What Are The Primary Symptoms of Adult ADD?

[Slavetoopiates]

I used to love to read when I was a kid, now I can only read 3 pages at a time. I also walk and talk VERY FAST and tend to never stop talking, interrupting in conversations etc. I also "crash" every afternoon since I am going full speed all day. I also notice that although I "know" how to respond when discussing or debating an issue under pressure that I basically crumble and after it's over I say to myself "Why didn't I respond the way I knew I should have" Does this sound familiar or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

What Are The PRIMARY Symptoms Of Adult ADD????

Thank you!

[KDLMaj]

ADHD has a very heterogeneous presentation in adults- namely because we've all had years to develop a myriad of coping skills.

Here're some theories/facts (depending) on the core deficits in ADHD-

1. There's a substantial problem with the rewards system of the brain. People with ADHD are largely dependent on the intrinsic rewards of an activity for motivation. They are unable to motivate themselves. This is part of the impulsivity we see in adults. Often ADHD Adults feel as though in any given decision, they will pick the more interesting/stimulating option with the best short-term rewards and not the option that requires a delay of gratification (even if the long-term rewards far exceed the short-term ones). Thus we spend money irresponsibly, are prone to infidelity, stay up all night doing things when we know we have to get up early in the morning- all despite the fact that the consequences for such things will be serious.

Part and parcel with this is an extreme intolerance of boredom. Since the ADHD brain relies on external stimuli to activate it (People with ADHD have particular regions of the brain that are very underactive), low stimulation situations feel downright painful to people with ADHD. Thus our inability to focus in low stimulation situations- our brains are always actively seeking out more stimulating things to keep active. For many of us, some of our most painful childhood memories involve being told to "be quiet and sit still".

Recent research suggests that the inhibition center of the brain is part of the underactive regions. It kicks in just a split second too slow to reliably inhibit immediate behaviors. So we're well known for blurting out things that should never have been said- or at least that should have been rephrased more eloquently. We keep doing it even when we know the consequences will be bad and wish to avoid the situation at all costs. This impulse applies to other situations- stopping to look both ways when you cross the street, reacting quickly enough in driving situations, etc. (research has been done on both of these scenarios demonstrating that people with ADHD have difficulties with both due to inhibition control problems)

In order to help deal with the underactive areas of the brain, the ADHD brain compensates by overactivating other areas (theta waves of an ADHD person are very uneven compared to controls- with very low activity in some areas and very high activities everywhere else) For many of us this manifests as increased motor activity. Asking someone with ADHD to sit still is akin to torture. We are constantly twitching, walking around, fidgeting, shaking our legs, etc. And generally we are unaware of it until it's pointed out. (It's a surprise every time!) This can also manifest as consistent and inappropriate levels of daydreaming. When this is, in particular, a major issue one is often diagnosed as "primarily inattentive" (though there are some serious issues with this diagnosis in that it both shows a clear gender bias in assessing hyperactivity/impulsivity and it is often a misdiagnosis of another similar processing difficulty with a different neurology)

Those are some of the biggies right there. Of course, I skipped the parts about short-term memory, perception of time, sleep, etc. I realize what I pointed out was really general, but the reality is that these primary deficits can present in numerous ways. So it's better to recognzie the mechanisms behind the disorder and to decide if your symptoms seem to match up with that than to just hit up a checklist of symptoms shared by several disorders. Hope that helps!

[The ADHD Fan]

KDLMaj, thanks for the great reply! And slavetoopiates, thanks for starting an important discussion. Too often is ADD/ADHD viewed as a primarily "kids" disorder.

I was just in the process of reading an article on ADHD in adults. It's interesting, KDLMaj, that you brought up the issue of gender in ADHD. This study investigated the effects of age and gender on brain metabolism in ADHD adults. A bit technical, but maybe worth a good skim.

