Adult ADD/ADHD

Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The image that immediately comes to mind when ADD or ADHD are mentioned is a young child, most likely a boy, in a classroom setting who can’t sit still or pay attention. But what will happen to that child years down the road as an adult? Recent research suggests that 60% of children diagnosed with ADHD will still have ADHD symptoms as an adult.

Many of the symptoms of adult ADHD are the same as symptoms for childhood ADHD. The main symptoms are trouble staying focused, hyperfocus, disorganization, forgetfulness, impulsivity, emotional difficulty, hyperactivity and restlessness. However, they tend to manifest themselves in a different way in adults. Sadly, there are some people with ADHD that become suicidal.

One difference is that ADHD is likely to cause physical and mental health problems in adults such as: chronic anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. Adult ADHD is frequently coupled with other psychiatric disorders. In fact, 81% of adults with ADHD have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder such as substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, hypo-manic episodes, anxiety and depression. About 40% of adults with ADHD are smokers while only 26 percent of non-ADHD adults smoke.

Another effect of ADHD in adults is difficulty at work and trouble with finances. Adults with ADHD will often have difficulty keeping a job, meeting deadlines, and following corporate rules. Keeping track of money and budgeting are often also a problem with lost paperwork, forgetting to pay bills, and impulse purchasing. You can balance your life with the right skills. Read more about life-work balance.

Finally, ADHD commonly causes adults to have relationship difficulties. Long term relationships lose the thrill and novelty which is critical for keeping adults with ADHD engaged. Meanwhile, partners of those with ADHD are likely to become frustrated with distracted and inattentive behavior.

Adult ADHD is diagnosed using a combination of clues. A family history of ADHD is a good indication that an individual might have ADHD as the trait is frequently genetic. Professionals will also assess ADHD symptoms and may give a questionnaire to determine if the patient has ADHD. It is also quiet common to examine the person’s childhood behavior and look for clues that they went undiagnosed with ADHD as a child. Information can also be gleaned from other examinations including blood tests, psychological testing, and physical exams.

ADHD Can Affect Anyone At Any Age

ADHD is a neurological condition that works in the brain and affects up to 20 percent of Americans. It can hit anyone at any age, including toddlers and adults with menopause. There is a higher prevalence of the condition in males than females and does not favor one race or cultural background over another. Many critics believe that 50 percent of ADHD children will continue to exhibit the symptoms well into adulthood, which consist of 4 percent of the American adult population. ADD adults usually have less severe symptoms than children, and the number 1 trait of adult ADD is executive functional problems. Some of the characteristics associated with Adult ADD include, among others, the inability to pay attention, being easily distracted, and losing things frequently.

Adult ADD- Signs & Symptoms

Not everyone with Adult ADD shows all of the conditions classic symptoms with the same intensity others do. Workplace progress can be impeded by the condition and make careers harder while affecting family and friend relationships. Adult ADD individuals have problems with self control and self regulation which is not voluntary. These problems stem from the person’s neurological roots. Chemical processes in the brain can make it hard for them to behave in a certain way in a certain situation. ADD problems can present themselves both in the outside world and in a person’s own insides. Inconsistent performance that is mistaken for lack of effort and lack of respect is something associated with ADD.

The exact causes of ADD are not known, though studies mark inattentiveness and hardships with getting work done as the primary symptoms associated with the condition.

The same symptoms shown in adulthood pretty much follow the same diagnostic criteria with ADD children. ADD/ADHD and its neurological roots extend well into adulthood for close to two thirds of those affected. Since the level of affliction varies from adult to adult, it’s hard to tell its prevalence with this age group. Coping skills may be developed during childhood that allows individuals to deal better later on, and, if the deeply rooted conditions don’t contribute to functional problems later in life, diagnostic criteria might not be met at all. However, developing ADHD into adulthood automatically creates an official adult version of ADHD. It is imperative that ADHD be present during childhood in order for it to be diagnosed in adults.

According to the ADA, ADHD is recognized as a disability. This means workplace accommodations could be made for ADHD adults who would allow them to be more productive and be more efficient.

Adults May Not Realize They Have Attention Deficit Disorder

Many adults do not realize that they have ADD or ADHD. School is generally where children are observed, and many teachers are acutely aware of the symptoms to look for. For adults with ADD or ADHD symptoms, they may be classified by their friends as ‘weird’ or ‘obnoxious’ before someone tags them with an ADD diagnosis.

Edward M. Hallowell, author of Driven to Distraction, looked at ADHD from a patient’s point of view, particularly hyperactivity and inability to just relax. Lots of people with ADD and ADHD feel the same way. This doesn’t necessarily imply that the person has the condition. The only way to be labeled with ADHD is by being tested and diagnosed. However, natural treatment for ADD and ADHD is the best course for most adults.

Keep in mind that ADD is an acronym for Attention Deficit Disorder while ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The differences between both conditions vary. ADD is linked to inattentiveness without the hyperactivity whereas those with ADHD are hyper and tend to have a very hard time relaxing without feeling the ‘need’ to always be ‘doing something’. Overall, ADD is a less excitation condition than ADHD with its subjects showing more calm.

There is HOPE- Attend by Vaxa- A Natural Remedy for ADD & ADHD

If you are an adult with ADD or ADHD, Attend might be the perfect solution. It’s an all natural supplement that should be explored before trying the more dangerous medications.

