How Do ADHD Symptoms Present in High-Functioning Adults?
Discover how ADHD symptoms show up in high-functioning adults, and why success on the outside can mask daily struggles.
How ADHD Adults Who Process Slowly Still Reach Their Goals
DESCRIPTION: Processing slowly whether it’s in conversation or reading is a common challenge for ADHD adults. While it’s not related to your intelligence, it could be related to your ADHD. Hear about the possible connections between processing speed and ADHD as well as the workarounds you can use to still reach your goals. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Processing speed is about accuracy and consistency, as well as the rate at which you process information. The rate at which you process information is not about your intelligence. There are strategies you can use to process information accurately and consistently, though perhaps not at the speed you’d like. TRANSCRIPT: 00:00: You’re reading or listening in a meeting or in a one-on-one conversation. Maybe you’re not following the thread of…
Is It Really True Your ADHD Is a Handicap?
(originally published August 8, 2014, updated October 9, 2020) I bet, like many ADHD adults, one of your superpowers may be your ability to think outside the box in many contexts. But, if you think your ADHD is a handicap, you may be falling short in doing this when it comes to managing your ADHD so you can create a life that works for you. In part, this may be because somewhere along the way you fell into the trap of comparing yourself to your neurotypical peers. As part of this comparison you decided you need to operate the way they do. And, when you discovered you couldn’t do this, you decided you’re handicapped. That’s just not true. You’re not handicapped. Sure, it may be…
ADHD All Grown-Up — Answers to Your Questions
Description: In this inaugural episode I’ll clear up some of the misinformation you may have about adult ADHD, as I provide brief answers to a few of the most common questions. Key Takeaways: ADHD is a neurological condition, meaning you are wired differently. Symptoms are different among adults and throughout your life time. Getting an accurate diagnosis is important so you can get the right treatment. It’s not possible to first get ADHD as an adult. You can’t outgrow your ADHD. But you can learn how to manage the symptoms to minimize the level of impairment. As an adult you have agency to decide how to best treat your ADHD. Resources: What You Need to Know About the Causes, Symptoms & Diagnoses of ADHD Treatment…
Here Are the 4 Steps ADHD Adults Use to Deal with Boredom
I’m sure as an adult with ADHD you’re all too familiar with the feeling of boredom. That restless feeling, sometimes intense, when you’re just not really engaged in something interesting. And, sure, everyone experiences boredom at times. But, as an adult with ADHD, your boredom can feel incredibly excruciating, maybe even intolerable. Of course, sometimes you feel bored because the activity is, well, boring. Make sense. But the feeling of boredom for adults with ADHD can be magnified. One of the reasons is the understimulation in the prefrontal cortex of your brain because of lack of sufficient neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. It is common to think of lack of follow-through as a consequence of boredom. And, no doubt, the fallout from not closing the loop…
Do Adults with ADHD Really Not Care About Others?
Are adults with ADHD really selfish? You and your colleagues decide how to divide up a project and agree on the deadlines. As the first deadline is fast approaching you’re feeling the pressure. Yet, you still haven’t started on it. At the meeting to discuss the project you tell them you’re not going to be able to deliver on time. They’re clearly frustrated. You make plans with your friend to meet up for lunch. And it’s on your calendar. But you get so involved in a project at work you don’t stop on time. And you’re late getting to the restaurant, again. Your significant other starts telling you about what happened at work that day. She seems clearly distressed. But you interrupt her with a…
What You Need to Know About Diagnosing ADHD in Women
ADHD diagnosis in women is complicated… It’s not uncommon for both men and women I work with to first receive their ADHD diagnosis as an adult. Sometimes they call me after a very recent diagnosis. And, as we talk about this late diagnosis, the conversation often touches on their feelings about having ADHD and finding out so late in life. They may experience both sadness and relief when they first find out. They feel relief because they can put their past into context — they have a better understanding of their challenges. But they may also feel grief that it took so long to find out. However, women are often more surprised at their diagnosis than men. Which Type of ADHD Do Women Have? Like…
Answers to the Top 10 Questions About Adult ADHD
It can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff when seeking out facts about adult ADHD. Learn more below. So you can be sure you’re on the right path! #1 What is ADHD? I’ve heard the statements below and more in my conversations with ADHD adults. “My therapist says I’m too successful to have ADHD.” “I got by for a long time and then all of sudden I start struggling. I had no idea I had ADHD!” “I was never impulsive or hyperactive. So, it never occurred to me that I might have ADHD.” There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about ADHD… In simplest terms ADHD is a neurological condition that is usually genetically transmitted, characterized by distractibility, impulsivity and restlessness…
What You Need To Know About the Causes, Symptoms & Diagnoses of ADHD
Trying to figure out more about ADHD causes, symptoms and diagnosis? Confused from all the information on the internet? It can be frustrating trying to find information you need and can trust. There is a lot of hype out there, making it almost impossible at times to separate the wheat from the chaff. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. After endless amounts of time googling I bet you are often left confused, wondering: Arghhh… If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m not a fan of hype or hyperbole. And neither are you. You want the facts. Here they are. What is The Cause of ADHD? You may have heard in the media that poor diet, food dyes,…
When an ADHD Diagnosis is a Great Thing
“After living with ADD for many years I started believing that I was lazy, stupid, and crazy.” Before being diagnosed with ADHD you may have believed, like my former client quoted above, that there was something wrong with you and maybe even that there was nothing you could do about it. While it will likely take you time to adjust to your ADHD diagnosis, as you go through the stages of coping , it can be the beginning of a journey that can turn your life around. And you can start to create a life you enjoy and where you are able to thrive. Oh, That’s Why! Many, if not most of the people I work with individually and in groups already have an…