Can you get ADHD as an adult?

Listen up, hyperactive adults! You may have attentionfinding a good career match. And yet others are still
deficit disorder. If you recognise any of the attentionstruggling, trying to figure out why they cannot seem to
deficit disorder symptoms in the following article, thenwork up to their potential. Worse, many adults with
make an appointment with your doctor. Yourundiagnosed ADHD find themselves living a life of
practitioner is armed with new information andshame, poor self esteem, and worse.
research to diagnose a variety of disorders on whichCommon ADHD symptoms
the medical practice is still deliberating. And whileAll adults have some symptoms of attention deficient
ADHD used to be known as a child's disorder, nowhyperactive disorder due to the stresses and strains
adults are coming forward for treatment too.of real life. Some of these are: distractibility, impulsivity,
ADHD - not just child's playinattention, difficulty staying on task, having many
Up until the mid 1980's, it was widely believed byprojects going on at one time and rarely completing
physicians and psychologists that ADHD and theany of them, irritability, difficulty falling asleep and
numerous symptoms of attention deficient disorderdifficulty waking up ...but when an adult has a significant
was outgrown by the time a child hit adolescence.amount of symptoms that impair his daily living, then he
Though many clinicians still hold on to this belief, it ismay indeed have attention deficit disorder. Attention
now accepted by many in the medical community thatdeficient hyperactive disorder can mimic other
childhood ADHD does indeed continue into adulthood.disorders, like depression, anxiety, and some medical
As a matter of fact, the DSM-IV, the Diagnostic andproblems like hypothyroidism. And ADHD can co-exist
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, describes thewith other disorders. If after your reading you still
attention deficient disorder as one that can affectwonder if you may, indeed, have ADHD, then you may
anybody.want to consider going for an evaluation.
Is the following scenario familiar to you?Many ways to treat your ADHD symptoms
Hyper Henry Hawkins in 4th grade, who was unable toFirst, check with your medical doctor to make sure
sit still in Mrs. Jones' homeroom, became Mr. Hawkins,you aren't having ADHD symptoms due to a medical
who at age 35, is unable to sit through businessproblem. Talk to him/her about the possibility of ADHD.
meetings. His legs kick under the table while his eyesChances are, he may not know enough about it to
dart around at the different posters on the wall. Theoffer a diagnosis. Therefore, consider going to a
doodles on his notepaper keep his fingers busy. Andmental health clinician who has done extensive work
he doesn't hear a word the presenter is saying. Yes,with adult attention deficient hyperactive disorder. The
ADHD is alive and well, living in adult bodies.treatments include dietary changes, lifestyle changes
It is estimated that between 5-7%- or more- of alland a combination of prescription drugs. Try the milder
children suffer from attention deficit disorder. But whatoptions first for a more complete turnaround in your
happens when these children grow up? Some arebusy daily life. New disorders are being tested on for
lucky enough to have learned to compensate for theirbetter and better treatments all the time, and ADHD is
poor attention span, impulsivity and distractibility byno exception!