“Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #46 ~ October 29, 2022
DO YOU HAVE ADHD?
As I feel like I’ve gotten a new lease on life, I want to share all that I’ve learned and my personal experience in hopes that someone might realize that they have ADHD too and it’s not such a bad thing. It’s good when you can name what you’ve lived with and can get the treatment you need.
Dr. Len Adler, M.D., who is one of the leading researchers in adult ADHD and a professor of psychiatry at New York University, believes that at least 75% of adults who have ADHD do not know that they have it. WOW! As we know 1 in 10 people have ADHD and of that, only 25% of the adults who have ADHD, actually know they have it. So, to break it down, out of 100 people, 10 people have ADHD and 7 1/2 of those people don’t know they have it. This lack of knowledge has caused damage to those who go undiagnosed, along with damage to their families and friends.
Adults who have ADHD but do not know it are unfortunately at a much higher risk than the general population for serious problems. Mood disorders, extreme sadness, and anxiety often occur when ADHD goes undiagnosed. Even if the conditions are treated, if ADHD as the underlying problem is left untreated, it will only lead to other problems.
Unfortunately, adults with undiagnosed ADHD get fired from their jobs more frequently, they impulsively quit, or they underachieve. Sadly, they slowly lose self-esteem, confidence, drive, and joy in life. As I know all too well, they also resign themselves to a life with less success than it could have been having they been previously diagnosed and treated.
Substance abuse, as well as other obsessive bad habits, plague a far higher percentage of adults with undiagnosed ADHD than adults in the general population. These problems typically lead to more problems, from DUIs to the end of a marriage, to crime, and, in some cases, jail. Accidents of all kinds are more common, especially car accidents and speeding, which carry with them the risk of permanent physical disability or death, and trouble with the law.
Just about every bad outcome you can imagine in life is more common in adults who have ADHD than it is in everyone else. Because people with ADHD are not good at caring for themselves, they risk increase health problems.
If you wonder if you or someone you know has ADHD, here are some common symptoms in adults.
1) Inattention:
Poor attention to detail. Difficulty getting started and completing tasks. Difficulty focusing and regulating attention. Forgetfulness. Poor time management, and organizational skills.
2) Impulsivity:
Fidgeting. Restlessness. Interrupting frequently. Talking excessively. Emotional dysregulation. Low frustration tolerance.
I also wanted to take a look at what the symptoms are of low dopamine levels.
•You lack motivation, “the drive.”
•You are tired.
•You can’t concentrate.
•You are moody or anxious.
•You don’t feel pleasure from previously enjoyable experiences.
•You are depressed; you feel hopeless.
•You have a low sex drive.
•You have trouble sleeping or have disturbed sleep.
Other symptoms of low dopamine levels include:
•Hand tremors or other tremors at rest, loss of balance or coordination, increased muscle/limb stiffness, muscle cramps
•Restless legs syndrome
•Problems with short-term memory, managing daily tasks, and solving simple thinking problems
•Problems with anger, low self-esteem, anxiety, forgetfulness, impulsiveness, and lack of organizational skill
•Social withdrawal, reduced emotions, don’t feel pleasure
•Gastrointestinal symptoms, including chronic constipation
•Lower dopamine levels are also linked with obesity
It is obvious we need to do better in ADHD Awareness, and educating the public, as well as medical and mental health professionals, about adult ADHD. There is a need for more professionals trained in adult ADHD, and we need to dispel the stereotype that this is only a childhood condition that affects hyperactive little boys.
Getting the right diagnosis and the proper treatment can save a life. It can also turn failure into success! I know it sounds odd, but ADHD is truly a good news diagnosis! Life can only get better when the diagnosis is made, a person accepts and embraces the condition, and then gets the appropriate treatment. It is time to rejoice!!! Adults who struggle with life should look into the possibility that they have ADHD.
If you do get diagnosed with ADHD, please let me know as I would like to be the first to welcome you to the wonderful world of ADHD!
For more information on this subject and/or if you would like to work with a Life Coach to work through some struggles or have someone beside you as you navigate this life, contact Karen at https://happybrainlifecoach.com/
Thank you for reading “Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #46 ~ October 29, 2022
