Do you have ADHD too? Let's talk about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults!

Do you sometimes find it hard to focus on work? Or do you feel so restless that you can't stay in one place, like you're just a mess? Maybe these things have been with you since childhood. Today we're going to talk about a condition that is also seen in adults, but that many people don't know about. That is ADHD , or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder .

What is this ADHD that also occurs in adults?

Simply put, ADHD is a condition that affects your brain's development. It actually starts in childhood. While some people outgrow the condition as they get older, for many it never goes away.

As a child, ADHD can affect schoolwork and relationships with friends. It can also affect you as an adult. It can affect your work, your friendships, your family relationships, and even your mental health.

How does this condition affect my body, especially my brain?

People with ADHD are called ``neurodivergent .'' This means that their brains have developed in a slightly different way. When those differences are large enough, conditions like ADHD can occur. Other people, meaning people who don't have those brain differences, are called ``neurotypical .'' This means that their brains have developed normally.

Research has found that some parts of the brain in people with ADHD are less active than expected. These affected areas are the ones that control the communication between other parts of the brain. We call the set of abilities we gain through this "executive functions." These include things like your ability to plan, think logically, make decisions, and focus and control your attention. ADHD impairs these abilities. This symptom is called "executive dysfunction."

What are these symptoms of ADHD?

Symptoms of ADHD in adults are very similar to those seen in children. However, because we do things differently in adult life, the way these symptoms manifest themselves may be slightly different. For example, instead of having problems with schoolwork, you may have problems with work.

There are three main subtypes of ADHD. Symptoms can vary depending on which subtype you have. Your doctor will determine whether you have the inattention subtype , the hyperactivity/impulsivity subtype , or the combined subtype based on your symptoms. Your doctor will also determine the severity of your ADHD condition. The three levels are:

• Mild: At this level, you have the minimum symptoms required for a diagnosis, but no more severe symptoms.
• Moderate: Your symptoms significantly interfere with your work or social relationships.
• Severe: At this level, symptoms seriously affect your work and/or social life. People with severe symptoms may find it difficult to hold down a job or maintain relationships.

Inattention symptoms

Symptoms of inattention can negatively impact your social relationships, work, and academic performance. To be diagnosed with the inattention subtype of ADHD, you must have at least six of the following symptoms for more than six months:

• Mistakes due to lack of attention: This leads to careless mistakes, missing details, and problems with accuracy. This can affect your work and, if you are a student, your educational activities. Imagine that you missed several important points in a report you were given, and it became a big problem.
• Difficulty maintaining attention: This makes it difficult to keep your mind focused during a conversation, meeting, lecture, or while reading or studying for a long time.
• Difficulty listening and paying attention when others are talking to you: This can feel like you're in another world, lost in a dream, or your head is somewhere else (also called a "thousand-yard stare").
• Difficulty finishing a task: This means that you start new tasks or projects very quickly. However, after a while, it becomes difficult to finish them, as if the battery is "running low."
• Difficulty organizing and prioritizing: This makes it difficult for you to plan and work towards goals, especially those with many steps. This can make you appear disorganized, or make it difficult for you to be punctual and complete tasks on time.
• Dislike or avoidance of boring tasks: This makes it difficult for you to focus on boring, monotonous tasks, such as housework or routine work at the office.
• Being more likely to lose, misplace, or forget things: This can make you seem like a careless, careless person. You may misplace things like your wallet, phone, or keys. You may also sometimes leave things in strange places - for example, you may accidentally leave your keys in the fridge and then struggle to find them.
• Being easily distracted: This could be because of what's going on around you, or because your mind is just wandering.
• Forgetfulness or lack of focus in daily tasks: You may forget to keep appointments, pick up groceries, pay bills, or get household items.

Hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms

Hyperactivity and impulsivity are very common with ADHD. Impulsivity can cause problems with social skills and interactions. To be diagnosed with the hyperactivity/impulsivity subtype of ADHD, you must have at least six of the following symptoms for more than six months:

• Constant fidgeting and restlessness: This can be seen in things like foot tapping, foot tapping, twirling a pen, or staring at your phone.
• Difficulty staying seated at all times: This makes you want to get up and walk around frequently.
• Restlessness: In young children, this can manifest as running around and jumping around, or climbing trees at inappropriate times. In adults, this can manifest as an inability to sit still.
• Difficulty enjoying silence: This can be seen especially during leisure time, when engaging in a hobby, or during a fun, relaxing activity. You may talk to yourself, or say meaningless words or phrases out loud.
• An unusually high level of activity: This can make you seem like you're always busy and in a hurry. It can be difficult for others to work with you.
• Talking too much: This is talking as if you have no filter, giving too much information about yourself, or talking at length about a topic you are passionate about (also called "info dumping").
• Difficulty controlling yourself in conversation: This means that you have problems in conversations because you speak quickly without thinking. You often interrupt others, finish their sentences, or speak without thinking about what others might think.
• Difficulty waiting for your turn: For example, having difficulty waiting in line, or having difficulty waiting for something you want.
• Difficulty understanding appropriate social boundaries: This can lead to you constantly interfering in other people's activities and conversations unnecessarily. You may interfere in conversations, activities, and games without realizing that it is bothering others.

Combined symptoms

This means that a person has at least six symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and at least six symptoms of inattention.

What are the reasons for this?

Experts still don't know exactly why or how ADHD occurs. But there is evidence that it may be caused by changes in brain structure, changes in brain chemicals, or both. It is also known that it can be genetic . This means that you can inherit ADHD from one or both parents. But some people can develop it without anyone in their family having it.

Changes in brain structure

Having ADHD means you may have subtle but important changes in the structure of your brain. A key part of how your brain works is the way it makes connections between different parts of it. Some parts of the brains of people with ADHD may appear to have fewer connections, or they may appear to be slightly smaller or less dense than the brains of people without ADHD. These affected parts are the ones that control executive functions .

Changes in brain chemicals

Your brain relies on a network of specialized cells called `neurons` . These are the ones that send and receive signals throughout the brain. Those signals are what cause things like the things you think and the things that make your muscles move. Your brain needs special chemicals called `neurotransmitters` to send signals from one nerve cell to another.

Research suggests that ADHD may be caused by an imbalance or deficiency of certain neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline in some countries). Without the right amount or mix of neurotransmitters, your brain can't function properly.

How to recognize ADHD in adults?

A doctor, usually a psychologist or psychiatrist, will diagnose ADHD based on your medical history and current symptoms. As part of the ADHD diagnosis, your doctor will ask you about your current symptoms and any symptoms you had as a child. This is usually done using a questionnaire specifically designed to diagnose ADHD. Currently, there are no lab tests or medical exams that can help diagnose ADHD.

How is ADHD in adults treated?

There is no complete cure for ADHD, but it is a very treatable condition.

Medications

The most common and effective way to treat ADHD is with medication. There are several types of medications that can be used to treat it. Examples include stimulants, non-stimulants, and antidepressants.

You may need to try different medications and doses to find the one that works best for you. Your doctor can tell you about the possible complications and side effects of these medications.

Psychotherapy and adaptation strategies

Many adults with ADHD benefit from treatments such as psychotherapy (a technical term for mental health treatment). They can also use coping strategies such as creating a consistent routine, keeping a planner or notebook, and using smartphone apps. Your doctor can tell you more about treatments and lifestyle changes that may help you.

Treatment for related conditions

Adults with ADHD often have other health conditions, especially some mental health or brain development conditions. Examples of these include:

• Anxiety , especially social anxiety.
• Depression .
• Specific learning disorders , such as dyslexia or dyscalculia .
• Stress and related health problems.
• Substance use disorders .

Workplace accommodations

Accommodations are tools or changes in your work environment that help you manage a situation. They are like stairs for someone who is shorter than average; a staircase allows a shorter person to reach higher places just as tall as someone who is taller. Similarly, accommodations allow you to achieve and succeed just as much as someone who is less fortunate.

Although there is no specific legal framework for this in Sri Lanka like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US, you can try to get the necessary support by talking to your organization's Human Resources Department or by having a friendly discussion with your manager. Here are some examples that can help you manage ADHD in the workplace:

• Breaks are when you can take time to get up and walk around.
• Noise-canceling headphones to reduce distractions from noise.
• Working from home if possible.
• Support from a mentor or job coach.

What can I expect if I have adult ADHD?

If you have adult ADHD, the effects you experience depend on the subtype you have and the severity of your symptoms. Medication, therapy, and other traditional methods are enough to manage the condition for many people. These treatments allow many people with ADHD to have successful careers, relationships, and family lives.

ADHD has its advantages too!

