ADHD in Adults vs. Children

Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is an illness that affects children and adults with more frequency in recent years. It is a very common mental illness and can cause inability to focus, hyperactivity, problems with organization, and high impulsiveness. 

In 2016, the CDC found that 3.3 million adolescents had been diagnosed with ADHD, and that it directly affects the behavior in teens when driving, substance abuse, and with focusing on school. ADHD also affects about 4% of the adult population in the US, about 85% of children with ADHD are likely to have it as adults and the disorder is undertreated in the adult population (only about 10.9% of adults with ADHD).

Since it is likely that an adult with ADHD was likely to have had it as a child but may not have been diagnosed, it’s important to look at how it affects children and adults. If you or your child suffer from ADHD, Dr. Hina Sidhu and the Reviv Functional Psychiatry & TMS Wellness Center team have the advanced medical and psychiatric expertise to help you manage your ADHD.

Causes of ADHD

The causes of ADHD are found to be either genetic or environmental, with possible causes such as smoking, alcohol or drug use during pregnancy, exposure to environmental hazards while very young, low birth rate, or brain injuries. But the resulting symptoms fall into 3 categories: inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and low impulse control. These major symptoms can get in the way of patients developing and functioning properly, and they appear differently in children and adults. 

ADHD in children

With children and teens, ADHD presents with symptoms like:

• Lacking focus on details and prone to careless mistakes in schoolwork
• Inability to listen and follow directions
• Problems organizing items or activities
• Losing or forgetting pencils and things needed for school
• Fidgeting or needing to move constantly
• Blurting out answers out of turn
• Difficulty staying seated
• Inability to do things quietly

It can be more difficult to determine if a child has ADHD when they are very young, as children tend to be very energetic and excitable. If these symptoms are occurring frequently and across most activities, ADHD is likely.

ADHD in adults

Since adults are not monitored as frequently as children in social settings, ADHD can be harder to detect. Things you can expect include:

• Poor time management skills
• Poor planning skills
• Low tolerance for frustration
• Lack of focus on tasks
• Frequent mood swings
• Difficulty coping with stress
• Restlessness
• Difficulty completing jobs

Since many of these problems seem like common issues in the workplace and elsewhere for a number of different reasons, adult ADHD can also be hard to diagnose. But it still demonstrates the inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and low impulse control that characterize ADHD in children.

Treatment methods for ADHD include medications like stimulants, non stimulants, and antidepressants. Behavioral therapy is used for both children and adults, but family counseling is also used to help families cope as well. The therapy can help break down tasks to make them easier to manage.

If you think you or your child may suffer from ADHD, make an appointment with Dr. Sidhu and Revîv Functional Psychiatry & Functional Wellness to get the specialized help you need.