What Does Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Feel Like?

Susan, an administrative assistant and mother, feels overwhelmed with her responsibilities at work and home. At work, she finds it nearly impossible to focus her thoughts. Her desk is a mess; her papers and projects lie about in total disorganization. She constantly fidgets and taps her foot when she is sitting at her desk. Often, she misses deadlines because she finds it difficult to complete her assignments. She is constantly losing important pieces of information and she has been reprimanded by her boss about her performance. At home, Susan has trouble keeping up with the needs of her husband and children. She finds it difficult to remember the dates and times of her children’s activities. She forgets to complete simple tasks like paying the electric bill or picking up the laundry. She is constantly losing her keys and her purse. Her family feels that she never listens to them because she often appears so unfocused. Her behavior has caused her family to feel distant from her.

Susan has Adult Attention Deficit Disorder or (Adult ADD). Adult ADD symptoms are similar, but not exactly the same, to those seen in children. When exhibited in children, symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In adults, the element of hyperactivity often diminishes and is replaced by restlessness or fidgeting. Until the 1970s, it was believed that Attention Deficit Disorder was strictly a childhood disorder, and that children outgrew it in adolescence. Only gradually was it realized that while the hyperactivity component may disappear, the attention and impulsive aspects can persist into adulthood. By understanding what ADD is, one can understand how to begin treating it.

The symptoms of Adult ADD interfere with success at work, home, and in social settings. Many adults do not realize that they have Adult ADD until their own child is diagnosed with the disorder. Often, adults realize that what they are experiencing is a pattern of problems they have faced since childhood. They are relieved that there is a name for the frustration they have been feeling all of their lives, and that there are therapies and treatments designed to help them cope with Attention Deficit Disorder.