Attend is a all natural homeopathic remedy, without all of those risky side effects of drugs that can cause a possible addiction and other problems.

Attend has the right mix homeopathic medicinals that can help to strengthen the neural connections. This helps improve memory skills. Attend also works well alongside other all natural ADHD supplements because of its makeup, a collection of amino acids, herbs, minerals, and homeopathics. Attend by Vaxa has shown a 70 percent success rate during clinical trials.

ADD/Stress/Memory Problems?

Extress (part of the Attend Strategy Pack) can also be beneficial as part of an all natural solution. Extress helps to minimize hyperactivity. Memorin is also part of the Attend Strategy Pack and helps with associated memory problems.

Hard Time Relaxing

ADHD is a condition that epitomized impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattentiveness. Adults tend to show less severity of the symptom than children. Both ADD and ADHD start from childhood, regardless of an official diagnosis or not. Many ADHD individuals do not show inattentiveness and hyperactivity, and it’s even rarer in adults.

Adults with ADHD usually have a hard time adapting to home, work, and school because of impulsive behavior and extreme restlessness. Adults may find difficult structuring their lives and putting the pieces together with daily activities. Routines might become hard, relationships labored, and a steady career hard to develop. These hardships are not particularly attributed to the ADD individual’s behavior, rather, more so when the simpler things ADD tend not to catch which other adults tend to latch onto easily.

Adult Symptoms of ADHD

Adults will generally show different symptoms than children. Sometimes, adults with hyperactive and impulsive symptoms could feel overly restless and extremely driven. To get calmer, they are constantly moving yet fail to finish different tasks at one time. Many adults act or speak way before they start thinking. The biggest problem for ADHD adults is establishing a sense of self control, which is not really expected of young children. The self regulation mechanism is automatically missing from ADHD adults. This condition is what natural ATTEND is for, to combat the lack of self understanding and lack of control in doing tasks as well as how they need to be done and how others view them.

Different individuals show varying signs of ADHD. Executive functioning is by far the most prevalent ADHD trait, where the brain oversees the self’s own behavioral process through organizing and planning. Other symptoms can include impulses, restless, and inattention along with learning disabilities which can lead to lifelong emotional problems.

There has been a lot of research that suggests ADHD adults are more likely to self medicate themselves with drugs and other stimulants including cocaine and caffeine. Substance abuse is also higher with this population. Depression, anxiety, firings, and divorces are also more common in ADHD adults than non ADHD adults.

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Indicators of ADD/ADHD

Here are some indicators of ADHD. It is recommended that people that show at least twelve of these behaviors go to a doctor and seek a professional diagnosis. Make sure these symptoms do not coincide with other medical or psychiatric conditions.

1. Sense of not achieving and meeting goals (no matter how much you’ve accomplished)
2. Organizing yourself is hard. Check out our organizing tips
3. Too much troubling getting started with a task
4. Too many projects happening at the same time, having a hard time complying with each.
5. Tendency to talk ahead of what comes to your mind
6. Constantly looking for extra stimulation
7. Poor tolerance to boredom
8. Easily distracted, hard time paying attention and tuning out during a conversation
9. Having a hard time following standard procedure
10. Low frustration tolerance
11. Very impulsive, as in spending too much money
12. Flashes of being hot tempered, excessive changing of plans
13. Physical restlessness at work
14. Addictive behaviors shown
15. Self esteem issues
16. Poor self observation
17. ADHD runs in the family along with depressive illness, substance abuse, and other disorders that affect the mood.

Prevalence of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder

In the 1980’s, it was widely assumed ADHD would disappear by the time children hit their teenage years. Many in the medical community continue to maintain this belief, though it’s now widely accepted that ADHD can continue into the adult years.

According to epidemiological data, ADD affects up to 6 percent of the population and continues its course through a person’s life. It’s estimated that up to 66 percent of ADD children will continue to have the same symptoms as adults which could place barriers on their work lives, family situation, and social standards.

Studies have suggested that up to 7 percent of children have ADHD. When these children grow up, many have already found ways to cope with the condition and improve their attention spans and distractibility through selective career choices. Other ADHD afflicted people might have found husbands and wives adept at helping them balance their lifestyles.

Many continue to struggle with the disorder, wondering why their true potential cannot be realized. There are lots of adults with undiagnosed ADHD that suffer from poor self esteem and poor lifestyle choices.

In the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey, researchers took a look at 11,000 people from 18 to 44 years old across three continents and ten countries, including the United States, Middle East, and Europe. Based on the results, almost 4 percent of the population (with a range of 1.2 percent and 7.3 percent) in higher income countries had ADHD while lower income countries had a lower prevalence at 1.9 percent. Adult ADHD is widely packaged with other disorders and is associated with role disability. There are few cases where ADHD is treated head on, although treatment is provided more considerably for its co disorders.

Natural Remedy For Adult Attention Deficit

There is no cure for adult ADD, however there are natural remedies that can be tried. When a proper diagnosis is done, steps can be taken to ensure happiness in their lives.

Psychologists and psychiatrists can work with adult ADD to combat other problems they may have, like anxiety, substance abuse, and learning disabilities. ADD must be diagnosed correctly and natural treatment provided in order to conquer these problems successfully.