Living & Working with Adult ADHD
Good day Sunday Morning Coffee-ites! What a beautiful one it is, too. Don’t you just love this time of year, when summer is on the cusp with cool mornings and warm afternoons, and (here in the Mid-Atlantic at least), soft showers that make everything green and lush? It’s my favorite, not gonna lie. I spend all day, if I can, outside. I’ve always been partial to warmer weather. I think because I can be outside and it feels like everyone’s more active, including me. I focus better, I’m more productive, my mood is happier, I have less anxiety…and all of this got me to thinking about living and working with ADHD. Thus today’s blog topic. :)
I hear a lot of hype about the over-diagnosing of children with ADHD, and I believe that could absolutely be true. I’m not a clinician or a psychologist, so I’m not an expert here. When I was a kid, I don’t think anyone was diagnosed with it. But those of us who probably did have it were attempted to be cured in school mostly with swats (see an earlier post where I call out my second grade teacher, Mrs. Deets. Not that I’ve been carrying a grudge for 54 years or anything). The problem with how ADHD (and many other learning disabilities) manifest themselves is that it shows up as behaviors that really, really, really, annoy people who don’t have ADHD. This is why, when school-age kiddos have an IEP meeting about behavior, there’s a manifestation determination that’s made, to answer two questions:
1. Was the behavior caused by, or have a direct and substantial relationship to the child’s disability?
2. Was the behavior the direct result of the school’s failure to implement the child's IEP?
#2 means that the school, with the student, has decided what will be done to teach the student coping strategies and what the school staff will do to help support the student. If the school hasn’t done those things, then they can’t or shouldn’t punish a kiddo for behavior that’s a symptom of his/her disability.
We, as a society, are a little more forgiving of kids who exhibit ADHD-related behaviors than of adults who do the same. I’d say marginally, though, because I see adults who really can’t seem to tolerate the behavior in any size or age of any human. But when a ‘grown up’ exhibits behaviors that are a manifestation of ADHD, we (as a society) are really peeved, and we usually decide that the cause is laziness, or willfulness, or a whole host of other unsavory character traits.
Here are some common symptoms of adult ADHD:
Impulsivity
This can include difficulty waiting turns, interrupting others, or answering questions before they're finished
Hyperactivity
This can include excessive activity, restlessness, or fidgeting
Disorganization
This can include putting things in the wrong place or forgetting where things are
Time management
This can include being easily distracted, overlooking details, or underestimating how long tasks will take
Memory
People with ADHD may forget things more often than others, such as important dates or where they put something
Trouble focusing
This can include difficulty concentrating while reading or completing tasks
Risk-Taking
This can include behaviors that are determined to be criminogenic
Other symptoms
These can include poor planning, low frustration tolerance, and trouble multitasking
It’s important to know that even though it's called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into adulthood. In some cases, ADHD isn’t recognized or diagnosed until adulthood. Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children. In adults, hyperactivity may decrease, but struggles with impulsiveness, restlessness, and difficulty paying attention may continue. Some people with ADHD have fewer symptoms as they age, but some adults continue to have major symptoms that interfere with daily functioning. In adults, the main features of ADHD may include difficulty paying attention, impulsiveness, and restlessness. Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Many adults with ADHD aren't aware they have it — they just know that everyday tasks can be a challenge. Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger. It’s easy to put these things down to stress, or anxiety, or depression (all of which may be true but may also be manifestations of ADHD).
Almost everyone has some symptoms similar to ADHD at some point in their lives. If you’ve experienced difficulties recently or had some of the listed symptoms that have occurred only occasionally in the past, you probably don't have ADHD. ADHD is diagnosed only when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of your life, and persistent and disruptive symptoms can be traced back to early childhood, so you can consider that too.
Diagnosis of ADHD in adults can be difficult because certain ADHD symptoms are similar to those caused by other conditions, such as anxiety or mood disorders. Additionally, many adults with ADHD also have at least one other mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, which can further complicate the diagnosis. This overlap of symptoms requires a thorough evaluation by a healthcare professional who can differentiate between ADHD and other potential causes.
Unfortunately, the impact of adult ADHD can be significant, affecting various aspects of daily life. For instance, difficulty focusing and prioritizing tasks can lead to professional challenges, such as missed deadlines or poor job performance. Social relationships can also be strained due to forgotten commitments or impulsive behaviors. Emotional regulation issues, such as mood swings and anger outbursts, can further exacerbate personal and professional difficulties.
This is also difficult for employers and colleagues of folks with adult ADHD. One of the ways we work with justice impacted people going into the workforce for the first time in many years, or the first time ever, is to teach them how to explain to their supervisor the ways in which ADHD manifests itself and the coping strategies that they’re using to mitigate it. It’s important that coworkers and supervisors understand that hyperactivity doesn’t equal substance abuse and forgetfulness or problems staying on task don’t equal willfulness/laziness. Especially for people who are on their second, third, fourth, or tenth chance, it’s important to name the thing they’re struggling with and overcoming. Otherwise, the behavior manifestation meeting for an adult can be job termination.
If you suspect that you or someone you know might have ADHD, it's important to seek professional help. A healthcare provider can conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine if ADHD is present and suggest appropriate treatment options. These might include medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, or a combination of these approaches. Cognitive behavior therapy does wonders (if you’re justice impacted, did you take Thinking for a Change during your incarceration? The tools you learned in that class are great tools to help with ADHD-related behaviors. Use your thinking report and replacement behavior strategies! If not T4C, your facility (hopefully) had other CBT courses, and I hope you got to take advantage of the them.
Understanding and managing ADHD can significantly improve quality of life, allowing individuals to better navigate daily challenges and achieve their full potential, whether they’re justice impacted or not. Recognizing the signs and seeking timely intervention can be life-changing.
And to Mrs. Deets, my second grade teacher with the heavy hand, I would say, “How do you like me now?” Swinging that board didn’t do anything to cure my ADHD, but all of the work I’ve done since to learn to mitigate the symptoms (and growing up) has helped me to use it as a superpower.
Not that I’m holding a grudge or anything….
Cheers to a happy week, and to using any ADHD symptoms you might have as one of your superpowers! If you’re working or living with someone who has ADHD, cheers to using your new knowledge as a superpower to support them!
