What Is ADHD?
I'm an adult, can I have ADHD too?
Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined as a mental health disorder that may include a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour.
Symptoms of Adult ADHD, left untreated or without practical strategies to apply, can potentially lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem, and other functional problems.
Although it is called Adult ADHD, symptoms always start in early childhood and continue into adulthood. In some cases, ADHD is not recognized or diagnosed until adulthood when life’s daily demands and behavioural expectations are elevated and become at times overwhelming .
Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children, and in adults, hyperactive behaviour may decrease, but struggles with inattentiveness, impulsivity, restlessness, frustration and difficulty starting or completing tasks may continue.
Common Symptoms Include:
- Have trouble staying focused or get easily distracted and tend not to start or finish schoolwork and tasks.
- Appear not to be listening when spoken to.
- Constantly fidget and squirm, swing their legs, reposition themselves.
- Talk excessively despite being asked to stop.
- Act without thinking, or find themselves doing risky things without considering the consequences.
- Interrupt often, or say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
- Have a quick temper, low tolerance or "short fuses".
How can an Assessment and Therapy for ADHD help me?
Finding answers and practical solutions together
Our Psychological Therapy and Counseling Treatment plans can make a dramatic difference in your or your child’s symptoms and quality of life.
With the right understanding, appropriate supports, planning and practical strategies, there is a much higher rate of achieving success in all areas of life, and greater life satisfaction with less stress, compared to ignoring or just leaving symptoms and behaviours unaddressed.
If you are interested in learning more about our available ADHD Therapy and Assessments, for children, youth, and adults, contact the Toronto Neurodevelopmental Centre today for a free first consultation.
We are happy to share with you how we can help you or your child achieve greater success and grow, or how your own adult symptoms of ADHD can be more effectively managed with less stress and frustation using the right therapeutic approach and strategies.
Is it ADHD or just normal behaviour?
ADHD is a lifetime diagnosis and looks different in children & adults
We all know kids [and adults] who can’t sit still, who never seem to listen, blurt out inappropriate comments or don’t follow through on instructions no matter how many times or how clearly you present them.
While it is normal for children to at times forget their homework, daydream during class or act without thinking, extreme inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity causing difficulty at home, school or with friends, may also be signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.
For some children/youth with ADHD, they may demonstrate excessive fidgetting, having trouble sitting through a meal, finishing their homework or difficulty holding back the urge to interrupt others or talking non stop during times they are asked to be quiet. Smaller children may run, jump, climb, grab things from people and older children may speak out loud without considering the inappropriatess of their words, and find themselves having more accidents and injuries than other youth due to impulsive or reckless behaviour. Adults with ADHD can also appear frequently restless, find it diffiucult to focus and get started on tasks, start many different work/home projects but leave most unfinished, and struggle with feelings of underachivement, low self esteem and frustration. This presentation of ADHD is described as Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD.
In contrast, individuals with ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Presentation, often do not exhibit the obvious signs of excessive movement and activity, and may be overlooked because they do not demonstrate behavioural difficulties. However, children and adults with Inattentive ADHD typically struggle with severe inattention, problems with processing and retaining auditory information, often make careless mistakes at school or work, have difficulties organizing or finishing tasks, are forgetful and often losing or misplacing items, and appear at times to not listen even when spoken to directly.
ADHD makes it difficult for a person to inhibit their spontaneous responses, including everything from physical movements to speech to assertiveness.