Welcome
This page is to give information about Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults.
There are two different types to this disorder.Attention Deficit (inattentive type)
and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (hyperactive/impusive).
Frankly, I don't understand why they have the two types, because people with either type
can have the same symptoms.
People that have ADD may not have all of these symptoms, and people who have these
syptoms may not have ADD. That is why you should not use this information to diagnose.
There are professionals that can help. If your going to seek professional help, try to find
someone who has a lot of experience with ADD. Some doctors don't know anymore about it you
will at first. (sometimes less)
I just want to inform you about what ADD really is.Some people think it is only a childhood
problem. It's not! Some think it is only the inability to pay attention. It's not!
The following is a list of symptoms that someone with ADD might experience:
Symptoms of ADD/ADHD
- Impatient, and restless.
- Poor listening skills.
- Difficulty with "boring" tasks, such as balancing a checkbook.
That doesn't mean that it's tough to do, but that they often choose
not to do it due to boredom.
- Often have "an inordinate craving for sugar."
- Short, but extraordinarily intense, attention span - not definable
in minutes, hours or months. While their attention span, or the
time something keeps their interest, is typically short, they
can totally absorb themselves in a project that interests them.
(Usually called "Hyper focus".)
- Disorganization. Their desks, homes, bedrooms often look as if
a bomb went off.
- Make snap decisions. (Impulsive)
- They have an exaggerated sense of urgency when on a task, and
boredom when they feel as if there's nothing to do.
- Extremely prone to drug & alcohol abuse. (As well as other addictions
such as food and sex.)
- Extremely independent - prefer to "think for themselves" - don't
take direction well - can be extremely defensive.
- Often go to store for milk, bread, and eggs and come home without
them (or with a new car).
- Tend to daydream more than other people.
- Often fail or have poor grades in school, even though they're
often considered intelligent, gifted, or genius.
- May be prone to depression.
- Have strong swings of emotion and conviction.
- Make faster decisions than "normal" people.
- They are frequently the spark plugs of society - the movers and
shakers.
- It is estimated that over 50% of the worlds most successful entrepreneurs
are ADHD. A large percentage of the world's geniuses are ADHD.
- Many of America's founding fathers had ADHD.
- They don't suffer fools gladly - very blunt - very direct - wear
their emotions on their sleeves - don't beat around the bush -
notorious for critical and stinging comments. (Part of the lack
of social skills and impulsiveness.)
- Live for today - seldom concerned with the future - rarely have
savings accounts.
- Very flexible & open minded - can change strategy on a moments
notice - extremely quick thinkers.
- Often considered extremely funny.
- Often have incredible bursts of energy, usually followed by periods
of very low energy.
- Usually don't enjoy games such as chess, preferring games that
allow them to go for the jugular vs. long strategy.
- Not afraid of risks
- Hard on themselves and others.
- Have broad based interests and voracious curiosity.
- They tend to get creative and find new ways of doing things.
- Great at coming up with ideas for new businesses, even starting
them, but not running them.
- Extremely creative individuals - Often charge off in new directions.
(Suspected ADHDer Thomas Edison was notorious for "going off in
10,000 different directions.")
- Hyperactivity is often present and may show itself in fast talking,
fast walking, fidgeting etc.
- They aren't motivated by the expectations of parents, teachers
or bosses. But if something interests them, a book, a new career,
a new relationship, they, much more than other people, will become
totally absorbed in them.
- Because their minds "zap" from item to item, they often find solutions
to things that can't be handled by "normal" people. Einstein (a
suspected ADHDer who failed math and dropped out of high school)
got his theory of relativity in a "flash of insight."
- Have difficulty thinking in linear ways - they think in random
ways - while both types may arrive at the same answer to a problem,
the ADHDer often uses strange, creative, ingenious methods of
getting to the answer.
- Tend to start projects but never finish.
- Tend to interrupt people a lot - often don't allow people to finish
sentences.
- Often feel as if they're in a fog. It's related to the mental
state right before sleep. They are in an "open", and therefore
distractible, state of consciousness.
- Often have problems in life due to a low self-esteem from their
failure in youth.
- Sometimes capable of doing more than one thing at a time - function
better under pressure.
- "People who make faulty assumptions about them don't realize the
incredible, tremendous effort they have to expend just to keep
these problems in check."
- "ADHD brains and neurosystems are just wired differently."
- When studying, their brains are often moving too fast to catch
important things.
- ADHD seems to improve with age, but never goes away.
- Being diagnosed is often a life changing experience.
- "Adulthood is a challenge. They are functional-dysfunctionals
capable of disaster or hitting the jackpot."
- They're animated - high strung - persuasive - visionaries.
- Depending on the individual's outlook, ADHD can be severely disabling
or a blessing.
- History of ADD symptoms in childhood, such as distractibility,
short attention span, impulsively or restlessness. ADD doesn't
start at age 30.
- History of frequent behavior problems in school (mostly for males)
- Family history of ADD, learning problems, mood disorders or substance
abuse problem
- Short attention span, unless very interested in something
- Lacks attention to detail, due to distractibility
- Frequently misplaces things
- Skips around while reading, or goes to the end first, trouble
staying on track
- Tendency to be easily bored (tunes out)
- Has to be moving in order to think
- Trouble sitting still, such as trouble sitting in one place for
too long, sitting at a desk job for long periods, sitting through
a movie
- Frequent, impulsive job changes
- Lying or stealing on impulse
- Poor organization and planning, trouble maintaining an organized
work/living area
- Chronically late or chronically in a hurry
- Often have piles of stuff
- Easily overwhelmed by tasks of daily living
Poor financial management (late bills, check book a mess, spending
unnecessary money on late fees)
- Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started
- Starting projects but not finishing them, poor follow through
- Enthusiastic beginnings but poor endings
- Inconsistent work performance
- Mood swings
- Negativity
- Proneness to hysterical outburst
- Avoids group activities
- Trouble with authority
- Frequent search for high stimulation (bungee jumping, gambling,
race track, high stress jobs, ER doctors, doing many things at
once, etc.)
- Switches around numbers, letters or words
- Turn words around in conversations
- Poor writing skills (hard to get information from brain to pen)
- Poor handwriting, often prints
- Coordination difficulties
- Performance becomes worse under pressure.
- Test anxiety, or during tests your mind tends to go blank
- The harder you try, the worse it gets
- Work or schoolwork deteriorates under pressure
- Tendency to turn off or become stuck when asked questions in social
situations
- Falls asleep or becomes tired while reading
- Difficulties falling asleep, may be due to too many thoughts at
night
- Difficulty coming awake (may need coffee or other stimulant or
activity before feeling fully awake)
- Sensitive to touch, clothes, noise and light
Like fingerprints, no two ADDers are alike.
