Is undiagnosed ADHD ruining your life?

For most people, ADHD – or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – is associated with a hyperactive boy who is misbehaving in class and constantly fidgeting. Worse still, many doctors still have a very limited understanding of ADHD and believe that it only affects children who “will eventually grow out of it.” This belief is so common that methylphenidate drugs, used to alleviate symptoms, are only reimbursed in Poland until the age of 18. As if that were not enough, girls and women are diagnosed much less often, because their neurodiversity manifests itself in a different way.

What is ADHD?

According to the DSM-5, the latest edition of the American Psychiatric Association's classification of mental disorders, ADHD is "a persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity that interferes with functioning or development, with symptoms present in at least 2 settings (for example, home, school, or work; with friends or family; in other activities), and that negatively impacts social, academic, or occupational functioning."

Types of ADHD

Predominantly hyperactive type

This is the most famous one, reminiscent of a little troublemaker, who is everywhere. People with this type of ADHD have trouble sitting still: they fidget, tap their pen or wave their leg. In childhood, they behave as if they "had a motor"; as adults, they can suppress their hyperactivity, but then they feel anxious and nervous. They are usually characterized by excessive talkativeness - they interrupt others, interject something without being asked, are loud and usually do not realize it. Standing in a queue or waiting for their turn is torment for them, because they quickly get impatient. They are characterized by impulsiveness and have to implement their idea the very moment it comes to them.

Predominantly attention deficit type

It is harder to diagnose because it is less expressive. It often occurs in girls and women, but it can be dismissed as simple absent-mindedness, daydreaming, or laziness. People with this type make careless mistakes because they have difficulty paying attention, following detailed instructions, and organizing tasks and activities. They tend to hang around and spend their thoughts in their own world. They are forgetful, easily distracted by external stimuli, and sometimes put things in the wrong places (and then find their lost keys on the fridge shelf or in the laundry basket).

Mixed type

Most common. It is assumed that people with mixed ADHD identify with at least 6 out of 9 symptoms from both types.

What does it involve?

Unregulated concentration

Although the English name is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder , ADHD problems are not related to lack of concentration – the problem is that you have no control over this concentration, because it only appears in certain circumstances. When people with ADHD are very interested in something, they can experience hyperconcentration (colloquially speaking, they have "flow") and then focus on their activity so intensely that they lose all sense of time. This state is not activated by receiving homework or an order from a superior – but by a momentary sense of curiosity, competition or pressure caused by an inexorable deadline. The nervous system of a person with ADHD depends on feelings of interest, not obligation or priority. Most neurotypical people also experience moments of fascination or distraction, but they can pull themselves together and motivate themselves, being aware of the potential reward or negative consequences. This does not work on people with ADHD – what counts is the here and now, the interest in the task or its lack.

Emotional hyperactivity

Physical hyperactivity only affects 25% of children and 5% of adults – the rest of those with ADHD struggle more with mental hyperactivity. They often describe it as a rush of thoughts or a feeling that their brain is like a TV with someone flipping through channels. They can physically sit right next to you, but they can’t feel fully present because something is constantly taking their mind off things.

People with ADHD experience intense (sometimes experienced as obsessive) thoughts and emotions that are more intense than those of neurotypicals. Their highs are more euphoric and their lows more painful.

Psst! You might be interested in our article on mindfulness .

How to cope?

There are two approaches, and they work best in combination: first, medication that helps to neurologically level the playing field; second, a set of tricks and habits that help you focus on demand and be more organized. Medical stimulants are useful for maintaining focus, but they won’t provoke engagement—in other words, starting boring or overwhelming tasks is just as hard, but it’s much easier to stick with them. In contrast, most planning and organizing methods were designed for neurotypical brains, which use importance and time to motivate. For people with ADHD, this system doesn’t work; they have to create their own personalized, constantly updated “user manual” and adapt their daily circumstances based on their own findings to make it easier for them to function—and the support of a therapist specializing in ADHD can be crucial. Examples include studying in the library to motivate yourself with the presence of others, or cleaning your apartment as soon as you get home (without even taking off your jacket!) to keep your momentum going.

You can read about this unusual “therapy” here.

If you identify with the situations described in this article, taking the DIVA diagnostic interview may help to dispel your doubts – PDF files are readily available online, and coming to a psychiatrist or therapist with the test already completed will make it quicker and easier to receive a diagnosis that can change your life and help you understand yourself .

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P. Williams, What Are the 3 Types of ADHD? , med. rev. W. Dodson, https://www.additudemag.com/3-types-of-adhd/ [accessed on 30/07/2021].