4 Signs Your Personality 'Flaws' Might Actually Be Undiagnosed Adult ADHD
Laxman Khadka | Canva Everyone has problems staying focused, especially when there are several devices around, all pinging every time you get a notification. Not to mention the difficulties of juggling work, home, social activities, and making sure you've still got personal time. Life is busy, and it can be hard to keep yourself focused on a single task. But does your problem go beyond simple distraction?
There's a difference between getting easily distracted and wondering if you have adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Even if you have no hyperactive behaviors, ADHD still refers to something a bit more than just having some trouble concentrating.
There is no quick way to tell if you have ADHD, even in a doctor's office, which is why so many adults go undiagnosed. A study even suggested that as few as 10 percent of adults who meet the standard for being diagnosed with the disorder actually get a diagnosis and are treated for it. So, all those self-perceived personality flaws you've been told you have (mean!) might be signs of something else: Adult ADHD.
Here are four personality flaws that might be undiagnosed adult ADHD:
1. You constantly have trouble organizing things, including your thoughts
ADHD isn't something you can turn on and off. While kids can get diagnosed with the disorder early by their behavior, adults know they can't do all of the actions that go through their minds. This might explain why so many adults go undiagnosed. They are socially trained to behave. Even if something keeps popping up and distracting them, they're probably not going to act on it if it would be considered unusual to do in public.
- Do you find yourself fidgeting all the time and unable to sit still?
- Do you make constant mistakes at work, or rush through things as you struggle to organize yourself?
- Do you often talk out of turn and have difficulty sitting through a conversation because you're on another mental tangent?
Experiencing these issues and feeling like you're on an emotional rollercoaster all the time can indicate you may have this disorder, according to Patricia Quinn, an ADHD specialist. While it's common for people to feel scattered at times, people with ADHD experience these difficulties all day, every day, and in many different settings.
If you have trouble focusing at work and come home to find it hard to unwind without issue, if you can't stop being distracted while driving, or if you get distracted even while trying to go to bed, you may be suffering from undiagnosed ADHD.
2. You can't remember when you didn't feel this way
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It's certainly possible for people not to notice their symptoms until adulthood, but most people with ADHD can remember times as a child when their inability to sit still and focus was detrimental. According to Dr. Quinn, people may have had issues their whole lives, but they weren't obvious enough to be diagnosed.
Dr. Quinn also suggested that people with undiagnosed ADHD may have found ways to control their issues, at least for a little while. "They've found ways to keep their symptoms under control (like by developing perfectionist personalities or working very hard). But as stress builds up in their lives, they find they can no longer cope, so they finally seek help."
3. No matter how hard you try, projects remain unfinished
You might have a few simple tasks to do for the day, like folding the laundry or cleaning your bathroom, but it seems completely impossible to do any of them. Maybe you start folding the laundry and then get up for a snack, only to find yourself an hour later on your way to the store to pick up some stuff for a craft you saw on Pinterest. Your laundry is still crumpled in a pile, your bathroom is still dirty, and somehow, your kitchen is now filthy.
For most people, focusing on a simple task might be easy. But research has shown that for someone with ADHD, it's practically impossible to focus long enough to complete one task without moving on to something else. Perhaps even something entirely unrelated to what you tried to accomplish, to begin with. If you have ADHD, you might end up accidentally accumulating even more mess in the process of trying to take care of anything, which can be just as big an issue as it seems.
4. You have other mental health issues tagging along for the ride
According to researchers, over one-third of women with ADHD have anxiety disorders in addition to their focus issues. A third of those women have depression, and nearly half of them have seriously considered suicide at some point in their lives. This might seem surprising, but to Dr. Quinn, this is a common occurrence, since undiagnosed ADHD can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, and self-esteem issues.
It's quite normal for doctors to witness stress, depression, and anxiety start to fade when they begin treating ADHD, since many of the medications used to treat it can increase dopamine, which can lead to reduced stress and sadness. Basically, getting your ADHD treated could mean getting your depression treated, too.
Having an undiagnosed attention disorder can be a debilitating part of life, but it is easily treatable. If you suspect you have ADHD, make an appointment with your doctor and discuss your symptoms.
Merethe Najjar is a professional writer, editor, and award-winning fiction author. Her articles have been featured in The Aviator Magazine, Infinite Press, Yahoo, BRIDES, and more.
