Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) has entered mainstream society recently. More people are aware of its existence, and adult diagnoses are fairly common. Especially in women. However, ADHD is still stigmatized and misunderstood.
ADHD has recently become much more widely discussed in Western culture. Despite its newfound fame, it’s still largely shrouded in mystery.
People who have ADHD have different ways of processing and organizing information. The executive functioning parts of their brain – the parts responsible for planning, organizing, multi-tasking, and focusing – work differently than in non-ADHD brains.
If you think you might have adult ADHD, you’ll most likely need to adjust certain parts of your life to align with the way your brain works. But living with ADHD isn’t automatically a terrible life sentence. Learning more about the signs of ADHD can help normalize and destigmatize it. So let’s talk about adult ADHD in men and women: signs, symptoms, and treatment with young adult therapy in Manhattan, NY.
Different Types of Adult ADHD
There are three types or presentations of ADHD in adults and children: hyperactive-impulsive, inattentive, and combined.
Hyperactive-impulsive: This type is associated with excess energy and difficulty with self-control. It includes things like having a hard time staying still or seated, fidgeting, regular interrupting, and a lot of talking.
Inattentive: Inattentive ADHD is associated with being “spacey” or forgetful. It can look like getting distracted easily, forgetting tasks or instructions, losing items, not being able to pay attention, having poor memory, and having difficulty with organization.
Combined: Combined-type ADHD presents with several signs from both of the other two presentations of ADHD.
Both hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive presentations of ADHD have 9 general symptoms as listed in the DSM-V. In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, adults need to exhibit at least 5 of the 9 symptoms for at least 6 months. Additionally, these symptoms need to be present in two or more settings (work and home, for example) and they need to sufficiently reduce functioning. A psychiatrist, psychologist, or primary care doctor can provide proper diagnoses.
18 Signs of ADHD in Adults
Here are the symptoms and signs of ADHD in adults.
9 signs of hyperactive-impulsive ADHD in adults:
Extreme restlessness
Inability to engage quietly in activities (loud or noisy)
Fidgets taps hands or feet or moves around while seated
Excessive speaking that feels beyond your control
Interrupts or intrudes in conversations or activities
Unable to remain still; constantly “on the go”
Difficulty staying seated
Difficulty waiting (in line or on the phone, for example)
Speaks when inappropriate (completes someone’s sentences or interrupts them)
9 signs of inattentive-type ADHD in adults:
Inability to pay close attention to details
Difficulty staying focused on tasks
Difficulty listening, even when spoken to directly
Difficulty following through on tasks or instructions (loses focus, gets sidetracked)
Difficulty staying organized
Difficulty with tasks that require sustained mental effort (like work tasks)
Loses important items like keys, phone, wallet, or glasses
Easily distracted
Forgetful in daily life
In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, you need at least 5 consistent symptoms from either of these lists. Or, if you have combined-type ADHD, 5 from each list.
ADHD: Men vs Women
Many people think of ADHD as being mainly a diagnosis for young hyperactive boys. But ADHD often lasts into adulthood, and women are just as likely to have ADHD as men.
Boys and men are more likely to be diagnosed with hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, whereas women and girls are more likely to be diagnosed with inattentive ADHD.
Although women’s diagnoses of adult ADHD are on the rise, women tend to fall below the radar in testing. Women are generally better at masking their ADHD challenges. This can lead to fewer diagnoses because they come across as neurotypical even when they aren’t.
Many women are surprised to learn they fit the criteria for ADHD in adulthood. An adult ADHD diagnosis can explain a lot about a person’s past and their challenges. If you suspect you may have ADHD, you may have been chastized all your life for being forgetful, distractable, and spacey. However, an ADHD diagnosis can bring new meaning to these challenges. Suddenly you might see your inability to pay attention not as a personal failing, but as a sign of a neurodivergent brain.
Adult ADHD and Mental Health
While ADHD comes with physical and behavioral signs and symptoms, it also frequently comes with mental health challenges. These include low self-esteem, negative self-talk, people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, and depression.
You may be exhausted and burned out due to masking your behaviors and struggles for so long.
You may feel anxious, with a tendency toward people-pleasing and perfectionism, because you have been trying too hard to “make up” for your perceived flaws all your life.
You might feel depressed because you’ve internalized the criticism of family, teachers, bosses, and general society. This can lead to a lot of shame, guilt, self-blaming, and feelings of defeat and hopelessness.
Unfortunately, these types of mental health issues are common among those who experience ADHD. Therapy with a mental health professional can help you work through your struggles while coping with the underlying challenges of ADHD.
Treatment for Adult ADHD
While ADHD can certainly present challenges, it’s also manageable with treatment.
Medication can help reduce signs of ADHD in adults. Medication includes stimulants (like Adderall) and non-stimulants. Medication typically works best for people with hyperactivity-impulsive type ADHD, although it may help those with inattentive or combined types as well.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another well-studied treatment for adult ADHD. CBT helps you understand your underlying patterns of thinking. Understanding how and why you think is important because it impacts all your decisions and behaviors.
Once you get clear on what’s behind your beliefs and behaviors, a CBT therapist will start working with you on specific strategies to help you combat the challenges of ADHD in your life.
For example, say you have difficulty staying organized and it’s impacting your work life. Sessions might include helping you face difficult emotions about the organization, such as guilt or overwhelm. You will also learn to implement tools and strategies to help you stay more organized, like developing habits and using calendars or tracking systems to help you. You may also discuss ways to improve your self-care and mental health, like getting better sleep or exercising more.
Young Adult Therapy Can Help You Understand and Treat Your Adult ADHD
If you want to learn more about the signs of ADHD and how to manage your difficulties, consider young adult therapy. Our team at Liz Morrison Therapy is here to help you cope with your mental health challenges and figure out ways to manage the ADHD behaviors in your life so you feel more organized and in control.
Feel free to get in touch with us for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We can answer any questions you have, see whether we’re a good fit, and start working toward a better future today.
Find Support Soon With The Help of Young Adult Therapy in Manhattan, New York City, Brooklyn, and anywhere else in New York!
Discovering adult ADHD can be overwhelming, but you don't have to navigate it alone. At Liz Morrison Therapy, our specialized young adult therapy offers personalized support to help you manage your symptoms and thrive in your daily life. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
1. Contact us to schedule an appointment for Young Adult Therapy
2. Begin meeting with a skilled young adult therapist
3. Start thriving with your ADHD symptoms!
Other Services Offered at Liz Morrison Therapy
At Liz Morrison Therapy, we offer services for the whole family. So in addition to helping you thrive with your ADHD symptoms in young adult therapy, our services also include parenting support for those looking to create healthy relationships with their children to help them live their best lives, therapy for teens who are looking for support, and guidance, and anxiety therapy for those wanting to cope with their anxiety in healthy ways. For more about us check out our blogs and FAQs.
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