Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder that begins in childhood and can cause significant impairment to concentration, impulsivity control and hyperactivity regulation. The exact cause of ADHD is unknown; although, it does have a high rate of heritability (40-57% of children diagnosed with ADHD also having a parent with ADHD).
It is not uncommon for adults with ADHD to go undiagnosed until later in life; however, ADHD is not something that develops. An adult diagnosed with ADHD must have a childhood history of ADHD symptoms in order to meet the diagnostic criteria. There are several other psychological issues that can resemble ADHD due to overlapping symptoms. These include: Depression, Anxiety, Stress, PTSD, and substance use.
There are several well-established assessments in addition to clinical interviewing that I use to help determine what diagnosis, if any, best describes the symptoms you are experiencing.
If you have any questions, you can contact me here to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation. Even in the absence of a clinical diagnosis, therapy can still be greatly beneficial for managing whatever struggles you are currently experiencing.
What is it like to have ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is typically thought of as an inability to pay attention, but I think of it more as the ability to pay too much attention to everything around us. People with ADHD often describe their experience as being constantly vigilant to every sound and movement. You might be having a conversation at a coffee shop, but while the person you are with is talking to you, you notice the person across the street walking their dog, you hear parts of the conversation at the table next to yours, you notice the noise the latte machine is making, you hear the barista call out an order and notice the person that jumps up to claim it. Then your friend asks you a question and you realize you haven’t really been listening to her because you were so distracted by everything else.
Common complaints from people with ADHD involve issues with organization in their schedule and in their physical living space, issues with getting started and completing tasks, chronic procrastination, forgetting or losing important things, feeling flooded with thoughts, and difficulty staying focused or paying attention to things that require mental effort such as reading or math. Typically, there are also beliefs held about oneself such as “I’m lazy”, “I’m stupid”, and “I’m a failure” and a general sense of feeling overwhelmed and fatigued.
Disorganization is perhaps the main expression of ADHD in day to day life. Disorganized thoughts lead to a disorganized life in terms of time management and scheduling as well as living and work spaces. When things and thoughts are disorganized, it is difficult to get started and stay focused on tasks, which causes procrastination. Disorganized thoughts also express themselves in disorganized communication. People with ADHD often have difficulty staying on topic, looping through several subjects before returning to their original point, and they will frequently find themselves at a loss for words when trying to explain something. This manifests itself through writing as well, and often makes starting and completing a writing assignment difficult.
The flooding of thoughts and general disorganization can feel extremely overwhelming. Stress builds throughout the week as tasks go undone. Many of my clients have resonated with the experience of thinking about the tasks they need to do so much that they then feel completely drained of energy to physically do them.
The good news is there is a well-established treatment process for managing ADHD symptoms which can help you get back on track and achieve your life goals. It is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and you can learn more about it here.