Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD):
What's Wrong with Me?

ADD is usually associated with children, but health officials say it is also present among adults. The neurobiological disorder, characterized by a person's inability to pay attention and concentrate, affects an estimated 2 percent to 4 percent of adults, according to the nonprofit group NRC, or National Resource Center on AD/HD (NRC, 2004). For some adults, seeing children struggle in school may bring up memories from their own past. "Is this what I had when I was in school? Am I still experiencing the same difficulties, only now they look different?" These are common questions, often followed by another common question: "If I've made it this far in life, how will a diagnosis of ADD help now?"

What does ADD look like in an adult? As with most everything, ADD affects people in different ways:

• Jon has been in sales for the last few years. He has made numerous job changes and always seems to be reevaluating his status, for good and bad reasons. Why has it been so hard for him to concentrate on developing the new sales regions for his company? Why has he had so much difficulty getting along with his sales team? These issues have been trouble for him in every position he has had! It is easy to set aside these struggles as just a difference of opinions. But after a conference with his son's teacher, the topic of ADD came up as a concern for his child. As these concerns went through his mind he began to wonder? Is this what is wrong with me?
• The deadline on the big report for work was approaching for Karen. She's known about this deadline for months. She asks herself "Why didn't I get this done when I had the time?" Deep down she knew what part of the problem was. She had a fear of working with numbers that she has had since she was in grade school. Why do other people work with numbers so well? Her concentration never seems to be in place. The difficulty in concentration soon turned to avoidance, and this avoidance turned into fear about failing to be able to work with math.
• Barry just couldn't understand why his coworkers resented him. He felt like he had important answers to how the company worked. But he kept getting warnings from his supervisor that he was very rude, condescending, and always interrupting the people he worked with. He constantly questioned himself about this, "How can they ignore these ideas and suggestions?" This had happened to him before. In fact this had happened more then once. Barry started questioning himself about what he felt was a "disconnect" between him and his co-workers.

John, Karen and Barry's stories are examples of how ADD can influence behavior, mood and thinking.

Maybe you've had to develop your own tedious system to get your assignments completed at work. Perhaps a 2-hour movie is more than you can tolerate, or you find yourself starting a second and possibly third project before your first was ever completed. To add to your struggles, you don't want anyone to know of the difficulties you are having in any of these areas. If your symptoms are severe and have been affecting your life in a negative way, you should consider consulting your doctor.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, "Symptoms of the disorder usually become evident in preschool or early elementary years. The disorder frequently persists into adolescence and occasionally into adulthood" (NIMH, 2001).

Signs and/or symptoms of ADD:

• Employment difficulties
• Poor organizational skills
• Anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Impulsivity
• Procrastination
• Difficulty controlling anger
• Low frustration tolerance
• Chronic boredom
• Mood swings
• Depression

When screening for ADD, your doctor will look at four basic areas and how those areas have affected your life. Your doctor will:

1. Rule out any possible medical conditions that may be causing adverse symptoms.
2. Establish the onset of childhood symptoms.
3. Assess the severity and frequency of symptoms.
4. Determine how the symptoms have affected major life activities.

They can determine the answers to the above questions using various tools such as: interviewing the person, completing an ADD rating scale, and self-reporting from the affected person.

ADD treatment has proven to be affective. Since each person is different, a specific treatment plan needs to be set up for the individual. The use of behavior modification, medication, or a combination (medication and behavior therapy) is common.

Behavior modification: various techniques can be used to change or alter human behavior. These techniques can include: reinforcement, basic learning skills, conditioning strategies, and biofeedback.

Medication: after consulting with your doctor, medication may be appropriate, depending on the severity of your symptoms.

Once an assessment has been made, your health care providers can lay out a treatment strategy. It is very important to be diligent in your treatment process. Follow-up should include planning for symptom monitoring and possible medication adjustments.

There is help if you are currently dealing with the difficult symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. Be cautious however, as the symptoms of ADD can look very similar to the symptoms of every-day life. People without ADD can feel restless, fidgety, and have difficulty waiting in line too. A medical professional trained in this area will be able to help you better understand the symptoms that are consistent with adult ADD, and can assist you in finding an appropriate screening, if necessary.

References:

National Resource Center on AD/HD (2004), Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from the World Wide Web October 28, 2004
Website: http://www.help4adhd.org/faqs.cfm

National Institute of Mental Health (2001), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retrieved from the World Wide Web October 28, 2004
Website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/helpchild.cfm

This information should not be construed as a specific recommendation for medical care or treatment. Always consult your physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.