ADHD

You’ve probably heard the terms ADD and ADHD used interchangeably. The American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-V changed the diagnostic criteria for ADD in 2013. Since then, the disorder is usually known as ADHD.

In the United States, over 6 million children have been diagnosed with this condition. Many of them will eventually grow out of it, but about 60% still experience the disorder into adulthood. About 5% of American adults have ADHD.

I Think I Have ADHD: ADHD Symptoms

Whether it’s you or your child who has ADHD, you know this disorder makes everyday life difficult. Simple tasks can seem monumental when you struggle with focus. You might easily forget things and continuously get distracted. Each person’s symptoms are different, but most of them can be described as one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

1. Inattention

Inattention is one of the three significant struggles for someone with ADHD. Procrastination and task-switching can make accomplishing anything difficult or impossible. School-age children might struggle academically even while being innately intelligent, and adults might have issues at work or in social settings and relationships.

In adults, inattentive symptoms of ADHD include:

• Not remembering one’s daily activities.
• Having trouble sticking to a given topic.
• Difficulty focusing.
• Getting distracted often.
• Not following social norms or rules.
• Making seemingly careless mistakes.
• Having trouble staying organized.

Symptoms for children struggling with attention are similar and include:

• Struggling with boredom.
• Having trouble completing tasks.
• Seeming not to listen when they’re spoken to.
• Losing items frequently, even important things like homework.
• Having difficulty following directions.
• Not being detail-oriented.

2. Hyperactivity

Children with ADHD tend to struggle the most with hyperactivity. Teenagers or adults with ADHD tend to experience this category of symptoms more as a sense of restlessness or being soothed by stimulating activities. In toddlers or preschoolers, hyperactivity usually presents as constant movement, difficulty playing in groups, and difficulty sitting still.

The following are common symptoms of hyperactivity in adults:

• Being calmed by stimulating substances, such as caffeine.
• Frequent task-switching.
• Feeling restless in a calm or quiet situation.

Children with hyperactivity may exhibit behaviors such as:

• Excessive talking.
• Running or climbing in inappropriate settings.
• Squirming or fidgeting while seated.
• Having trouble staying seated.
• Having a quick temper.
• Having trouble playing quietly.

3. Impulsivity

Being impulsive means taking risks or misbehaving without regard for possible consequences. Impulsivity affects people of all ages with ADHD.

In adults, symptoms of impulsivity often look like:

• Making impulse purchases.
• Interrupting to answer a question before the other person has finished asking it.
• Being impatient.
• Making quick and thoughtless decisions.
• Starting conversations at inappropriate times.
• Talking out of turn, which can lead to problems in relationships or at work.

In children, impulsivity may present as:

• Intruding on games other children are playing.
• Experiencing emotional overreactions.
• Invading other people’s space or asking overly personal questions.
• Throwing out guesses instead of working to solve a problem.
• Interrupting frequently.
• Finding it unusually challenging to wait patiently.
• Acting without thinking.

If you’re struggling with ADHD, you know how overwhelming these symptoms can feel in your everyday life. Things can seem chaotic and stressful, and you might wonder if you’ll overcome your challenges or reach your dreams. Christian counseling for ADHD helps you overcome these difficulties and reach your God-given potential.