Adult ADHD Symptoms

There are certain conditions that many people simply don’t talk about. This is often caused by ignorance, misunderstandings, or a general lack of information about the symptoms of a disorder. There are just as many conditions that people walk around with for years, or even a lifetime, without ever receiving a diagnosis because they suffer from symptoms that can be hard to understand.

Adult ADHD/ADD is one of those conditions.

A person suffering from Adult ADHD/ADD may experience the following symptoms:

An inability to concentrate on one thing

Being impulsive

Hyperactive behavior

Forgetfulness

Irritability

An inability to organize their time

Lateness

Forgetfulness

From that list, it’s easy to see why a person with these symptoms may never get a proper diagnosis of ADHD/ADD. These symptoms may simply be ignored and instead the person will be put down as being scattered and unorganized. These labels are an unfair way to describe someone who simply can’t help their behavior and may be suffering from adult ADHD without realizing it. These symptoms can affect every aspect of life. For adults that are working, and may even be in long-term relationships there can be serious consequences. At work, you may fall behind and start receiving poor performance reviews which can affect your employment status. If that is affected this means financial problems may become a serious issue that only helps to worsen your physical and mental health. In relationships, there may be small frustrations built by the inability to concentrate that eventually bubble over into large fights and problems. This can make it difficult to maintain stable relationships no matter how hard you try. Finally, all of these symptoms can affect normal parts of life. Driving may be difficult and keeping up with simple household chores is often a monumental task. As a result, their life becomes defined by a label of negativity; “they are forgetful”, “they are never on time”, “they can’t focus on anything.” These labels can cause individuals suffering from adult ADHD to also suffer from depression and anxiety. Minimizing these symptoms can be damaging to someone who simply cannot stop themselves from being late, forgetful, or showing a lack of concentration. These symptoms are out of their control, and diminishing the symptoms can stop people from seeking help and getting properly diagnosed with adult ADHD.

When someone ignores these symptoms and isn’t diagnosed with adult ADHD/ADD, their life will continue to spiral. Many people suffering from these symptoms don’t understand why they can’t focus on one thing, and their friends and family won’t either. Many people simply assume that ADHD is a condition which only affects children or adolescents, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are a huge number of adults who have received a diagnosis of adult ADHD. They are receiving treatment and learning about management techniques for their symptoms, and making their lives easier. There are even more adults walking around with the same symptoms who haven’t received an adult ADHD diagnosis and therefore cannot understand why they are behaving the way they are.

It’s a terrible thought and it’s something that we, here at Trifecta Health, are keen to raise awareness of.

Diagnosing Adult ADHD/ADD

The process of diagnosing adult ADHD can be difficult. There is no test that can be performed. An adult ADHD diagnosis is about talking to the person, understanding their behavior, and making a clinical diagnosis based on history and findings. More often than not, someone suffering from adult ADHD had ADHD as a child as well that went undiagnosed. It is important to remember that it is never too late to get proper help. Once the ADHD diagnosis is made, treatment can begin, and there is a wide range of options available, as well as self-help techniques that can help make life far easier for both the person diagnosed with adult ADHD and their loved ones too.

Part of managing adult ADHD/ADD is also understanding the impact that it can have on general life and those around the sufferer. For instance, being in a relationship with a person suffering from adult ADHD/ADD can be difficult if the partner simply doesn’t understand the condition. Raising awareness and understanding adult ADHD/ADD is something that needs to happen.

Treating Adult ADHD

Trifecta believes in treating adult ADHD in as many different ways as possible. We have several methods that have been tested and shown to help those suffering from adult ADHD.

Medications
Many ADHD symptoms can safely improve symptoms with effective medications. Some of these medications include Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, Adderall XR, Vyvanse, Focalin, and others. All of these medications are stimulants and are able to give those suffering from ADHD a way to combat their symptoms and to feel relief. These medications do have a history of misuse, but we take the care of our patients seriously and take every step possible to ensure any individual taking these medications is doing so safely.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, is an FDA-cleared procedure for the treatment of depression. However, it can also be used to treat those suffering from adult ADHD. the treatment is aimed at the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, which is the same part of the brain that is linked to issues with ADHD and ADD. Depression and anxiety are often diagnosed with ADHD as they feed into each other. As the therapy is used to treat depression, it also helps stabilize symptoms of adult ADHD.

If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms we mentioned earlier, and you think that your problems may be related to adult ADHD, give us a call and book an appointment for an adult ADHD evaluation with one of New York City’s top adult ADHD psychiatrists. The sooner we decide whether or not you are suffering from adult ADHD, the sooner you can look forward to a brighter future, free of the reins that have been holding you back. You can also use our Free ADHD test here to further explore if you are being affected by adult ADHD without realizing it.