ADD As An Adult - What's It Like?

Attention Deficit Disorder is often difficult to diagnose in adulthood as it sometimes masked by relationship problems, mood disorders, substance abuse, employment issues, or other psychological disorders. It was previously believed that children and adolescents would grow out of ADD, but it has just been acknowledged in the last few decades that it persists into adulthood. Actually, 67% of children with ADD will continue to exhibit signs well into adulthood. ADD is very difficult to diagnose in adults and sometimes only occurs after a child of the adult is diagnosed and the genetic link is made.

How is Attention Deficit Disorder exhibited in adults? Actually, in much the same ways as in children. Adults with ADD often have difficulty in completing assignments, fail to pay close attention to details, fidget, are inattentive, are unorganized, and talk excessively. Unfortunately, adult ADD is often commingled with lack of self-control, poor memory, anxiety, depression, mood swings, employment issues, chronic lateness, and difficulties regulating motivation, emotions and arousal. Like their child counterparts, these behaviors cause an inability to function in every day activities, which can especially cause a problem in employment situations.

Adults that have grown up being undiagnosed as having ADD often suffer from low self-esteem and feel like they are stupid, lazy, or even crazy. Diagnosing them as adults may lay to rest lifelong perception issues they may have had with themselves and may allow them to improve on self-esteem, as well as work skills and performance. It is believed that these reasons could actually be the basis for the depression and other psychological issues they have as adults.

Treatment for adults often includes medication, education, behavior skill building to better cope with their disorder, and counselling. Stimulant medication, as with children, may be the first stage in treatment. However, this is not a cure and should be coupled with behavior modification to reach full potential. Counseling may very well be an important aspect of treatment, as ongoing psychologically issues have been present. Likewise, just being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder may cause reason to seek counseling in order to come to terms with the diagnosis.

The important thing for an adult to remember when they have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder is that there is help available and treatment is easily attainable. They should find comfort in understanding the root of their behavior and actions and knowing help is available.

ADD And College Students - How Does It Affect Them?

Unfortunately, Attention Deficit Disorder does not necessarily fade with age. Many people that suffer as a child will continue to suffer as a teen, as well as into adulthood. However, this disorder may affect people differently at different stages in their life.

College can be a difficult time for some students. For many, this represents a time of breaking free and starting their new uninhibited lives. This may be an exciting and emotional time. How does a college student with ADD face such a time?

For a person with Attention Deficit Disorder, this may prove to be a harsh time of transformation. Typically coming from families that were especially doting and accommodating to their situation, they are thrown in to a new environment to fend for themselves. One of the basic behavior modification techniques in training an ADD child is through structure, routine, and habit. At once, all of this is taken and it becomes the student’s responsibility to recreate this structured life they once had. Of course, a person with ADD is typically disorganized and unstructured. So, they may have a difficult time having the discipline to enact such stringent requirements for themselves.

Another aspect to consider is the increased difficulty in the academic load in college as compared to high school and the additional responsibility put on the students. Not only will the student be responsible for their own organization and structure, they will do so under more stress and academic pressure. This increasingly more difficult schoolwork is not made easier by the student’s general inattentive nature, distractibility, and impulsiveness. The very core of ADD makes college more difficult. With any luck, the student has spent enough time over the last few years regulating their own behavior that they will easily be able to in this new environment.

For the most part, the same steps should be taken in college to deal with ADD as was necessary in high school and other grades. To be effective, a student should carry some type of organizational calendaring system or digital organizer. In college, they do not hold the students’ hands like they do in high school – once an assignment is made, it is expected to be turned in on time, without reminders. Therefore, it becomes imperative to keep up with deadlines and dates. Students should also create structure and organization in their dorm or apartment and utilize the same skills they have been developing for years.

ADD And Coexisting Conditions - Why Is It So Complicated?

ADD is often accompanied by a coexisting condition. On the other hand, often ADD and these other conditions have similar symptoms and, therefore, are easily misdiagnosed. Of course, this creates a plethora of problems as these disorders, when separate, must be treated differently. A misdiagnosis will lead to ineffective treatment. As coexisting conditions, these are especially of concern, because they increase the severity of many of the symptoms of ADD, as well as the negative impact on those that suffer them.

One such condition is Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder. Children with this disorder tend to be very aggressive and defiant. They usually lose their tempers very easily and challenge authority figures. This is the most easily diagnosable behaviors, as teachers and parents become aware of this conduct quickly and seek treatment almost immediately. This particular disorder is common in children that are the hyperactive/impulsive type of ADD and occurs in 35% of children with ADD. This coexisting condition makes it much more likely that these sufferers will get in legal trouble as they age due to their authoritative defiance.

Many children that have ADD also suffer from mood disorders and/or depression. The complication associated with this coexisting condition is the increased likelihood of suicide common during teen years. 18% of ADD children also suffer from some type of mood disorder, and is it more likely to occur within the inattentive type of ADD. This is often not as easily diagnosed as compared to other conditions. Children with mood disorders as a coexisting condition must be treated with different medication than typical ADD treatment; therefore, such therapy may be more difficult.

Also a concern is anxiety disorders among ADD sufferers, which constitutes roughly 25% of those with ADD. Traits common of Anxiety Disorders are fear, panic, and worry, which may necessitate medication and/or counseling. As with mood disorders, combined treatment make therapy more complex and arduous.

Learning Disabilities are also conditions common with children that have ADD. While ADD, in itself, is not a learning disability, it can make it extremely difficult for children to perform well in school. If coupled with a learning disability, it makes it considerably more challenging for children to grasp academic concepts and utilize such knowledge.

For the most part, coexisting conditions make treatment more difficult and the side effects of both disorders more severe. The typical signs and symptoms of ADD are difficult enough to deal with, but with more intense severity, it often makes side effects deadly or incredibly negatively life altering.