How Can You Tell If Someone Has ADHD? Here's What You Should Know

Have you ever heard someone using this phrase as a joke - "having the attention span of a goldfish." This is generally used when people make fun of others or themselves when they can't really pay attention. Sure, it is taken casually by many, but it can mean different things for people who really might have that issue.

What is ADHD?

A mental health condition, ADHD or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder causes unusual levels of hyperactivity and impulsive behaviours among people who have it. People with this condition have a hard time focusing on things and being attentive. But this is not just. There are thousands of people who may counter that this is something they all go through in their lives and that does happen. But people with ADHD can have a severe condition of these to a level that it can hamper their work, school or general life.

The diagnosis of ADHD has evolved over the years and while it was said before that only children can go through this, it can continue throughout one's life. The American Psychiatric Association reports that an estimated 2.5% of adults have ADHD, while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that 4.4% of adults between the ages of 18 and 44 have ADHD.

For medical professionals to diagnose this problem better, this mental condition has been divided into three different categories. These types are predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactivity-impulsive, and a combination of both.

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Predominantly inattentive

When a person has this kind of disorder, they will have trouble organizing or finishing a task, paying attention to details or following instructions or conversations. These kinds of people are hard to be diagnosed since they are not particularly disruptive and can just seem lazy.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type

These kinds of people may fidget a lot and can be really restless. Children under this category may jump and run a lot. However, with adults, one can notice them interrupting conversations or not being able to sit still.

Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive type

People who come under this category show symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactiveness. People here show symptoms of not having any focus and also being extremely hyperactive. They have average levels of energy.

The problem here is that many adults go on with their lives without the diagnosis since the symptoms are not very alarming.

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However, knowing the symptoms and signs of ADHD can help someone live a better life.

Signs that someone may have ADHD:

1. You can't seem to organize things

Yes, one may think that keeping their room or house disorganized is a sign of laziness and it may be too but for people with ADHD, this might actually be hard. When it comes to organization, people with ADHD have problems keeping track of tasks and trouble prioritizing them in a logical manner.

2. You tend to have relationship problems

People with ADHD may have a hard time maintaining any sort of relationship. Whether it is personal, professional or romantic. Family members, colleagues or friends may get frustrated with these people since they show signs like restlessness, lateness, disorganization, procrastination, poor listening, and memory. Another downside here is that adults with ADHD may get restless, anxious and bored of a relationship too soon making it difficult to persist.

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3. You may shop compulsively

A study published in Psychiatry Research in December 2014 mentioned that people with ADHD may shop compulsively so that they can improve their mood, combat depression, relieve stress, or match an image they have created for themselves. Compulsive shopping is also related to impulsiveness which is also an ADHD characteristic.

4. You procrastinate a lot

Procrastination is something we all do. But for people with ADHD, it gets a lot more because they never seem to focus on one thing. The level of procrastination for people with this disorder will get so much that it can seriously affect their school, work anything important in their life. There may be times when there is so much procrastination that one may not be able to make important decisions.

5. There have been academic problems

The most common characteristic of ADHD is that there is a lack of focus. So, for a student who needs to study for examinations or concentrate in class, it is extremely difficult for them to focus or be attentive. Especially when one needs to study or understand the concepts, it gets too difficult for one to pay attention leading them to not do well in class.

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6. You can not seem to finish tasks.

Since one can not concentrate on tasks for a long period of time, it gets difficult for them to complete a given task. While in school, these used to pertain to homework or school projects, it is a bigger problem when work is involved. Projects or tasks with deadlines are a nightmare for people with ADHD. No matter how much they try to work on it, their focus can not pertain for a long period of time making them not finish up tasks.

7. There is no motivation

When it comes to work or even hobbies, people with ADHD have no motivation to do either. Since these people can't focus or could manage to plan or organize things, they lose interest in any project and don't seem to like doing anything at all. They are not excited to do anything and thus, lack motivation.

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Is there a treatment for ADHD?

When it comes to ADHD, a combination of medications and therapy can help with the problem. While medications are not a permanent cure, they can help with making a person feel calmer, less impulsive and focus better. However, therapy is something that can not only help with ADHD but also with anxiety and depression.

There are several forms of therapy that can be used when it comes to ADHD. For children with ADHD, therapy can include Psychoeducation, which is basically helping the child understand their behaviour and come to terms with this. There is behavioural therapy that includes a child and their parents and involves behaviour management, which uses a system of rewards to encourage your child to try to control their ADHD.

For everyone including teenagers and adults, there is also cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which manages your problems by changing the way you think and behave.