Attention Deficit Hyper Active Disorder

WHAT IS ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (aka ADHD) is a condition that affects the brain's development and ability to carry out certain tasks such as organisation and focusing. ADHD can be categorised into two types; inattentiveness (difficulty concentrating and focusing) and hyperactivity and impulsiveness (acting without thinking first).

Many people with ADHD fall into both of these categories however this is not always the case. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) used to be the term for those struggling with only inattentiveness, however, ADD is no longer an official diagnosis.

ADHD is more often diagnosed in boys than in girls due to different symptoms being more common in each. For example, trouble concentrating is more common in girls whereas acting out is more common in boys. This means that girls with ADHD are not always diagnosed and if they are it is often later on in life.

COMMON EXPERIENCES

Children & Teenagers

ADHD can present itself in many different ways, largely depending on age and gender. However some of the more common shared ADHD symptoms include:

Short attention span: This may include being unable to focus on one task for a long period of time or difficulty ignoring distractions

Making Careless Mistakes: For example, being unable to proofread school work and making simple spelling mistakes

Forgetfulness: Such as forgetting plans you have made or constantly losing things

Difficulty following verbal instructions: Being given verbal instructions and having to have them be repeated multiple times

Adults

The symptoms for ADHD can look difficult as a person moves in adulthood, especially if the condition has gone undiagnosed. Below are a list of common symptoms of ADHD in adults:

carelessness and lack of attention to detail

continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones

poor organisational skills

inability to focus or prioritise

continually losing or misplacing things

forgetfulness

restlessness and edginess

difficulty keeping quiet, and speaking out of turn

Executive dysfunction

Executive dysfunction is a symptom of ADHD and describes a range of cognitive, behavioural and emotional difficulties that happen due to a chemical imbalance within the brain.

Executive dysfunction can affect a person in many different ways, below are some of the most common signs:

time blindness (the lack of ability to process or 'feel' time passing), or an inability to plan for and keep in mind future events
difficulty meeting long-term goals
difficulty with prioritisation, organisation, and setting schedules
trouble controlling emotions or impulses
difficulty analysing or processing information

If you feel like you are struggling with anything you have read or any other aspect of mental health, then there are services out there that can help. If you need to talk to someone you can sign up here for our peer coaching service.