How you know if you have adhd

Do You Have ADHD?

Articles On Adult ADHD

Has anyone ever asked you if you have ADHD? Maybe you’ve even wondered yourself.

The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor. That’s because the disorder has a number of possible symptoms, and they can easily be confused with those of other conditions, like depression or anxiety.

Not sure whether you should get checked by a doc? If many of these apply, you may need to get checked out.

1. People say you’re forgetful.

Everyone misplaces car keys or jackets once in a while. But this kind of thing happens often when you have ADHD. You might spend time looking for glasses, wallets, phones, and other items every day. You may also forget to return phone calls, space out on paying bills, or miss medical appointments.

2. People complain that you don’t listen.

Most of us lose focus on a conversation once in a while, especially if there’s a TV nearby or something else grabs our attention. This happens often and to a greater degree with ADHD, even when there are no distractions around. But still, ADHD is more than that.

3. You’re often late.

Time management is an ongoing challenge when you have ADHD. It often leads to missed deadlines or appointments unless you work on avoiding that.

4. You have trouble concentrating.

Problems with attention, especially focusing for long periods of time or paying attention to details, is one of the hallmarks of the condition. Depression, anxiety, and addiction disorders can also take a toll on your focus, and many people with ADHD have one or more of these issues, too. Your doctor can ask you questions to get to the bottom of what’s causing your attention problems.

5. You leave things undone.

Problems with attention and memory can make it tough to start or finish projects, especially ones that you know will take a lot of focus to complete. This symptom can point to depression, too.

6. You had behavior issues as a child.

People may have accused you of being lazy back in childhood. Or they may have thought you had another condition like depression or anxiety.

If you actually were diagnosed with the disorder as a child, you may still have it. The symptoms change as you age, and not everyone outgrows it.

7. You lack impulse control.

This is more than tossing a candy bar into your cart at the checkout line. This is doing something even though you know it could have serious consequences, like running a red light because you think you can get away with it or not being able to keep quiet when you have something to say, even though you know you should.

8. You can’t get organized.

You may notice this more at work. You could have trouble setting priorities, following through on tasks, and meeting project deadlines.

9. You’re fidgety.

Kids with ADHD are often hyperactive, but adults are more likely to be fidgety or restless. You might also talk too much and interrupt others.

10. You can’t control your emotions.

You might be moody or irritable, express frustration often, feel unmotivated, or be prone to angry outbursts. ADHD can make it hard to manage uncomfortable emotions or follow appropriate behavior when you’re upset.

Getting Diagnosed

There’s no one test. Instead, doctors and psychologists get information about what and how many symptoms you have, when they started, how long they’ve lasted, and how severe they are.

In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, you need to have several symptoms, not just one or two. And they have to have affected your jobs, relationships, or other important areas of your life. Your doctor will also want to rule out other conditions or find out if you have more than one disorder.

Several treatments can help you manage the condition. So if you answered yes to a lot of these questions, consider making an appointment with your doctor. The sooner you find out, the sooner you can start treatment.

Show Sources

UpToDate: «Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, course, assessment, and diagnosis.»

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: «Getting Evaluated,» “Diagnosis of ADHD in Adults.”

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine: «Adult Developmental Disorders.»

Anxiety and Depression Association of America: «Adult ADHD.»

National Alliance on Mental Illness: «ADHD.»

UC Davis Mind Institute: “ADHDnews: Winter 2013/2014.”

University of California San Diego Neuropyschiatry & Behavioral Medicine: «What is ADD?»

National Institute of Mental Health: «Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.»

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: «Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder.»)

Attention Deficit Disorder Association: «Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist Instructions.»

How you know if you have adhd

One day I hope I can meet a handsome man who can sit still, follow the rules, and complete tasks in consecutive order…said no interesting woman ever.

In this post we’re looking at adult ADHD or ADD and, before we get into adult ADHD signs and symptoms, I want to share why I am so passionate about this topic.

Not only is it something that I have, and something that a lot of my clients have, but it is something that is terribly misunderstood.

In parts of the world it is massively undiagnosed, in other parts of the world it is massively over-diagnosed.

Some people think that if you have ADHD you’re just lazy.

Other people think it’s a terrible disorder that sets you up for a life of crime and academic failure.

