You’re sitting in front of your computer, browsing the Internet, and engaging with your favorite social media platform. You have a pile of work to do, but no motivation. You decide to go for a walk to clear your head, get a cup of coffee, and come back to your computer. You realize that two hours have passed, and little work has gotten accomplished. We all have days like this. We can’t focus. We feel exhausted even in the beginning of the day. We can’t do our work, but we can spend unlimited time on Facebook or Instagram. If this sounds like a typical day to you, however, there might be a bigger problem than just a tough day at work.
I hear similar scenarios frequently. People tell me they are struggling with motivation, and they’ve gotten feedback from employers, coworkers, and even spouses that they need to be getting things done. They know they are struggling beyond what most of us occasionally do, but it’s hard for them to believe they have attention deficit disorder. “I was a good student,“ they say. Or, “I have a professional career.“ “If I have ADHD, wouldn’t my parents have known that when I was a kid?“ These are statements commonly made by adults who have ADHD but have not yet been diagnosed. They have been academically and professionally successful, at least enough to graduate and launch a career. They are high functioning, but the struggles begin to catch up with them. This blog discusses why ADHD symptoms might be overlooked, and why adults should consider diagnosis and treatment.
How can someone have ADHD and go through school without knowing it?
Many children begin to show signs of ADHD prior to the age of seven years. They may be hyper active, impulsive, have trouble following directions, and have trouble staying on task. While this description fits thousands of people who are eventually diagnosed, not everyone displays these challenges earlier in life. In addition, some people have trouble focusing, keeping schoolwork organized, and accomplishing things, but they don’t outwardly appear to be struggling. A sub-group of individuals who would meet criteria for ADHD are smart, resilient, and high functioning. They develop compensatory strategies that allow them to get through life, even though internally it may be incredibly stressful and painful. For instance, some students wait until the last minute to do their work, but they work well under pressure. So they pull an all nighter and receive a good grade on a research paper. Or they have excellent long-term memory capacity, so they don’t need to study for tests. They acquire a great deal of basic knowledge and retain it without having to review it. But as the workload becomes more demanding, or more work is required of them on the job, they begin to struggle. They miss deadlines, they are disorganized, and they procrastinate work that doesn’t interest them or that is more administrative in nature. Thus, they function, but it becomes more difficult to perform over time, and these difficulties begin to affect their quality of life and their relationships.
Why do adults get evaluated for ADHD?
You don’t have to be a student to get an ADHD evaluation. There are reasons to pursue testing for ADHD as an adult. Even if you have no plans to go back to school, knowing and understanding your diagnosis can be extremely helpful as you plan your professional development and other aspects of your life as welL. Clients tell me that it is a huge relief to know that ADHD is behind their challenges with initiating, planning, and executing work and other daily activities. Knowing that there is a specific problem that can be treated feels freeing to them. Identifying the problem alleviates negative thinking such as feeling lazy or stupid, or wondering why they can’t get things done as easily as others.
In addition to the insight and the freedom that the diagnosis offers, there are effective treatment approaches for adults that will allow them to be much higher functioning and achieve their personal and professional goals. Additionally, ADHD can affect emotion regulation, social interactions, and communication and relationships. Thus, understanding the bigger picture of how it impacts adult life and finding strategies to manage is also valuable.
What do I do once I know that I have ADHD?
There are several ways to learn about how to manage ADHD as an adult when it hasn’t previously been addressed. Here are some suggestions that clinicians recommend
Seek a consultation from a psychiatrist who has expertise in treating adult ADHD. Medication is definitely worth considering, especially if symptoms are intruding in multiple aspects of your life, such as work and personal life. Research does show efficacy for using medication as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Read about adult ADHD from reliable sources. The list of resources at the end of this blog are a helpful start to better understanding.
Find a therapist who practices cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) can be extremely helpful in managing symptoms by learning strategies for time management, organization, and planning. Additionally, CBT can teach coping skills to manage intense emotions impulsivity, and other behavioral symptoms.
If my descriptions of adult ADHD resonate with you, I encourage you to pursue evaluation and treatment because it can make a significant difference in your life.
Resources
Driven to distraction: recognizing and coping with attention deficit disorder by Edward Hollowell, MD
You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy? by Kate Kelly
Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD by Thomas E. Brown, Ph. D.
Photo by Maxim Ilyahov on Unsplash