The symptoms of ADHD can manifest in different ways in adults. Although the diagnosis is essential to think about each person’s condition, there are several indicators that indicate the presence of problems in sustaining attention in activities of daily living, as well as in the regulation of movements. Many adults have shown to have alterations in the areas of attention and hyperactivity when conflicts arise in work, social, family and love relationships. Detecting these types of manifestations in time will help find tools and solutions to deal with these situations in an efficient way.
In this Psychology-Online article we will provide you with information about the main ADHD symptoms in adults.
What is ADHD in adults
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a clinical condition characterized by difficulty maintaining attention and impulsive movements. Although ADHD is diagnosed in many children who present obstacles in their school performance, many people live with this problem throughout their lives and become adults who suffer the consequences.
According to the DSM-V, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be detected based on a series of specific diagnostic criteria. Below we show you the most relevant ones:
- Errors in the execution of tasks due to carelessness.
- Lack of auditory attention.
- Reluctance to perform tasks that require mental effort.
- Hyperactivity and impulsivity.
- Symptoms occur in two or more places.
- Deterioration of social, work and family relationships.
- The symptoms have a duration of six months or more.
- The alterations cannot be explained by the presence of other mental disorders and the intake of toxic substances or medications.
However, evaluation and diagnosis should always be carried out by a specialized mental health professional. In this article you will find information about the .
Lack of attention
It is common to observe that adults who suffer from ADHD present difficulties sustaining attention. In general, this can be seen in work settings and social encounters since details of relevant conversations are omitted. On the other hand, lack of attention can produce poor academic and work performance by not carrying out the proposed goals and objectives.
Spatial and temporal disorganization
People with ADHD have complications to establish adequate planning of activities. Likewise, generally They often lose track of time and spaces resulting from a lack of concentration that cannot be sustained over time. This leads to certain social ties being lost and not being sustained over time.
Impulsiveness
Another symptom that is reflected in adults who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is impulsivity, which manifests itself in specific acts. In this sense, the person may not be able to control their emotions in situations that arouse discomfort and anger and act accordingly.
Low tolerance to frustration
This pathology involves living with permanent frustrations because it is not possible for a person to achieve everything they set out to do. At the same time, the lack of attention causes the inability to achieve certain work and social objectives, which will also have an impact on a level of tolerance for frustration that is not bearable.
In this article we explain to you.
Low self-esteem
Many people who have this clinical condition develop it due to the unpleasant experiences they have had in their lives. This includes labor conflicts, family disagreements or romantic separations, among others.
Although it is true that each person is different, the qualities of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder usually produce distancing from the environment if they are not treated properly.
Memory problems
Attention deficit can cause inability to store memories in short and long term memory. In relation to this aspect, it has been proven that this disorder can affect memory functions, so people with ADHD can forget places, addresses, events, relevant data, details, among others.
Anxiety
Although it can be classified as a special clinical condition due to its qualities, it can be part of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In many cases, this can be seen because a implicit need to achieve objectives in a short timebut without actually carrying out a process.
If the goals that a person sets are not met within the appropriate time frames, it is possible that the person with ADHD will experience high levels of anxiety.
Frequent oversights
Forgetfulness is common in people who suffer from diagnosed attention problems. This is due to the difficulty in sustaining a high level of attention for a long time, which causes a loss of relevant details of some specific event or situation.
In other words, it is common for adults with ADHD to have difficulties remembering events, places, data, etc.
Harmful behaviors
Another symptom of ADHD in adults is harmful behaviors for the individual. This includes the consumption of toxic substances, injuries in different parts of the body, physical fights with other people, among others. Mainly, these behaviors are due to the way they process the anguish they feel in the face of some situations they face.
Furthermore, in many cases, they do not have adequate resources to alleviate the discomfort they feel and, consequently, they may carry out any type of harmful behavior.
Problematic money control
Impulsive behaviors and poor attention can lead to poor money management. This issue reflects that people with this clinical condition can lose their money without any type of record of the expenses they make, as well as generate large debts that they cannot pay.
emotional instability
ADHD in adults can also cause complications in emotional regulation as a result of a predominance of certain emotions. In general terms, the hyperactivity inherent to the diagnosis goes hand in hand with feelings of anger, frustration, anguish and sadness.
This causes the person to live with emotional instability that prevents them from enjoying certain moments of daily life.
Apathy
Another symptom of ADHD is apathy, which consists of a lack of enthusiasm for carrying out some daily activity that can awaken some feeling for the person. In this sense, people with ADHD can develop high levels of apathy as a consequence of the lack of attention typical of the clinical picture.
This means that they do not have details that could be interesting about various topics and, consequently, lack of motivation to develop professionally and socially.
Focused concentration
Although ADHD is usually associated with labile and unstable attention, in some cases people can focus on a single stimulus to avoid any other factors that could distract them.
Focusing on a single detail causes these people to make great mental efforts to obtain as much information as possible about the topic in question. However, this can cause them to get lost or forget about other situations in their life while they are focused on that aspect.
Unstable relationships
The social ties of a person with this pathology are usually unstable because, due to attentional conditions, they usually present difficulties in engaging in extended dialogues without omitting important details.
Likewise, the presence of hyperactivity and impulsivity can cause conflicts and distancing with the person’s closest environment, such as family, closest friends, co-workers, partners, etc.
Project abandonment
The obstacles that manifest in this clinical condition can determine that the person abandon the projects I had started. This condition can be denoted in any area of life, with the work area being more predominant. The main cause of this is usually low self-esteem and a low tolerance for frustration.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Symptoms of ADHD in adultswe recommend that you enter our category.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (5th edition). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.
Bibliography
- Ortiz León, S., Jaimes Medrano, AL (2016). Attention deficit disorder in adulthood and in university students. Medigraphic Magazine, 59 (5), 6-14.
- Valdizán, JR, Izaguerri-Gracia, AC (2009). Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults. Journal of Neurology, 48 (2), S95-S99.