Do I Have ADHD?
The illness known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects people's behaviours and causes hyperactivity, restlessness, and difficulty focusing. Although it is frequently diagnosed in childhood, more often between the ages of 3-7,there are some of us that fall through the cracks.We’ve all had those days where we’ve been determined to get some work done, we’ve written up our schedule and set alarms the night before, then the sun comes up and the mental paralysis begins. The nth “I’ll start on Monday” in a row.
We all know the common symptoms being short attention span, forgetfulness, constant fidgeting etc; and you may rule out ADHD as your potential diagnosis but we are here to uncover some of the things our parents missed in their well behaved 5 year olds; and answer some of the questions about how this could affect your day to day work/study life.
Here are hidden signs you could have ADHD.
Hyperfocus
A less commonly spoken about symptom of ADHD is hyperfocus, this causes an intense concentration in people with the disorder. Now it doesn’t necessarily mean when we are given a task at work or have a 2 hour exam that we immerse ourselves in it and shut the world out, but instead it's us finding an activity or a book we love to read and spending hours on end completely absorbed. We often lose track of time or are no longer aware of our surroundings, however when an important task is at hand or we have deadlines coming up this could be a damaging, unproductive downside.
Trouble Sleeping
The constant thoughts racing in our heads very often lead to mental restlessness and insomnia. It could alter our chances of getting to sleep faster, staying asleep for longer and waking up energised. Trouble sleeping has its lasting effects throughout the day and could lead to even more trouble concentrating at work, and the lack of sleep affecting your mental capacity to remember crucial information. People with ADHD that have frequent trouble sleeping are more vulnerable to developing depression, anxiety and inattention.
Impulsivity
ADHD impairs our ability to sometimes stop and consider our actions and consequences before we make them. This could lead to a number of things; spending half our pay in a week, eating excessively, saying things before thinking them through and ending up in uncomfortable situations. Our impulsivity also then leads us to bigger issues like debt, having low self esteem and over consuming substances that are not good for us. As we find it harder to resist these self destructive behaviours, day to day life for someone with undiagnosed ADHD could feel helpless.
Object Permanence
The art of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.
Object Permanence is the ability to know that an object still exists even if it is out of sight. People with ADHD often have a problem with this. Getting frequent calls or texts from loved ones asking how you’ve been and complaining about no contact may be common for you. It has a damaging effect on relationships. We are perceived as uncaring, selfish and neglectful, and although they may not understand it and think it reflects the way we feel about them, we know the reality. Sometimes when we’re not with these people physically, we forget.
What to do if you think you have ADHD
Seek help. We know how hard it is sitting in front of that laptop not being able to start the report, having naps during breaks and lunch because insomnia kept you up all night, or buying yourself another useless good after promising you’ll budget this month. SoundmindsUK have the resources to help you through getting your diagnosis, supporting you through your journey with ADHD and ensure that constant support wherever we are needed. We are easy to get in touch with through our Contact Us page, or feel free to message us on any of our social media pages.As hopeless as life can feel sometimes, we can do this!