Living With ADHD: Ways To Manage Successfully
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a chronic disorder that causes recurring patterns of hyperactivity, impulsive thinking and acting, and/or inattentiveness. ADHD is a rather common condition with millions of people being diagnosed in the United States each year.
ADHD symptoms typically begin in the first several years of a child's life, with the average age of diagnosis being seven years old. Because ADHD is a chronic condition, symptoms do not typically go away as the individual grows up. Adults continue to experience symptoms and in many cases these symptoms can interfere with their lives and mental health.
This article explores what adult ADHD is and living with ADHD might be like. We’ll also highlight resources for those who’d like to speak with a mental health professional regarding symptoms of ADHD in adults and related concerns.
What is ADHD?
ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, affects the brain's ability to focus and control impulses. Living with ADHD as an adult can be challenging, but many people find ways to manage their symptoms successfully. The ADHD brain often experiences difficulties with focus, impulse control, and managing daily tasks, but with the right support, individuals can thrive.
Statistically, ADHD in women can sometimes be overlooked, but it's just as important to recognize and treat. It's beneficial to seek professional advice, diagnosis, and support if you think you might have ADHD. With the right help, adults with ADHD can lead fulfilling and productive lives.
Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Common issues that people with ADHD experience include poor planning, disorganization, forgetting appointments and meetings, problems focusing, impulsive behavior, and restlessness.
Five ways to manage living with ADHD
The two main, effective ADHD treatments are medication and therapy or a combination of both. In addition to traditional methods of managing symptoms, there are a few steps that can be taken to further ease symptoms and relieve the stress of living with ADHD.
Implementing these habits into your life can help better manage unwanted symptoms and prevent or limit unnecessary stress.
1. Understanding your mind for processing with ADHD
First, it’s important to understand how ADHD works. Sit back and think about what it's like to have ADHD. This can look different from person to person. To truly understand how your mind works, it can be helpful to keep a journal. It can be an incredibly valuable tool to look back on and recognize patterns of unwanted behaviors and thoughts from a different perspective.
Metacognition is the act of thinking about your own thought processes. To better control unwanted behaviors, it can help to assess your thought process and learn your strengths and weaknesses. By learning and understanding these weaknesses you can potentially bring structure into your life to counter and prevent issues caused by ADHD.
2. Building structure into your life
Living with ADHD can be overwhelming. Those living with the condition sometimes have so many thoughts bouncing around their head that they can hardly think straight. Implementing structure and routine can help manage some of these thoughts and allow your mind to focus on things in a more structured way.
Keeping a calendar
Adults with ADHD know that sometimes it can be challenging to remember everything that is going on in a given week or month. Difficulty managing time is a common symptom for a lot of people living with ADHD. Calendars are a fantastic way to help keep your plans straight and cut down on potential confusion and overwhelming feelings.
While many of us already keep a calendar, there are a few things that can be done to plan out our time like a pro. Even if it seems redundant, filling in your work or school hours into each day can help provide a solid foundation. Looking at your calendar and seeing those hours blocked off can help put things into perspective and help you better plan out your other activities without feeling overwhelmed. Keeping a calendar where everything is listed in a simple and concise manner will also help you to keep track of appointments, dates, and events.
Keeping a routine
Routines are another great way to manage and limit symptoms of ADHD. Routines allow you to get in a daily flow that makes it easier to remember things and helps keep you focused. They can also be modified to fit your lifestyle.
While days tend to vary, it is still important to keep a basic routine going whenever possible. A good example of a simple routine would be to check and update your calendar every morning when you are eating breakfast. After starting this habit, it will become routine within a matter of days. Then, every day when you wake up and eat breakfast, you will also have an idea of what your day entails.
Controlling your spending
Impulsivity is a common trait in those living with ADHD. This means that many people struggle with impulsive spending and can get themselves in financial trouble. However, there are a few tricks to cut back on excessive splurging.
Probably the most important thing that you can do is create a budget. Calculate your net income and factor in all your expenses. Dedicate a portion of your money to personal splurges and stick to that amount. Keep track of your budget and remind yourself to spend within your means.
Another way to cut back on unnecessary spending is to pay with cash. Paying with cash is a good way to limit yourself and it allows you to stop and think before making large purchases. Rather than racking up charges on a credit card, paying in cash is final and instant. You are also less likely to make expensive purchases because you can see the money being spent.
3. Learning to prioritize
ADHD can cause issues with focus, staying on task, and following through with projects. To cut down on overwhelming and racing thoughts, it is helpful to learn how to prioritize tasks.
