The American Psychiatric Association (APA), which publishes the DSM, has for the first time given credence to adult ADHD, dispelling any lingering beliefs that it is only a child and adolescent disorder. Here are several potential warning signs for adults which may indicate that an ADHD evaluation is in order.    

  1. warning_signChronic Disorganization. Although these warning signs aren’t ranked in order of their importance, difficulty getting organized most certainly is a headliner. How effective and proficient are you at executing activities of daily living? Do you get out of the house smoothly and efficiently on your way to work in the morning, or does it resemble a disorganized, chaotic mess in that you’re unable to find your keys, briefcase, purse or other essentials important to getting through your day? Are your bills kept in a place where they are easily retrievable and can be paid on time, or do they get lost, thrown away or found buried in a sea of clutter? Do you periodically, or even worse routinely, forget to pick up the kids from school? If any of these scenarios are chronic in that they are problematic day-in and day-out, an ADHD evaluation is in order.
  2. Serious Distractibility. It’s true that each and every mental disorder on the planet is associated with a distractibility component. But if it’s truly ADHD, the inattentiveness component can be intractable – making it hard for an affected adult to succeed in our frenetic, get-it-done-yesterday world. Adults with this disorder eventually find themselves lagging behind at work and unable to keep up. Their ability to stay on task is also easily thwarted by unexpected phone calls, e-mails or requests from the boss.
  3. Persistent Edginess. This is akin to the hyperactivity symptom experienced by children with ADHD. Rather than moving about uncontrollably, adults with ADHD often find themselves unable to relax and settle down; and significant others in their lives describe them as edgy, tense and easily agitated.
  4. Slow to Get Out of the Gate. What has been described as a “soft” symptom but nevertheless worthy of attention, ADHD-affected adults are typically slow starters on tasks that require undivided attention and focus. And poor decision-making skills fuel their inability to get going.
  5. Quick to Anger. Adults who are quick to react to any perceived affront, as minor as it may be, should consider the possibility that they have ADHD. This can manifest as road rage, having to wait in line to conduct some business or hearing something disagreeable. It’s common though for these outbursts to fade quickly after flaring up and be easily forgotten because of short attention span.
  6. Lousy Listeners. Examples of this include having a dissociated look at company meetings, susceptibility to environmental concerns such as not checking for passing automobiles when crossing the street on foot or while driving, getting appointment times wrong and not tuning in to details which are important to the execution and outcome of some issue or situation.
  7. Poor Prioritizing. Because of an inability to focus and “zoom in,” so to speak, on truly important matters, adults with ADHD often devote attention to trivial and less important issues on their plate. As such, major obligations aren’t met and severe consequences eventually ensue. Anyone who has difficulty concentrating will perceive “high stakes” tasks as threatening.
  8. Time Mismanagement. Like children and adolescents, adults with ADHD spend inordinate amounts of time on non-essential tasks. As a result, time for what’s really important is poorly allocated, so they are always playing catch-up at work and with home duties as well. Tardiness is common as well because “time just gets away” from them.
  9. Marital Strife. There’s a plethora of possibilities influencing marital strife, so adult ADHD by no means should head the list. But a spouse with ADHD can make for tedious times. The non-ADHD partner may conclude that poor listening skills, unfilled commitments and lack of attention to the marriage are indicative of aloofness and are a sign that their significant other isn’t invested in the marriage. Alternatively, the ADHD spouse may not understand why their partner is upset so often, and may feel they’re being chastised and called out for something that’s not their fault or beyond their control.