptoms are. I’ll even give a few self-care tips.

What is ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common mental health disorder common in children that can last into adulthood. It is marked by a persistent pattern of inattention and obsession that inhibits a person’s ability to function. ADHD can lead to poor school or work performance, low self-esteem or unstable relationships.

When ADHD comes to mind, most people think of an inattentive child who talks non-stop and has a lot of energy. While that’s not entirely wrong, it doesn’t paint the full picture. In adults, ADHD symptoms can be very subtle — so subtle that many people go undiagnosed.

8 common symptoms of ADHD

Behaving without thinking

Impulsivity is a key feature of ADHD, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. If you have ADHD, you may be impulsive and act without considering the consequences. Financially, you may not make the best decisions. Sometimes you may make impulsive purchases or make unwise financial decisions, such as spending your retirement savings or taking out a loan.

ADHD impulsivity is not limited to finances. You can be quick in your communication with others, for example, talk loudly or say whatever comes to your mind. You may also be impulsive in your life — quitting your job or going on a spending spree.

Problem with prioritizing and organizing things

Staying organized can be difficult for anyone, but those with ADHD will have a challenging time keeping track of things and completing them logically. That’s because ADHD is associated with poor functioning of the prefrontal cortex, or the part of the brain that controls behavior, emotions, attention and organization.

A person with ADHD may jump from job to job because they are excited about those things, not because it makes sense. It’s not just human behavior; a 2018 study found that children living with ADHD had deficits in their working memory. We use our short-term memory to store information. When it comes to risk, it can be difficult to make a plan and follow it.

Read more: 8 List Making Apps That Will Help You Get Organized

Difficulty managing time

Another very common symptom of ADHD time management difficulties. You may be late for things or have difficulty sticking to your schedule. Remember that time management will vary from person to person. It’s not always late or unrevealed, but it can be subtle, such as procrastinating and working on tight schedules. You may also be so forgetful that it causes disruption to work flow or damages relationships.

Read more: Working from Home with ADD: Try These Apps to Stay at Work

Trouble concentrating

Difficulty concentrating is one of the most well-known symptoms of ADHD, due to the reduced activity of the prefrontal cortex. According to the DSM-5, decreased attention span is a core symptom of ADHD.

Anything can distract you from the task at hand — sounds, people talking or daydreaming. Because of this lack of focus, you may overlook important details, miss parts of conversations and have difficulty completing tasks.

Hyperfocus on tasks

When it comes to ADHD, people mostly associate features that impair performance. However, there are variable aspects of ADHD that are stronger. Some people experience hyperfocus with ADHD. Hyperfocus does not occur in any tasks. It usually happens when a person is happy with their job. Think of it like the difference between writing a paper and playing video games.

Researchers suggest that hyperfocus is born from difficulty switching between tasks.

Feeling restless

Being restless and wild that’s what most people associate with ADHD. For good reason, it’s one of the most common ways parents diagnose ADHD in their children. Restlessness is more common in children, who are always moving or talking, but it can also happen in adults; it looks different. Adults with ADHD symptoms will present more subtly than children — shaking hands or feet or getting up frequently from their seats to do something else.

Read more: The 6 Best Fidget Toys for Anxiety

Difficulty controlling your emotions

Emotional sensitivity and trouble controlling emotions are many symptoms of ADHD. Acute rejection dysphoria is common in adults with ADHD. RSD is an extreme emotional sensitivity that occurs when someone fears being criticized or rejected by another person.

Another aspect of emotion regulation and ADHD can be quick temper. A person with ADHD may have a lot of anger but get over it quickly. ADHD can occur in association with mood disorders such as depressionbipolar and anxiety.

A complicated relationship

The most common symptoms of ADHD — emotional sensitivity, restlessness, and difficulty staying focused — can damage relationships in work, personal and romantic settings. Emotional partners and friends of someone with ADHD may feel like they don’t get enough attention, especially if there are cases of forgetting anniversaries or birthdays. Common symptoms like talking about people and being bored or restless can make long-term relationships very difficult.

It is important that your partner understands what it is like to live with ADHD and that you work together to find solutions. Open communication can help you prepare for bumps in the road and make finding a solution or compromise easier.

Self-help tips for managing ADHD symptoms

If any of the ADHD symptoms sound familiar, you may need to take an ADHD test to confirm. ADHD screening they are fast and often completed online. Once you’ve tested it, you should talk to a doctor to decide your next step.

There are treatment options available for ADHD — cognitive behavioral therapy and medication are the most popular. ADHD medication cannot be used alone. It should be used with counseling to ensure that children and adults develop the necessary skills to manage their ADHD.

You can use these tips to deal with your ADHD symptoms every day:

• Use technology to stay organized: Keep a task list and mark it as you walk through them. Having it on your phone makes it easy to access. Using these tricks on your phone to stay organized can help ease the stress of being late or missing important things.
• Set alarms on your phone: Remembering various appointments and due dates can be difficult with ADHD. Using technology to stay organized can make it easier. Alarms and calendar reminders can greatly affect your ability to stay on task and meet deadlines.
• Make small changes: Making significant changes all at once can be difficult. If you have a hard time doing big projects or completing tasks, breaking them down into smaller chunks can make them more manageable and help you feel more accomplished.
• Take care of yourself: Focusing on yourself and your needs can help make sure you are ready to face challenges. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat well and take steps to manage stress if you can.

For more mental health tips, find out The perfect color to paint your room and what eating to be happy.