While they can often read other people well, it is hard for the average person with ADHD to know, from moment to moment, how they themselves are doing, the effect they are having on others, and how they feel about it all. Neurotypicals misinterpret this as being callous, narcissistic, uncaring, or socially inept.
An adult with undiagnosed ADHD may simply lack that focus. This lack of focus is the most noticeable for time-consuming, predictable, or repetitive tasks. Reading books, completing daily household chores, or managing a checkbook are a few examples of these activities.
Some adults who have ADHD don't know they have it. These adults may feel it is impossible to get organized, stick to a job, or remember to keep appointments.
A person with Inattentive ADHD type can easily feel embarrassed due to inattention, so they may choose to stay quiet and avoid any possible wrongdoings or mistakes ❌. This trait is often seen in children with this condition, but it can still affect adults later in their lives.
If left untreated, ADHD can lead to problems with productivity, interpersonal relationships, and further mental health problems.
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.
ADHD may result in some symptoms that can make a person “socially clumsy.” If you often find yourself saying and doing inappropriate things during conversations, you might be experiencing social awkwardness.
The problem: The social maturity of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) may be a few years behind that of their peers. In addition, they have difficulty reading verbal and physical social cues, misinterpreting remarks, or not getting jokes or games.
The rarest type of ADHD diagnosed is the hyperactive-impulsive type with no indication of inattentive or distracted behavior, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Diagnosis Implications
✦ Firstly, anxiety symptoms may mask ADHD symptoms as anxiety can lower impulsivity. However, anxiety may also inhibit impulsivity but make inattention worse, which can complicate diagnosis (Pliszka et al., 1999).
ADHD Masking is basically a coping mechanism for hiding symptoms through learned behaviors which people with ADHD use to avoid shame and ridicule. People use these impression management tactics in their childhood, but as they grow old, these learned behaviors become overwhelming and difficult to manage.
One type of ADHD masking — known as mirroring — involves intentionally or unintentionally mimicking the speech, movements, or behaviors of someone else. While ADHD mirroring and body doubling may seem similar at first glance, you can work alongside a body double without imitating them in any way.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
The easiest way to get diagnosed and treated for ADHD if you are an adult is to approach your GP. Most GPs have a good understanding of ADHD. More importantly, as community-based health workers GPs have a wide-ranging understanding of medical and social issues that can affect one's cognitive function.
Many of the less-known ADHD symptoms — working memory and executive function deficits, difficulty sleeping, and irritability, for example — also show up with mood disorders, autism, anxiety, and other brain-based conditions.
Though it manifests in disparate and dichotomous ways, ADHD is often associated with only a handful of stereotypical behaviors and presentations. So when not-so-obvious ADHD symptoms show up in broad daylight, they may go ignored or misdiagnosed.
Interestingly, girls with untreated ADHD may be more likely to blame and judge themselves for these problems, leading to a higher risk for low self-esteem than boys who have ADHD. They may also be more likely to have problems with substance abuse, eating disorders, and anxiety.
Similar to the hyperactive symptoms, impulsive symptoms are typically seen by the time a child is four years old and increase during the next three to four years to peak in severity when the child is seven to eight years of age.
Doctors more commonly diagnose ADHD in male children than female children. The CDC reports that doctors diagnosed around 13% of boys with DHD in 2016–2019, whereas only 6% of girls received the same diagnosis. This has led many people to mistakenly believe that ADHD is a “boys' disorder” that rarely occurs in girls.