When your to-do list is long, it can be challenging to manage all the projects and see them all through to completion. The first step is to decide which tasks are the most important and need to be completed first. This can help you prioritize tasks. It may seem simple but spending a little time to break down your to-do list can help clear overwhelming feelings and increase your focus.
If all tasks are equally important, perhaps start with the smaller tasks on your to-do list. By beginning small, you can see progress quickly. This can help your list seem less overwhelming. By the time you get to the longer projects, most of the list will likely be done. Seeing most of the tasks crossed out can help you focus on the last projects and work with a clearer mind.
4. Exercising to decrease ADHD symptoms
Physical activity does wonders for the body and the mind. In many people living with ADHD, hyperactivity is a prominent symptom. Exercise is a great way to burn off some of that excess energy, reduce stress, and improve your mood.
Studies have shown that physical activity has positive effects on executive functioning in the brain. ADHD and decreased executive function are closely related. It has been suggested that exercise may have the potential to reduce these symptoms. Additionally, physical exercise releases endorphins which can help control mood. This also increases dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels within the brain. These three chemicals also help with attention and focus.
5. Getting quality sleep to help manage symptoms of living with ADHD
Getting a good night's sleep is important for everybody. But for those living with ADHD, getting consistent sleep can be a challenge. With that said, being well-rested helps us better deal with the stresses of the day. It also improves our focus and makes it easier to stick to our routines.
Establishing routines before bedtime can help when it comes to falling asleep and staying asleep. Going to bed at about the same time every day trains the body to begin feeling sleepy as bedtime approaches.
A few other steps can be taken to ensure a good night's rest. For one, it is generally a good idea to avoid consuming caffeine within four hours of going to bed. Avoiding screens and other electronics is another good idea, as they can stimulate your mind and make it difficult to fall asleep quickly. Winding down before bed by reading a book or meditating are great ways to quiet down your brain and naturally become sleepy.
Therapy may help manage symptoms of ADHD
According to the CDC, behavior therapy is an effective treatment for ADHD that can improve one’s behavior, self-control, and self-esteem. And now, you no longer need to travel to a therapist’s office for therapy. Online therapy has also been found to be just as effective as in-person therapy, while also being more affordable.
Online therapy, through services like BetterHelp, enables you to speak with a licensed therapist whenever and wherever is most convenient for you. You can meet via text, phone, or video call and message them at any time as questions arise. Simply take a short questionnaire to be matched with the professional who is right for your situation.
Takeaway
Understanding how your mind works is key to preventing unwanted behavior from ADHD. Building structure and routine into your daily life can help minimize overwhelming thoughts and improve organization. Learning to prioritize tasks and break down projects is another great way to increase efficiency and reduce stress. Lastly, regular physical activity and good quality sleep both provide fantastic benefits for the brain and help to keep it sharp, in focus, and better equipped to handle emotions.
Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about life with ADHD.
Can a person with ADHD have a normal life?
It is definitely possible for adults with ADHD to have a normal life. However, they will likely need to take proactive steps to treat and manage the condition to minimize its impact. At times, it may seem as though the symptoms are overwhelming, but taking small, manageable steps toward symptom reduction will likely lead to long-lasting change and increased well-being.
There are some challenges associated with the condition. ADHD affects many domains of a person’s life and can introduce challenges in employment, education and social relationships. However, there is no evidence to suggest that ADHD is an untreatable condition that dooms a person to unhappiness. With appropriate treatment and coping skills, ADHD can be managed just like many other chronic conditions.
What is ADHD like?
The lived experience of ADHD can vary from person to person, but people with adult ADHD report challenges in employment, education, and social relationships. It is important to note that treating and managing the condition is possible, and many people report drastic improvement once treatment progresses.
Those with untreated ADHD often feel as though their time management skills are far below par and may experience significant extra stress associated with task management. Many people report sleep problems and difficulty trying to stay organized. Because of the considerable burden posed by untreated ADHD, many adults also struggle to maintain healthy self-esteem. It is hard to feel capable and confident when inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity constantly interfere with daily life.
What are some ways people cope with ADHD?
One of the most fundamental ways to cope with ADHD is to work with professionals and adhere to a treatment regime. The most effective treatment is stimulant medication, which is often even more effective when combined with psychotherapy. A significant part of therapy to manage ADHD surrounds teaching appropriate coping skills and behavioral management techniques, which can significantly reduce the mental effort a person must dedicate to the disorder. Some common coping skills are listed below:
- Getting adequate sleep and eating a healthy diet.
