Adults With a New Diagnosis of ADHD

Many adults diagnosed with ADHD will not have had aspouse, parent, or friend who enables the ADHD adult
formal diagnosis of ADHD as children. What thisto continue to be disorganized and unproductive. The
means from a practical standpoint is that they will havepartner or friend continuously 'helps' the adult with
to learn how to manage their symptoms withoutADHD by continually performing for the ADHD adult
having had any previous training in ADHD symptomthe household and life tasks that the ADHD adult
management.should be doing for himself or herself.
Newly diagnosed adults with ADHD face lifeInevitably the partner ends up resenting the one sided
challenges that are very different form the challengesarrangement and the relationship ends up in ruin. If you
faced by their younger ADHD cohorts. ADHD Adults,find that you have a pattern of surrounding yourself
who may have previously depended on parents forwith people who do things for you, it may be
support performing their activities of daily living, mustnecessary for you to get professional help from a
learn, on their own, how to best organize theircounselor and coach in order to get you on your way
day-to-day tasks. These adults are often learning toto learning how to navigate your life tasks on your
negotiate other challenges as well such as how toown.
navigate relationships, how to succeed with theFinding the right job is important for all adults but for
demands of higher education, and how to succeed inadults with ADHD some jobs are a better match than
their careers.others. In general jobs that require repetitive tasks will
This is a tall order for people whose ADHD symptomsbe problematic for adults with ADHD. Jobs that require
have gone unrecognized or untreated. For some adultsthat you sit still for long periods are also a poor choice.
with ADHD the ADHD symptoms have been presentJobs such as firefighting, police work, paramedic work,
for a long time but the symptoms did not become awaitressing, ER physician, Tour Guide, or teacher are
major impairment because of the support of parentsprobably better jobs than jobs in computer
or other family members.programming, bookkeeping, or accounting.
These adults with ADHD will need to learn new lifeFinding the right spouse or partner is as important in life
skills in order to manage their symptoms. Most ADHDas finding the right job. The best partners for adults
adults will also likely need medical intervention.with ADHD are patient and can tolerate a bit of
Psychological coaching, medication, cognitive trainingdisorganization but do not enable to adult to stay
and EEG biofeedback have all proved useful in theperpetually disorganized. Good partners encourage,
management of adults with ADHD.motivate, and help Adults with ADHD to complete their
So where do you start if you are an adult newlytasks and provide the necessary love and support to
diagnosed with ADHD? Your first stop should probablyempower the ADHD adult to succeed.
be the container store. No kidding!! Organizing yourThe most important goal for a newly diagnosed adult
personal space will go a long way to moving forwardwith ADHD involves finding the medical and personal
on more lofty goals. Enlist the help of a relative orsupport that will facilitate their:
friend to help get you started but be careful to notLearning to organize your life
allow your relatives or friends take over the job ofPicking the right life partner of spouse, and
'organizing' you. You must learn to carry out theseChoosing the correct career.
organizational tasks on your own.Once the appropriate support is in place and these
A common problem that I have seen in adults withthree areas are addressed, the life of Adults newly
ADHD occurs when the ADHD adult has a partner,diagnosed with ADHD will be much more manageable.