If you feel like your constant lateness and total disorganization is getting in the way of your life, it may come as a relief to know that these "bad habits" may be signs of adult ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Adults (and even children) with ADHD are familiar with procrastination. These people have gotten used to putting off important assignments until the very last minute. Procrastinating ends with a stress-driven burst of energy, which is commonly not the healthiest way to operate.
Building healthy habits is hard for anyone and especially so for people with ADHD. First, we're forgetful - so remembering the cue for a habit is difficult for us. Then we get distracted easily and end up doing something else instead. Our impulsivity doesn't help, either, making it hard to stick to our plans.
The core symptoms of ADHD, like impulsivity and inattention, might lead children to behave in ways that can put their health at risk or cause them to forget healthy and protective behaviors. Over time, if not addressed, these risks can lead to injury, disease, or even an earlier-than-expected death.
People with ADHD can get distracted easily, due to having an increased awareness of sensory stimuli within their environment. However, this does not mean they are never able to focus on a task. Rather, their ability to focus will vary depending on the day or task at hand.
It's caused by brain differences that affect attention and behavior in set ways. For example, people with ADHD are more easily distracted than people who don't have it. ADHD can make it harder to focus, listen well, wait, or take your time. Having ADHD affects a person at school, at home, and with friends.
Similarly, people with ADHD can also experience 'meltdowns' more commonly than others, which is where emotions build up so extremely that someone acts out, often crying, angering, laughing, yelling and moving all at once, driven by many different emotions at once – this essentially resembles a child tantrum and can ...
People with ADHD often have difficulty with self-regulation and other executive function skills. They may say or do things impulsively without thinking through whether it will hurt someone's feelings. When their impulsivity upsets others, they often feel bad, because the intent wasn't to hurt anybody.
Adults diagnosed with ADHD often blame themselves for their problems or view themselves in a negative light. This can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety, or depression.
At some point in your ADHD life, you might ask yourself, do ADHD adults have the tendency to be messy and cluttered? This is my response: yes, some people with ADHD can sometimes be in a state of disorganization and problems in decluttering may be there with them from time to time.
ADHD brains typically expect the worst, and stressful times and situations just further encourage and validate this negative thinking.
Problems in planning can be a significant factor on why some adults with ADHD struggle with personal cleanliness. They may have so many other tasks that they think are far more critical than personal hygiene.
Hyperactivity (talks a lot, fidgets, always on the go, etc.) Impulsivity (blurts out, interrupts, lies, angry outbursts, difficulty waiting, etc.) Inattention (forgetful, loses things, disorganized, makes careless mistakes, etc.)
Our ADHD kids are already used to feeling like they're bad or wrong, and apologies just exacerbate that concept. What I see more often in autistic and ADHD kids is over-apologizing, or apologizing too much. This happens when kids have low self-esteem and believe that they are constantly doing things wrong.
It is often characterized by feelings of overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair. Those experiencing ADHD burnout may find it even more challenging than usual to initiate and complete tasks, maintain focus and attention, and regulate their emotions.
Studies suggest that ADHD-driven emotional sensitivity in people makes them struggle to cope with rejection. This rejection may be as simple as having a friend say no to you or as big as not being accepted for a job you applied for.
Common ADHD-Related Problems
Impulsive spending or overspending. Starting fights or arguing. Trouble maintaining friendships and romantic relationships. Speeding and dangerous driving.
It's most likely the culprit behind impulsive spending behaviors. People with ADHD also struggle with time blindness and forgetfulness, which can contribute to impulsive shopping. Stop impulsive purchasing habits by creating a spreadsheet, using cash, and using the 24-hour rule.
Some of the common foods that can cause ADHD reactions include milk, chocolate, soy, wheat, eggs, beans, corn, tomatoes, grapes, and oranges.
The ADHD thought process is not so completely unfamiliar as to be unrecognizable, but people with ADHD might encounter some complications in their thinking. For example, someone with ADHD can be aware of some task, like a research paper. If you ask them when it's due, they may even know the calendar date.
Previous research has shown that school-aged children with ADHD walk with higher gait variability compared to controls (Leitner et al., 2007; Papadopoulos et al., 2014; Manicolo et al., 2016), indicating a less regular walking pattern in children with ADHD compared to typically developing children.