ADD/ADHD in Adults
Challenges and Strengths
Understanding Them Will Change Your Life
It is unfortunate that up to 85% of ADD/ADHD in adults is undiagnosed. Contrary to popular, but outdated theories, childhood ADD often does not go away but instead changes in form. What appeared as hyperactivity in the younger years may manifest as inattentiveness, disorganization and restlessness. ADD/ADHD can affect your work, social life, family life, finances and even your driving!
If you or someone you know has ADD/ADHD, identifying the particular challenges involved is the first step in beginning to develop strategies to overcome them. Understanding your strengths and the positive aspects of ADD can help you succeed in life.
Understanding Your Challenges
Attention Deficit Disorder is a neurobiological problem in the portion of your brain that deals with management. Adults with ADD have trouble with:
Emotions: feeling easily frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, stressed out, or constantly worrying; lacking self-confidence.
Perfectionism & transitions: everything looks black or white, “all or nothing;” trouble shifting focus between tasks.
Organization: keeping track of and estimating time can be a problem as can be starting and following through on projects.
Communication: have trouble making themselves understood, listening, picking up on non-verbal cues, talking too much.
Impulsivity: taking on too much, not thinking about the risks or cost, often speaking inappropriately, making rude remarks and snap judgments, interrupting.
Hyperactive: non-stop talking, constant motion, difficulty in relaxing.
Inattentiveness: inability to focus, “tuning out” others, losing things and forgetfulness.
Strategies to Help
Now that you understand the challenges you face, here are a few strategies to help you overcome them:
Have a daily routine: Plan what you will wear the night before and lay it out. Try to include exercise in that routine especially in the morning. Exercise increases the levels of dopamine and norephrine in your brain, helping to balance your ADD.
When you feel stressed, try taking a walk outdoors or meditating. If you have trouble focusing when in a noisy environment, try to schedule meetings or work in a quiet place.
You have learned many skills in life: such as reading words, and maybe music. You can also learn to “read” people. If the person you are talking to begins breaking eye contact, answering in monosyllables, or tapping feet, it might mean you are talking too much. A blank look or lifting the eyebrows quizzically or tilting the head may mean they don’t understand what you are saying.
Enlist the aid of friends or family to give you a signal when you are dominating the conversation.
Know Your Strengths
The Positive Aspects of ADD
If you have ADD/ADHD you are probably:
A whiz at multitasking.
You can think outside the box and come up with novel ideas and creative solutions to problems.
You rule at brain-storming new ideas.
You are very creative.
You can accomplish a lot with your abundance of energy.
Enthusiasm can be contagious and you have an abundance to give to others. Never boring, you are spontaneous.
You have the ability to hyperfocus on something that grabs your interest, forgetting everything else. Zeroing in on what you are doing can lead to incredible breakthroughs.
A Coach to Help You Maximize
the Power of Your Strengths
Sally McAfee has worked with young people and adults for the past 35 years, 20 of them as a school guidance counselor. It is there where she became adept at bringing out the strengths in her ADD/ADHD clients.
Sign up for Sally’s special article “Seven Ways to Move Your Family from Chaos to Connection”. Contact Sally to arrange for a complementary consultation.
Learning how to deal with ADD/ADHD in adults will benefit every aspect of your life.
