It is estimated that 1 million Australians have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. So what exactly is ADHD and what are the symptoms of ADHD?
ADHD is a neurodevelopment condition in which some parts of your brain develop in a non-typical way. Some of the symptoms of ADHD include:
- Inattention and difficulty focussing – ADHD makes it difficult to focus or pay attention. You may find it takes lots of effort to focus, or find your mind wandering during a task.
- Reduced impulse control – it can be difficult to control your impulse to say or do things. For example, you may interrupt others, find it difficult to wait your turn etc.
- Difficulty with planning and organisation – you know that you’ve got something coming up but keep putting off getting started because you don’t know where to start. Alternatively, you may not plan your work, so find midway that you don’t have what you need or have left important steps out. At times the job never gets completed.
- Hyperactivity – this is what people typically think of when they think of ADHD, but not everyone with ADHD experiences hyperactivity. Some do and some don’t. While some children with ADHD can be hyperactive finding it difficult to sit still, being excessively fidgety and always being on the go. For adults the hyperactivity can also be experienced as a busyness of the mind. Like having a million internet tabs opened all at once and difficulty “switching off” at night.
Everyone experiences inattention at times. We all find our minds wandering during a conversation, become restless or have trouble biting our tongues at times. With ADHD this occurs more frequently than it does for others your age and it makes it difficult to function at home, school and / or work. The symptoms of ADHD can in turn put pressure on your relationships and even impact your self-esteem.
The good news is that ADHD also comes with some wonderful strengths. So much so that these are now known as ADHD Superpowers. ADHD superpowers include:
- Hyperfocus – the ability to tune the world out and focus for hours on something you find interesting. If harnessed this can be a great benefit.
- Creativity – having a busy and buzzy mind has its benefits. The busyness of mind leads to creativity and you may be more likely to come up with creative, new and interesting ideas. This can be harnessed at work, school and in your personal life to much benefit
- Problem solving – again due to the active mind and creativity above you may be more likely to think outside the box, coming up with solutions to problems that others may not think of. The benefits of this are pretty clear.
- Spontaneity and energy – that reduced impulse control can have its benefits. You can be up for anything and have great and memorable life experiences due to being spontaneous. This means that you can be lots of fun and live life to the fullest.
- Social intelligence – people with ADHD may have more social intelligence. This alongside of being talkative and having empathy can make you a great conversationalist and great company.
If you would like to know more about ADHD in adults or children, or if you think you may have ADHD and would like to explore this get in touch.