ADHD Symptoms and Treatment in Adults
Many adults discover that they struggle to keep up with the demands of daily life frequently experiencing anger and mood swings. If you suspect you might have ADHD contact your primary health care provider or mental-health professional to conduct an assessment.
The criteria for determining adult ADHD is the same as that for children: symptoms must be present for a period of 6 months and not be better explained by other medical disorders or mental health issues.
Attentive symptoms
Many adults with ADHD struggle to keep up with homework, work or household chores. They miss appointments, don't pay their bills on time and have difficulty maintaining relationships with their family and friends. They are more likely than others to lose possessions, or make mistakes that can have serious consequences.
If you have problems keeping track of your personal or professional affairs, consider talking to a health care provider. Your primary care doctor will assess your situation and refer you to a mental health specialist should it be necessary.
The symptoms of inattention ADHD are often misunderstood. People suffering from inattentive ADHD are not always attentive when spoken to and tend to forget quickly or are often distracted by irrelevant thoughts. They may struggle to stay on task, make mistakes, or struggle to follow directions. They may also have difficulty keeping their hands away from their faces, or appear to be shaken.
Inattention to the symptoms can lead to failing at school or at work, which can create frustration and shame for the person who is affected. They can also cause problems with relationships with friends, family and colleagues.
Health care providers identify ADHD based on a clinical assessment, which involves interviewing the individual and reviewing the behavior of the past. They might ask the person to complete an inventory of symptoms and run medical tests to determine if there are other conditions that exhibit similar symptoms. The symptoms of ADHD must be evident consistently prior to 12 years old to be able to determine if it is a diagnosis.
Adults with inattentive ADHD might benefit from psychotherapy and lifestyle modifications to manage their symptoms. These treatments include medications as well as behavioral therapy and family psychoeducation. Psychotherapy is a form of therapy that assists patients to develop new attitudes, skills and ways of communicating with other people. Behavioral therapy can help reduce self-destructive and impulsive behavior, improve organizational skills, and increase confidence.
It can be beneficial for people suffering from inattention ADHD to talk about their struggles with a friend or family member therapist. They might also be able to seek accommodations from teachers or supervisors as well as colleagues. Accommodations are tools and changes to the environment that allow the disabled person to carry out tasks like everyone else. For example, a short person can use the step stool.
Hyperactive Signs and symptoms
Adults can exhibit different symptoms as children. While children might fidget, seem agitated and talkative while adult symptoms tend to be more subtle. They might forget to complete tasks, lose track or take a wrong turn and make mistakes. They may also feel energetic and find it difficult to sit still, even while sitting down to a meal or in class. They may interrupt other students or blurt out answers before they've had the chance to ask a question, and struggle to keep their place during games or conversations.
These symptoms can be caused by a variety of conditions. A comprehensive psychiatric assessment is needed to determine the cause of the symptoms as well as determine the most effective treatment. These can include psychotherapy, medication and lifestyle adjustments. This could include a healthier eating plan as well as more exercise and a better sleep schedule. They may also require adjusting work or school assignments and using assistive devices like planners, calendars, and smartphones apps.
If you suspect that you may have ADHD, your first step is to discuss your concerns with your family doctor or primary care doctor. The How to Talk to Your Provider factsheet from NIMH provides suggestions on how to speak with your physician about mental issues.
To be diagnosed with ADHD, the symptoms must appear in at least two settings and have an impact on everyday life. To be eligible they must be present for at least six months. Your provider will evaluate you to see if you have the inattentive or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms of ADHD.
There are medications to aid in managing your ADHD symptoms, in addition to adaptations to your lifestyle and accommodation. These drugs are known as stimulants. They function by reorganizing brain's signals that affect your mood, attention and behavior. Your doctor will give you the appropriate dose and will monitor your response. You could be prescribed a non-stimulant medication when you have bothersome adverse effects, or when stimulants aren't working or when combined with stimulants to increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Instinctive Symptoms
People with inattention ADHD are more likely to lose their keys or cellphones. People with inattentive ADHD have a tougher time following tasks, arranging their material and completing their projects. As adults, the result may be a million incomplete projects around the house: unpaid bills, dirty houses and the garden that was started but never watered.
Relationships are among the most prevalent areas where an impulsive ADHD symptoms can cause difficulties. People with ADHD who are impulsive ADHD tend to be impatient and want immediate gratification. They may be impulsive and enter social situations without thinking ahead or take risks that could lead to negative consequences. Impulsive people may also overreact to stressful or emotional situations. For instance, a person may become extremely angry or defensive in arguments with family or friends.
A health professional with a specialization in mental disorders will go over the medical background of a patient and conduct an examination to diagnose ADHD. The doctor will ask you about the symptoms and how they affect your interactions with others, work, and your home. To be diagnosed with either type of ADHD the patient must have at least six of the nine main symptoms and the symptoms have to interfere with daily functioning for at least 6 months (American Psychological Association, 2000).
Psychostimulants are the most effective treatment for ADHD. untreated adhd in female adults symptoms communicate with one another in the brain to regulate behavior. The most commonly used type of stimulants is the methylphenidate drug, which was originally used to treat ADHD in children. The medication may not be appropriate for some people with other health conditions such as depression or high blood pressure, so it's essential to discuss your medications with your physician. Psychotherapy can reduce distraction and impulsive symptoms in addition to medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on helping people recognize automatic or irrational thoughts that may trigger negative behaviors, and develop strategies of self-regulation.
Combined symptoms
Adults who experienced ADHD as children may have symptoms that resurface during adulthood. They can have mild or moderate symptoms that interfere with their schoolwork, work, and social interactions. They may also have other mental health problems like anxiety or depression, that require treatment. Some adults also have problems with learning, which may make it difficult for them to understand or follow directions in offices and classrooms.
Adults may not be able detect the signs of inattention ADHD however, it can still affect their ability to function at home and work. It can be difficult for people with this kind of ADHD to be able to concentrate during classes or business meetings, and they may struggle to keep track of assignments and work-related tasks. They can frequently lose track of their belongings and forget deadlines or appointments. They also have trouble following conversations or listening to music. They tend to be more easily distracted by the activities or people surrounding them than other people.
Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms are more common in adults than the inattentive type of the disorder, but they can be difficult to diagnose in adults, too. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV TR), fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association, includes the criteria for diagnosing the disorder. This includes symptoms that start before age 12 and are present in a variety of settings and can cause problems in multiple domains.
To qualify for a diagnosis of hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, people must have six or more symptoms that have persisted for at least six months. The symptoms must have begun before the age of 12 and continue to manifest at school, at home as well as in other social and work situations.
Researchers are investigating genetic and environmental factors which could be involved in the development of ADHD. Studies suggest that the brains of individuals who suffer from ADHD have trouble regulating certain chemicals, such as neurotransmitters that help control attention, mood and behavior.
Talk to your primary health care provider if you exhibit signs of ADHD. Your doctor can conduct an examination and refer you for an evaluation by an expert in mental health. Psychotherapy and medications are usually utilized to treat ADHD with stimulants that increase the levels of certain brain chemicals. These include amphetamines and methylphenidate. Inform your doctor about any other medications you are taking including supplements or vitamins. The FDA's medication site has information on approved medications as well as warnings and information guides.