[Slavetoopiates]

My big problems are:
1.Walking VERY fast all the time.
2. Can NEVER stay home more than 3-4 hours without going insane so I hate Thanksgiving etc.
3. Used to read books as a kid, nowadays even though I do read when forced to:Business contracts etc. I always skim over and miss many mistakes, making me look like a moron.
4. When debating or arguing a point under pressure I simply clam up even though I know damn well the terms needed to smoke the competition. After the "debate" is over I look back and say to myself: Why didn't I respond this way?
5. I went out and bought a 12K watch thinking I was 49 and dying soon. I "woke up" and sold it at a 2K loss. The amount of MAJOR impulse buying sickens me, I bought over 10 cars in 4 years. Lost ALOT of money.
6. I ALWAYS CRASH AT THE 2-3 PM TIME OF DAY. I am running around fast until I run out my batteries.

So what is the deal hear? Sound like I have ADD?
My doc has me on Lamactal Suboxone for opiate addiction, Xanax and Valium for anxiety. I wonder if he slowly takes me off the benzos and puts me on Adderall that I may respond better.

[KDLMaj]

All of those symptoms are consistent with adult ADHD, yes.

Though they could also be signs of hypomania. The real question is- are the qualities you brought up consistent factors in your life? Or do they come and go?

[ADHDTigger]

Another question to ask yourself is how long you have had the symptoms you describe. Were you a hyperactive kid? What was school like for you? How about socialization?

According to the DSM, in order to be considered ADHD, the symptoms must have begun in childhood, persisted to adulthood, and be present in multiple areas- work and home, for instance.

There are tests that are indicative of ADHD. You might ask your doctor if a diagnosis is worth pursuing.

[prr_fan]

I will make several comments. First, an Internet forum is not the place to get a diagnosis. There are a lot of people who feel that you can just read through the DSM's diagnosis criteria and bam you make a diagnosis. Evaluating ADHD requires the physician to weigh and integrate a range of data, including the patient's history, self-reported symptoms and mental status testing. It also requires seeking out another source of reporting, such as a spouse, teacher, parent who can give another view to an evaluation. I would discuss your thoughts with your physician. Good luck!

[ADXP]

Ah primary symptoms.

sinkful of dishes
dirty laundry

secondary symptoms:

cat on the wall
fired from work or school
alone
cool
sense of humor
365+ of sportbra & diaper
laundry only every other fullmoon

the dishes?
use disposables diapers

[KDLMaj]

Originally Posted by ADXP

Ah primary symptoms.

sinkful of dishes
dirty laundry

secondary symptoms:

cat on the wall
fired from work or school
alone
cool
sense of humor
365+ of sportbra & diaper
laundry only every other fullmoon

the dishes?
use disposables diapers

hahahaha

SO.

TRUE.

[Captain Obvious]

Originally Posted by Slavetoopiates

I used to love to read when I was a kid, now I can only read 3 pages at a time. I also walk and talk VERY FAST and tend to never stop talking, interrupting in conversations etc. I also "crash" every afternoon since I am going full speed all day. I also notice that although I "know" how to respond when discussing or debating an issue under pressure that I basically crumble and after it's over I say to myself "Why didn't I respond the way I knew I should have" Does this sound familiar or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

What Are The PRIMARY Symptoms Of Adult ADD????

Thank you!

I'm a little confused here... You sound very hyperactive-ish, at least in the mornings. Yet you're an opiate addict (or ex-addict). Most opie addicts are slow moving and under-motivated. Unless you're having withdrawal, of course, but that usually manifests in anxiety, not hyperactivity.

What did you use the opiates for? To slow you down? Or the crash during the afternoon? Or just cause they're fun, regardless of the time of day?

[fallspill2]

Some common symptoms of adult adhd:

-Constant Daydreaming

-Mood swings

-Irritability

-Zoning out of conversations

-Becoming bored of many things extremely fast

-Short fuse

-Easily offended (having thin skin)

-"Verbal dyslexia"-(Scrambling words up when you speak. For example instead of saying something like "Close that door and get in here" you may say "Close it here and get in that door".

-Not absorbing what you read

-Extreme impatience

A few things you described sound familiar but I wouldn't assume you have adult adhd based on that. Maybe it is because I am inattentive so I don't understand what people who are hyperactive are like. To me many of the things you describe sounds similar to the effects of being on some type of drug. Sounds similar to some people I knew who had an adverse reaction to adderall.