ADD symptoms in adults

introduction

The Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms are variable and cannot always be clearly differentiated. In contrast to typical ADHD, the patients show no hyperactivity or impulsiveness but suffer mainly from mental and social problems. The only thing that ADD has in common with the other ADHD types is attention and concentration disorders.
With ADS, however, these do not show themselves through particularly noticeable behavior and are therefore Not often directly noticed. The patients are more likely dreamy, introverted and are referred to as "hypoactive", ie underactive. The symptoms are complex and significantly less noticeable than with other ADHD types. ADD is therefore not always or often only diagnosed in adulthood.

Read more about the topic here: ADD in adults

Symptoms

The characteristic of the disease is Attention disorder. This is that Main symptom the disease and is due to the restricted ability to deal with incoming stimuli.
The patients are Overwhelmed and can sBad to separate the important from the unimportant, so experience a real one Overstimulation. While in healthy people the brain automatically filters out unimportant stimuli, take People with ADD view too much information at the same time. As a result, they can concentrate poorly, wander, are easily distracted, and have trouble listening and prolonged activities. They make careless mistakes and find it difficult to follow instructions. The patients are disorganized, forgetful and quickly overwhelmed. They often lose pens, keys and the like.
The excessive demands caused by the amount of stimuli absorbed can occur in all forms of ADHD. In contrast to typical ADHD, however, people with ADD do not react externally, but rather inner restlessness. They seem rather quiet and dreamy Mood changes often and supposedly baseless. At school and at work they perform poorly, have problems coping with the household and the rest of everyday life is difficult for them.
she tire quickly and are chronically exhausted. Making contacts and maintaining friendships is also not easy for them. Listening and responding to the other person is made more difficult by their attention disorder. They may not respond adequately or defend themselves with words. Patients quickly feel misunderstood and react inappropriately. They are easy to offend and like to withdraw. They feel emotions more intensely and their mood changes in a very short time without any recognizable trigger between good-humored and deeply saddened.
ADD sufferers are therefore not characterized by the typical core symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity and impulsivity, but by theirs social and psychological problems.
Symptoms have existed since childhood but are not always noticed. Therefore, ADD is often diagnosed late or not at all.
The ADS appearance is very variable. Whether the symptoms are perceived as a disease or merely as personality traits depends on their severity. ADS can be in various forms occur, from the slightest restrictions to the most severe mental disabilities.
Only when the patients feel clearly restricted by the ADD and suffer from it in several areas of their life for a long time do the symptoms also have a so-called disease value, i.e. must be assessed as a disease. In most cases, those affected are not even aware of their illness. As a result, they attribute failures and social difficulties to their own personality and suffer from low self-esteem. Mental problems how depressions and Anxiety disorders are therefore very common in ADD patients and it is not uncommon for the diagnosis of ADD to be made only when these comorbidities are treated.
Failures and poor performance are by no means signs of reduced intelligence in ADD. This is not restricted in ADD patients.

Compared to the normal population, they are straight in creative areas even special gifted. The constant processing of information enables those affected to blooming imagination. If you are particularly enthusiastic about one thing, you are very well able to fade out other things and concentrate completely. If information is associated with strong emotions, it is recognized as important and stored instead of overlooked and forgotten. In the right professional field, people with ADD can therefore be very successful thanks to their talents. Recognizing and promoting these talents is one of the top goals in treatment.

Hypoactivity as a symptom of ADD

Hypoactive describes a Underactivity. To a official diagnostic criterion it is the case with the hypoactivity Not, but she describes it Appearance of the ADS Law vivid.
Due to the lack of filtering of the inflowing stimuli and the impaired ability to concentrate are those affected Overwhelmed.
ADD patients are more likely introverted. They close themselves off from the outside world and thus also from being flooded with stimuli. This often seems as if those affected are living in their own world. Instructions are difficult to get through to them and tasks are completed very slowly. Overstrain and fear of failure often cause those affected to avoid unpleasant or unknown situations and tasks. Not infrequently isolate they thus themselves and behave mostly passively until they are forced to act. Then, however, they react over and possibly aggressively. Of the Suffering through the hypoactive form of ADD is in many patients very high.

Differences in the symptoms of adults and children

The Attention disorder exists since childhood and remains untreated in up to 60% depending on the study. How the ADD manifests itself and how the patient deals with it changed however, over the years.
children are particularly noticeable due to problems at school. Learning falls them heavy, the Grades are bad and friendships are sparse.
Making the diagnosis in childhood is usually easier than in later life, because Adult show often Compensation strategies. They have failure internalized and avoid tasksthat overwhelm them. Therefore, the typical symptoms are not always found in them, as they avoid situations in which they occur. Some also manage theirs Compensate for weaknessesby e.g. choose a job that suits you and promotes your talents.
In contrast to children, adults show fewer the typical symptoms, but still suffer from fear of failure and the like. The ADD can mask itself in the adult, e.g. as depression, Panic disorder or burnout. It is therefore important to determine the ADD as early as possible in order to avoid these psychological side effects.

Tests to confirm the diagnosis of ADD

Whether it is the observed abnormalities When it comes to ADD, ultimately only the doctor can decide. The Symptoms are in this constellation not proving for ADSbut also come at other diseases in front. The doctor has to rule out this, i.e. thoroughly examining the patient physically and creating a psychological profile.
Provide first insights into suspected ADD Self-teststhat are offered by different more or less reputable agencies in different qualities.
Those affected should therefore contact official providers, e.g. the WHO (World Health Organization) and have the result confirmed or refuted by a doctor. This works in Patient talk the medical history, perform further tests, e.g. behavior and questions the environment.
He also receives more Professionals, as ADD can be much more complex in adults than in children. Depending on the patient and the severity of the symptoms, a team of different specialists is therefore required for diagnosis and therapy, Psychologists or. Psychotherapists and others needed.

Differentiating the symptoms of ADHD and ADD

The main abnormalities in ADD are mental and social problems, at the ADHD it's hyperactivity and impulsivity.
In many ways, however, the clinical pictures can be similar, e.g. Achievements in school and work or problems in the social environment. Thus, the types of ADHD cannot always be clearly separated from one another. While in typical ADHD mainly physically conspicuous symptoms occur in addition to attention problems, ADD patients are more likely to show it psychological problems and behavioral disorders. These different characteristics can be seen even more clearly in children. Through the Training of compensation strategies after years of symptoms, the differentiation of the subtype in adults becomes much more difficult.
Nevertheless, the distinction between the hyper- and hypoactive forms is important in order to be able to treat them correctly. Although both are with the same drug (ADD medication), the other therapy options, especially the Psychotherapy and behavioral therapy for ADD, however, differ greatly from the forms of therapy for ADHD. However, an experienced doctor can usually separate ADD from other ADHD types even in adults after thorough processing of the medical history.