But if you understand it, and you’re diagnosed with ADHD, and you adjust your life to it (and I’m going to explain how to do that in this series of posts), ADHD is a superpower.

When used right, ADHD is a superpower.

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

You know what I think is a disorder?

Someone who’s happy to sit in an office for eight hours a day.

Someone who can’t think on their feet at all because they need to be told exactly what to do.

Someone who can’t figure out how to build Lego without instructions when they’re eight years old.

Ah, well, I mean, come on, it’s not that hard!

You look at the picture, you look at the Lego, you build something that probably doesn’t actually look like what you were trying to build, but it’s still a lot more fun to do without the instructions.

Learn About Different Types of ADHD

1. ADHD Inattentive Type

This is where you may see negative themes.

I’m going to get into a lot of the positive themes in this series, but the negative themes that might stand out when you might be looking for information on how to know if you have ADHD might be:

2. ADHD Hyperactivity Impulsive Type

This ADHD Type is probably exactly what it sounds like.

Now, with this type of ADHD, if you’re in a classroom that forces you to sit there and listen to a pretty boring teacher going through a pace that is way below what you could keep up with, not being stimulated enough, then it does seem like you have negative traits.

But hey, we were evolved to move. We were evolved to be out and to be in nature and to be doing things, which is why a lot of people, including myself think a lot better when moving and can achieve a lot more and come up with our best creative ideas when we are maybe exercising or going for a walk.

3. ADHD Combination Type

This ADHD combination type is the most common.

A few things to note, though, if you’re trying to figure out “Do I have ADHD?” or if someone you know does (I will be doing another post in this series on specifically diagnosing it) is that girls are more likely to have the inattentive type.

Without the hyperactivity, this means girls are often under-diagnosed with ADHD. So this is something that’s often over-diagnosed in young boys who just want to play, want to move around, and teachers see that and say something like:

Oh, this person must be hyperactive!

So ADHD is often under-diagnosed in women.

ADHD is actually a physical difference in the brain, primarily in the prefrontal cortex.

This is the part of the brain that helps us control ourselves and focus our attention, so it’s the part that maybe says:

Hey, maybe I shouldn’t say this thing or

I’m sitting down and I’m working and I really want to get up and look at see what that noise is out the window, but I should actually keep working, so I’ll just stay at my desk.

People with ADHD have less power essentially to keep it simple in our prefrontal cortex, which means we have trouble directing and controlling our attention.

And that’s ultimately what leads to a lot of the traits of ADHD, good ones and negative ones.

Some of the good ADHD traits involve things like:

Creativity, being spontaneous, and being able to improvise things.

I could not do the videos I do on my YouTube channel if I had to write out long scripts.

I love to improvise, I love to think on my feet. It’s when I’m at my best.

This is a very common ADHD trait, something that may not be as possible with a strong prefrontal cortex that is constantly questioning and limiting behavior.

So this is just the start of this series on Adult ADHD.

I look at this as a great opportunity and a superpower.

If you really learn about ADHD, and you design your life around it, and you follow some advice I’m going to give throughout this series, you’ll have the ability to get a lot more done compared to the majority of other people.

You have this Ferrari engine in your head that has the ability to go so much faster than other people and, yeah, if you get caught up, if you get trapped into someone else’s structure, running someone else’s race, you can end up getting nothing done.

You can end up feeling like there’s something wrong with you, or that you’re crap, or whatever else.

But if you learn about this and you figure out how to design your life around it and use the right strategies, it can be something that is really awesome.

And ultimately, if you have it, you don’t really have a choice anyhow! 🙂

I’m going to do my best in this series to share everything I’ve learned about ADHD, both in terms of what it is, clear up some of the misunderstandings or the myths out there, but also get into all the tools that I use myself to not only get by, but actually to thrive and to design my life and my business around my personality – and ADHD is a big part of that.

You’ve made it this far, that’s amazing. Check out some of my other articles on Dreams Around The World blog and here is a Free Training for ENFPs

How Do You Know If You Have ADHD? Some Hints

“…You stop at the stop sign, and wait for it to turn green.” It’s funny because it’s true. (And sad, and frustrating, and empowering…) Here, adults reflect on the many ways ADHD makes itself impossible to ignore. What were your early warning signs?

In Your Words

How do you know if you have ADHD? We asked readers to finish the sentence «You know you have adult ADHD when. » Your answers are an honest and funny look at life with attention deficit. See how many of these situations you can relate to — it may be more than you think!

