Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in the world. ADHD affects over eight percent of children and about four percent of adults worldwide. Most ADHD symptoms appear at a young age. Lack of knowledge on this disorder has led to many people mislabelling it as one’s personality.
High Functioning ADHD Symptoms
High-functioning ADHD is a little different from full-blown ADHD. When you have high-functioning ADHD, the struggle is more personal, and other people can easily miss noticing the symptoms. Mostly, you will seem different, and in most cases, you will have to put in double effort to achieve standard results. Below are some symptoms of high-functioning ADHD.
Poor Time Management
Things like meeting deadlines, staying on schedule, or showing up on time become a struggle to you, whereas to everyone else, it seems effortless. In turn, your life becomes a full-time scramble to get even the simplest tasks done.
Procrastination
High-functioning ADHD makes you keep on procrastinating your tasks till the last minute. Flaking on your friends when you have made plans just to stay indoors becomes the order of the day. You will also find it challenging to plan, and when you do, it is not consistent.
Short Concentration Span
You know that you want to relax and read for a long time to catch up with others for a long time, but it seems impossible. Every time you want to read, you find yourself rereading the same page over and over. You also become easily distracted when you are reading.
Cannot Sit Still For Long
Whether at work or school, you don’t find it easy to sit for long and keep on moving from one desk to another. Anytime you are bound to sit for long, you start fidgeting on your seat, you become restless, or you start tapping your foot. This behavior gets annoying – not only to people around you but also to you, even though you cannot help it.
You Prefer Mobile Tasks
Sitting for long periods is not the best suit for you, so you find yourself favoring tasks that allow you to move around. You find that you would rather go to the gym than sit and watch a movie or read a book.
ADHD Symptoms in Adults
ADHD in adults and kids show differently due to their dissimilar social surroundings. Teenage ADHD symptoms are often ignored and labeled as a phase that one will grow out of after adolescent years are over. If these symptoms are ignored for long, ADHD might progress to significant levels that can be hard to control later in the future.
The following are ADHD symptoms in adults:
- Having temper outbursts
- You find disorganization very annoying
- Blurting out answers before questions are completed, especially in meetings
- Having impulse shopping spree even when you don’t earn much
- You hate it when things don’t go as planned
- You like getting involved in risky and antisocial actions
- You are easily distracted when doing even the simplest tasks
Symptoms and Diagnosis of ADHD
Before your doctor diagnoses you with ADHD, they will have to cover several areas in your life where the disorder presents itself. It is crucial for you to detail all the symptoms to your doctor, no matter how minor or insignificant they seem.
There are three main subtypes of ADHD that doctors look out for: inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive, or a combination of both types.
Inattentive Type
The most common symptoms for the inattentive type are:
- Disregarding instructions and making careless mistakes
- Being forgetful and preoccupied
- Failure to listen when spoken to
- Facing challenges when organizing
- Having a short attention span
- Hating long-term chores
- Can be distracted easily
To be diagnosed with inattentive ADHD, you have to present at least five of these symptoms.
Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
The most common symptoms for the hyperactive-impulsive type are:
- Fidgeting and being restless
- Cannot be seated in the same spot for long
- Talking too much
- Interjecting when others are talking
- Cannot involve in activities that require quietness
- Having difficulty in taking turns
ADD vs. ADHD Symptoms
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a term used to describe inattentive ADHD, a subtype of ADHD. People with inattentive ADHD are not impulsive, but they have a short attention span. The term ADD is now outdated, and ADHD refers to all types of attention-deficit hyperactive disorder.
Other symptoms of ADD include:
- Forgetfulness
- Disorganization
- Lacking focus
ADHD Self-Test
Several people have opted for ADHD self-testing instead of going to the hospital for a diagnosis. Free ADHD assessment is prevalent due to available online resources. Several sites online provide you with questionnaires and lists of symptoms to watch out for if you suspect ADHD.
Most of these questionnaires are not scientifically proven to offer you the proper diagnosis. Therefore, you should not wholly trust ADHD free tests online for a diagnosis. Instead, visit your doctor for a clinically-proven diagnosis if you are experiencing any symptoms of ADHD.
Dr. Umar is the Content Lead/Head at Ezcareclinic, a state of–the art medical facility specializing in mental health and online care. After completing his medical degree, he became part of the clinic team as a medical writer and editor. He ensures that each piece of content provides well-researched, authentic, and up-to-date information and advice on mental health and other healthcare topics.