The brains of people with ADHD develop differently, and those differences aren't always negative. Research shows that they can often be advantages or strengths. Here are some of them:

• Creativity: People with ADHD are often good at creative careers. The changes in the way your brain works may make it easier to find unconventional, innovative solutions.
• Energy and motivation: Hyperactivity can be a powerful force that pushes you to achieve goals.
• Hyper-focus: You can "hyper-focus" on a task that interests you or is fun. Instead of getting distracted, you forget about everything else and focus completely on what you're doing. Experts link this ability to higher productivity and achievement.
• Agreeableness: People with ADHD are often more agreeable and sympathetic to those around them. You may be a good "team player" and always want to help others.

Businesses and companies are also aware of these positive aspects of ADHD. Many companies are trying to hire `neurodivergent` people (including those with ADHD) into positions where their brain differences can be an advantage.

How long does adult ADHD last?

ADHD is a lifelong condition. It doesn't go away, and there's no cure. However, research shows that the severity of symptoms decreases with age, especially after age 60.

What is the outlook for this situation?

ADHD itself is not a dangerous condition. However, if adult ADHD is left untreated - especially if it is severe - it can negatively affect your life in many ways. These include:

• Increased risk of injury: The impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and inattention that are the main symptoms of ADHD can all contribute to injury. This can also increase the risk of mental health conditions like anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) .
• Substance use disorders: People with ADHD are more likely to "self-medicate" with alcohol or non-prescribed drugs, which increases the risk of substance use disorders.
• Legal problems and incarceration: Having ADHD puts you at higher risk for conditions like antisocial personality disorder and conduct disorder, which are strongly linked to criminal behavior. Experts believe this is one reason why ADHD rates are higher than average among people with criminal convictions.

How do I take care of myself?

If you have ADHD, your doctor can prescribe medication, as well as recommend treatments and changes in your lifestyle that can help with the condition. Some of the best things you can do are:

• Take your medication exactly as prescribed: It's important to take your ADHD medications exactly as prescribed. That's how you're most likely to get the full benefit of them. If you're taking stimulants, taking them exactly as prescribed can help prevent dependence or addiction.
• Find ways to adapt and overcome your weaknesses: ADHD can look very different from person to person, so the strategies that help you may also vary greatly. Find what works for you and incorporate those strategies into your life. They will make it easier to live with the effects of ADHD, overcome them, and function.
• Take advantage of technology: Smartphone apps and other technologies can help you cope with this condition. There are also online communities where people with ADHD can share information and talk about their experiences. These can also be resources that can help you better understand the condition and cope with it.

When should I see a doctor?

You should see your doctor as your doctor recommends, especially if you are taking medication or receiving any other treatment. If you are taking stimulant medications, your state or national laws may require that you see your doctor regularly in order for your doctor to continue prescribing the medication. Your doctor can tell you more about this and recommend a schedule for these appointments.

Who does this affect? ​​How common is it?

ADHD can affect anyone, but males are more likely to be diagnosed with the condition. However, there is evidence that ADHD is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in females. There is also no consensus on whether the condition affects people differently based on race or ethnicity. More research is needed to determine whether these factors may contribute to differences in how the condition affects people.

ADHD is a relatively common condition among adults. Experts estimate that it affects between 2.5% and 6.76% of adults worldwide. That means that the condition affects between 139 million and 360 million people worldwide.

Experts estimate that between 15% and 20% of adults diagnosed as children still meet full criteria for the condition, and another 40% to 60% continue to have at least some symptoms.

What is the difference between adult ADD and adult ADHD?

ADD is an old name for the inattention subtype of ADHD. In 1987, the American Psychiatric Association changed the name of the condition to its current name, "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder." The latest revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5-TR™) divides the condition into inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and mixed subtypes.

Important: ADHD is a condition that affects brain development and causes hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, or inattention. It starts in early childhood, and many children — but not all — outgrow it as they get older. ADHD in adults can affect your performance at work, social relationships, and more.

Finally, a few things to remember

Although ADHD can add challenges to your life, remember that it is a very manageable condition. You can live with it successfully through medication, psychotherapy, and simple lifestyle changes. Sometimes, the different abilities that come with ADHD can even be an advantage in your workplace and personal life.

If you think you have ADHD, it's best to see a doctor and talk about it. With an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, you can control the effects of the condition and turn them into tools for your success. You're not alone, and there are many ways to get help.

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