Disappearing Act

«You can’t find your car keys or your spare set, and your partner is hesitant to lend you his keys because you will probably misplace those, too. (And you agree!)»

Third Time’s a Charm

«Any shopping trip involves three attempts. First, you leave your shopping list behind. Then, when you go back to get it, you put down your wallet and arrive with your list, but no bag. Usually, but not always, the third time’s a charm.»

Mind Wanderings

«While considering your answer to your boss’s question, you wonder what’s for supper. ‘I’m sorry. What was that question again?'»

Organizational Challenges

«You buy another organizing system, to organize your last five organizing systems. You just know this system will be the one to finally get your life in order. Maybe.»

Red Means Stop

«You’re driving. You stop at a stop sign, sit there, and stare at the sign, waiting for it to turn green.»

Bills, Bills, Bills

«You have enough money in the bank to pay bills, yet you simply forget to do it! Maybe next month you’ll remember. «

Time Troubles

«You leave the house with enough time to show up early for your ADHD doctor’s appointment, but are thinking of other things and drive to work instead and end up late. Oops.»

Attention Grabbers

«The person sitting beside you grabs your attention, but so does the heating unit shutting on and off, the fluorescent light flickering above you, and a bird flying by the window!»

Twice the Thanks

«You send your friend a thank you card for the birthday gift. twice. And you only know this because she tells you, not because you realized it on your own.»

Shower Woes

«You’re in the middle of taking a nice, warm shower when suddenly you forget what you’re doing. Lather, rinse and… where was I? Before you know it you’re out of the shower and only have one leg shaved!»

Lost and Found

«You spend an hour looking for your favorite watch. You finally give up, and decide to wear another one, only to find that your favorite watch is already on your wrist.»

Kitchen Caper

«Your partner asks you for a cup of water so you go to the kitchen and end up making yourself a peanut butter sandwich. Hope he wasn’t too thirsty!»

Dial Drama

«You dial the number, but by the time someone answers the phone you forget who you’re calling. We’ve all been there.»

Planner Lifeline

«You can’t live without your planner. You would rather have your wallet stolen than your planner — you’d be lost without it!»

How to Find Out if You Have ADHD

This article was co-authored by George Sachs, PsyD. George Sachs is a Licensed Psychologist and the Owner of Sachs Center based in New York, New York. With over ten years of experience, Dr. Sachs specializes in treating ADD/ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders in children, teens, and adults. He holds a BS in Psychology from Emory University. Dr. Sachs earned his Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago. He completed his clinical training in Chicago at Cook County Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and the Child Study Center. Dr. Sachs completed his internship and postdoctoral work at the Children’s Institute in Los Angeles, where he supervised and trained therapists in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT). He has been trained as a Gestalt Therapist and certified by the Gestalt Associates Training Program of Los Angeles. Dr. Sachs is the author of The Adult ADD Solution, Helping the Traumatized Child, and Helping Your Husband with Adult ADD. He has appeared on the Huffington Post, NBC Nightly News, CBS, and WPIX discussing his holistic approach to ADD/ADHD treatment.

There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 51,842 times.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a very common disorder among children. Based on parent report, 1 in every 10 children is said to have received a diagnosis of ADHD. [1] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source What’s more, this disorder is not restricted to childhood. Both teenagers and adults can be affected by ADHD, too. If you think you have ADHD, you must see a doctor for a thorough evaluation. [2] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source

How to Determine if You Have Adult ADHD

This article was medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee, FNP-BC is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and educator in Tennessee with over a decade of clinical experience. Luba has certifications in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Emergency Medicine, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Team Building, and Critical Care Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Tennessee in 2006.

There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 15,257 times.

Everyone feels disorganized, hyper, or like they can’t pay attention at some time or another. But, you may feel that these things are interfering with your life. You may wonder if you have adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Instead of wondering, determine of you have adult ADHD by learning the signs, getting evaluated, and taking charge of your life. The cluster of symptoms that indicate that you may have ADHD include inattention, impulsivity, and motor hyperactivity that are more frequent and severe than seen in persons of the same developmental level. [1] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source The disorder is usually first diagnosed in childhood and can persist into adulthood. ADHD is not a disorder that you first develop in adulthood.