
Think about it: If your symptoms only appear at work, you may simply not “jive” well with the company or your coworkers, or maybe it’s a hostile or chaotic work environment that brings out unusual behaviors from you.īut if the symptoms are consistent in multiple arenas, a diagnosis of ADHD is more likely. Samuels, “and how those things might affect their personal life, their work life, and other parts of their lives.”Īnd it’s important that the the symptoms affect multiple parts of their lives. “For an adult to have a diagnosis of ADHD, they would have a comprehensive evaluation with a mental health professional, and they'd be asked all sorts of questions about hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention,” says Dr. Learn more about inattentive ADHD in adults here. Adults with ADHD may be the daydreamers who always seem a little out to lunch while sitting at their desks. Inattention is as it sounds: an extreme difficulty focusing on the task at hand and paying attention. Or even just interrupting colleagues in meetings or friends over dinner. For example, splurging on frivolous purchases, eating unhealthy foods, speeding when driving, having unsafe sex, or binge drinking. “The impulsivity piece comes in when things are happening that would be somewhat risky,” says Dr. They may tap or talk constantly or when not appropriate, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). You’re probably familiar with what hyperactivity looks like in children, but in adults, it manifests a little differently: being constantly on the go, unable to sit still, or multitasking all the time. “Somebody who has ADHD might have symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, or might have some combination of those symptoms,” says Susan Samuels, MD, psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine. The Signs Doctors Look For When Diagnosing ADHD
#ADD TEST FOR ADULTS PROFESSIONAL#
Once someone has made the decision to speak with a doctor about the issues they’ve noticed in their personal and professional lives, doctors will use a few different assessments before diagnosing with ADHD. “Adults go and seek a diagnosis because they realize they’re not being as effective in their lives as they would like to be, or their relationships are really struggling,” says Jennifer Hartstein, PsyD, psychologist in New York City. Their family life could be fraught because they have a hard time listening to their partner or taking care of their share of household responsibilities. Their friendships might suffer because they blow off plans or show up late. Maybe they feel like they’re falling behind at work, because they can’t hit deadlines or get distracted in meetings. For many people, however, everyday life frustrations caused by ADHD may eventually prompt them to investigate. The symptoms of ADHD may not be obvious to them because they’ve simply always had them-they don’t necessarily feel abnormal.

Adults who are diagnosed with ADHD have likely lived with the condition for decades.