- Exercising regularly, which is one of the most effective nonpharmacological treatments for ADHD.
- Finding ways to minimize distractions, such as using noise-cancelling headphones.
- Adopting organizational techniques like using a day planner or limiting junk mail.
- Using assistive technology, like planning grocery shopping in an app that copies the list to multiple locations.
- Using habit-building tools to turn coping strategies into second-nature habits.
What is the best ADHD coping mechanism?
While many ADHD coping mechanisms are effective and beneficial, one of the most effective is likely getting regular exercise. Moderate physical activity of at least 90 minutes per week is associated with a significant reduction in ADHD symptoms. Researchers have identified both short-term benefits, which occur immediately after a workout, and long-term benefits, which occur in response to a sustained pattern of physical activity.
Exercise likely also reduces the ancillary symptoms of ADHD. For example, ADHD can significantly impact a person’s self-esteem and confidence. Exercise is associated with a boost in self-esteem, positive self-image, and overall well-being. It may also lower stress levels and help alleviate the impact of some comorbid conditions associated with ADHD, such as anxiety and depression.
Does ADHD affect IQ?
Evidence suggests that ADHD can have a substantial impact on a person’s IQ score. However, it is likely that intelligence is not the only factor impacting their results on an IQ test. The gold standard in modern cognitive assessment is probably the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). The WAIS measures several domains of cognitive function, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed.
The first two domains - verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning - represent the bulk of the cortical functions measured by the WAIS. Cortical functions are higher-order brain functions, like problem-solving, learning, language processing, and abstract reasoning. In contrast, working memory and processing speed primarily measure subcortical functions, which are lower-order functions that support high-level human cognition.
Evidence suggests that ADHD rarely reduces verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning, the areas likely responsible for the bulk of a person’s intelligence., but may struggle with working memory and processing speed. This may lower IQ scores produced by tests like the WAIS because the person cannot hold and process information at the same rate as other test-takers, regardless of their higher-order intellectual abilities. To address this, the publishers of the WAIS developed the General Ability Index (GAI), which discounts working memory and processing speed.
When the GAI is used instead of IQ, people with ADHD tend to see scores that are much more in line with their abilities. However, IQ is still the preferred score to interpret because it likely better represents the person’s real-world function, where working memory and processing speed are always required.
Are ADHD people successful?
People with ADHD can be just as successful as their peers, but they may have additional challenges to overcome before reaching that success. ADHD is known to impact a person’s job performance in many domains, and untreated ADHD is likely to be a significant barrier to advancement. Overwhelming work or school tasks may also make it harder to socialize and network due to increased stress and limited time. However, suppose the symptoms are treated and managed. In that case, it is likely that a person will experience few barriers to success and may not experience any additional challenges relative to their peers.
Is life harder for ADHD?
Life is likely hardest for those with ADHD if they leave their symptoms untreated. Untreated ADHD can significantly impact a person’s employment, educational, and social functioning. It may be harder for them to pass college courses, excel at work, or maintain relationships. It may also make it harder to complete large projects or complex tasks.
ADHD is also associated with several comorbid disorders, including other neurodevelopmental disorders, learning disorders, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. However, it is likely that proper treatment and management can significantly reduce the symptoms of ADHD and its comorbidities.
Do people with ADHD think faster?
People with ADHD tend to struggle with deficits in working memory and processing speed. Working memory refers to how much information they can hold in their brain for processing at one time, and processing speed refers to how quickly the brain handles information. Based on that information, it is likely that people with ADHD think slower than the general population. However, people with ADHD who treat and manage their condition are likely to reduce their working memory and processing speed impairments significantly.
What happens if ADHD is left untreated?
Untreated ADHD likely produces substantial barriers in a person’s life, likely impacting their education, employment, and social relationships. The severity of comorbid conditions may also increase, further increasing the challenges the person experiences. Treating ADHD is likely to lead to significant improvement. Things that seemed like big tasks before, like managing phone calls, might become benign. While it can take time and effort to see substantial results, most people who treat their condition can drastically reduce the severity of their symptoms.
Is ADHD considered to be a disability?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is recognized as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It should not be confused with a learning disability, which has a separate definition. However, ADHD may qualify a child for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or other reasonable accommodations if their condition impairs their learning in K-12 schools. Higher education institutions are not required to honor IEPs but are required to offer reasonable accommodations under the ADA, as are most employers.
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