You are forty years old and are beginning to question if you might have adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. This is not a condition that you suddenly developed out of the blue in your mid-thirties. It has been there all along but wasn’t diagnosed.
Unknowingly, you have managed to compensate for your deficiencies and muddled through, but you are beginning to think that the struggle has become too much and life shouldn’t be as hard as it is for you.
When you have to compensate, either because you have ADHD or a vision- or hearing problem or have suffered the loss of a limb or even brain damage, it becomes more difficult when you get older. Older people have more responsibilities than younger ones. When swamped with too many things to do at once, the adult who has ADHD is going to find it very challenging to stay afloat.
When an individual suffers from ADHD, this means that his brain chemicals or neurotransmitters are altered and the messages that the chemicals send to the brain’s nerve cells may be skewed.
For example, one type of neurotransmitter is called dopamine which stimulates the attention centers located in the brain. When a person is short on dopamine he can exhibit signs of ADHD.
Adult or children who have ADHD are considered to have a learning disorder because this condition makes it extremely hard for the person to learn. The individual may find it nearly impossible to stay on task and focused.
Those with ADHA are easily distracted and have a fleeting attention span, all of which can lead to trouble at work and in personal relationships. You can’t excel at work or in a relationship if you can’t remember what you are supposed to be doing or don’t pay attention when your boss or spouse is talking to you because you are unable to pay attention, not because you’re being difficult.
Although impulsivity might not be present in all adults with ADHD, it is a factor among many sufferers. This leads to bad impulse control and can lead to finding oneself in a perilous situation. An ADHD victim may not consider the consequences of his action or fails to read instructions. They often speak before they think and interrupt others.
If you are struggling and find that you can’t meet a deadline or maintain a 9 to 5 schedule or keep losing things or are spending too much money because you can’t seem to control yourself, you may, in fact, have ADHA.
The dangers associated with ADHD include a six-fold increase in experiencing psychiatric problems so it is imperative that you seek medical attention if you feel that you have this affliction.