ADHD
No Kidding — Adults Can Get It, Too
By Paris Wolfe
When Lisa, 55, of Cleveland was treated for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) this year, she felt like a new person. Her productivity improved, she slept better and life became more manageable.
“I couldn’t believe the difference,” she says. “(Medication) helped me focus instead of bouncing off walls. Before, I would be working on something and be distracted by the next shiny thing that came along. Then, I’d get anxious because I would get behind on the first project.”
That anxiety snowballed and may have caused depression. Once the ADHD was addressed, her depression and problems seemed to melt away.
An Adult Diagnosis
Before a comprehensive five-hour series of tests diagnosed Lisa, she didn’t realize adults could be affected. Like many, she thought ADHD was just for kids.
Not so. ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Research suggests it persists into adulthood for at least 50 percent of those diagnosed as a child. As many as 10 million adults may be affected.
People in their 50s and 60s fall into those numbers. ADHD didn’t suddenly appear with Generation X. Despite the lack of diagnoses, it has been around for a long time, spanning generations. While causes aren’t definitive, studies attribute ADHD to genetics as well as to smoking and drinking during pregnancy.
Symptoms may be less apparent in the over-50 population because they’ve had longer to learn coping skills and life hacks.
One of the most common ways adults realize they’re affected is during an exam of a child or grandchild.
“They sit in the room with the provider who asks questions about the child, and the adult starts to see the light. They say, ‘Those situations all fit me too,’” says Stephanie Musto, a nurse practitioner who works with ADHD specialists at the Cleveland Clinic.
Diagnosing isn’t easy. “It’s not like a blood test. It’s generally a clinical diagnosis,” Musto says. “We take an extensive clinical history, including how things were when they were youngsters in elementary school.”
Solutions
Developing coping skills and taking medication can make life easier. “Oftentimes, people have grown up with untreated ADHD and wonder what’s wrong with them that they can’t stay focused or complete tasks. They may have low self-esteem or depression or anxiety,” she says.
When the issue is labeled and treated, the aha moments lead patients to realize they no longer spend time spinning their wheels trying to keep up with tasks they start but don’t finish.
Beyond medication, coping behaviors include frequently checking calendars, making lists and creating distraction-free workspaces.
“I don’t know how I coped,” Lisa says. “I guess I got good at workarounds and developed rigid schedules to keep me focused, too rigid. Now I take a low dose of medication and can sit at my desk for hours and work with spreadsheets.”
Lisa likes the metaphor that having ADHD is like having a Lamborghini brain — you just have to learn how to drive it.
Paris Wolfe is thinking about being tested for ADHD because — squirrel.
