The medical term ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also referred to as attention deficit disorder, ADHD is a medical condition characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and attention difficulty.

Usually, ADHD begins during childhood and continues to persist even into adulthood. But when an adult is diagnosed with ADHD, the condition is known as AADD or adult attention deficit disorder. In adult ADHD, an adult’s life becomes severely hampered, as the difficulty in maintaining attention results in a disrupted professional and personal life.

Read on to know more about adult ADHD or AADD.

Causes of adult ADHD

Though various research and studies have been performed, the exact cause of adult ADHD is still unknown. However, various factors have been identified that contribute to causing ADHD in adults, such as:

• Environment factors, which expose a child to certain toxins that increase the risk of developing ADHD during adulthood
• Genetics where genes are responsible and when this condition runs in the family
• Brain injuries of any kind
• Issues during development that can result in improper development of the central nervous system

Symptoms of adult ADHD

Adults suffering from ADHD face difficulty in performing various day-to-day tasks, such as prioritizing or focusing, which leads to forgotten, missed, and a poorly-managed social life and work performance. The failure to control certain impulses and urges may lead to mood swings, increased impatience, sudden outbursts of anger, etc. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most common symptoms of adult ADHD:

• Poor planning
• Hot temper
• Reduced tolerance level
• Failure to cope with stress
• Recurrent mood swings
• Difficulty in multitasking
• Disorientation in planning and focusing
• Restlessness and becoming excessively active
• Failure to maintain punctuality
• Becoming more prone to addiction and substance abuse

Diagnosis of ADHD
The symptoms and signs of adult ADHD can be difficult to notice. Therefore, there’s no one single test that can confirm that a person is suffering from adult ADHD. Rather, a combination of different tests is required to make an accurate diagnosis. The tests are:

• Physical examination
• Psychological tests and reference to ADHD rating scale
• Information gathering or sessions of questions and answers

Treatments for ADHD
The available treatment options for adult ADHD typically involve educating more and more people about the condition, psychological counseling of the patient, medication, and a combination of two or more treatment options.

• Medication

  : Depending upon the condition of the patient and the severity of ADHD, the medications tend to vary from person to person. Usually, stimulants, non-stimulants or a controlled combination of the two are widely used medications for treating adult ADHD.

• Psychological counseling

  : Two of the most common types of psychological therapies that are used in treating adult ADHD are cognitive behavioral therapy, and family and marital counseling therapy. The primary objective of psychotherapy is to eliminate the difficulties and to develop better skills of the ADHD patient.

Once any ADHD-related symptom is noticed, immediately opt for necessary medical attention to prevent the condition from deteriorating further. It’s a fact that no permanent cure has been discovered for ADHD yet. But with proper medical care and treatment, the symptoms and characteristics of this condition can be controlled, thereby helping you lead a healthy and normal life.

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