There are a lot of individuals who live with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is commonly diagnosed in children. However, its symptoms may not be as clear in adults as it is in children. Adults who have ADHD and are unaware are at a much higher risk than those who are diagnosed as children.
Since those diagnosed in childhood are provided the necessary tools to cope, adults who go undiagnosed unknowingly live with ADHD. They can struggle with this disorder on heightened levels due to being unaware of its existence in their life.
There is no cure for ADHD; however, there are ways to make living with it more manageable. Not having knowledge of the disorder or that you have it would mean that you likely are unfamiliar with the ways to manage it as well.
Treatment can help you to live a happy and comfortable life with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The earlier a diagnosis is determined, the better. However, some individuals go undiagnosed until much later in life and can feel out of sorts because of this. If you think that you may possibly have ADHD, there are ways of getting the proper support that you need for treatment and a sense of community to better understand what you are experiencing and find the best ways to cope with it.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD is a developmental disorder associated with the brain. Individuals who live with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder can experience issues with the ability to focus or have impulsive behaviors. Some symptoms of ADHD are:
- The inability to sit still
- The inability to focus
- Constant physical movements or fidgeting
- Excessive talking
- Lack of organization
- Acting without thinking first
- Talking over others or interrupting a conversation
Other than some genetic connections, the root causes of ADHD are unknown. Other studies are being conducted to determine different possible causes.
What Can Happen When Adults Experience Undiagnosed ADHD?
Adults who are living with undiagnosed ADHD can lack knowledge of their condition in many ways. You may feel that something is not quite right. This particular disorder is often associated with adolescence, and teachers or parents are expected to detect symptoms early on. However, when it is not detected or noticed in childhood, it can be hard to spot as an adult.
You may notice that you are rather impulsive. However, you could easily just assume you have an impulsive personality. Some may even associate their fidgeting or always being hyper with their caffeine consumption. Symptoms of ADHD can easily go unnoticed in adulthood because adults can have some symptoms associated with the disorder and not actually have it.
Some adults who experience undiagnosed ADHD can experience the following:
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Extreme sadness
- Mood disorders
- Being misunderstood
- Being hard on yourself
How Undiagnosed ADHD Can Cause Other Mental Health Problems
Undiagnosed ADHD means one who is living with it is also living with untreated ADHD. Adults are expected to operate in a certain fashion. This can play a role in the fact that ADHD is usually associated with children. However, adults can have the same symptoms, and they can be overlooked.
Sometimes the symptoms are noticed in adults, and ADHD may be a thought that crosses their minds. However, because undiagnosed ADHD is so common, you can think that you have symptoms and then think that you are overthinking because your idea of it is associated with children.
Due to these perplexities, it can be hard for an adult to manage day-to-day life and live with ADHD unknowingly. It is easy to become flustered, frustrated, or irritable. You can experience these feelings just from the overwhelming feeling that something is happening within you, but you cannot quite put your finger on what it is.
If you have ADHD but do not know it, you can have a hard time focusing without the knowledge of why. It can be easy to assume that your life is so busy that you just can’t focus on one specific thing. However, it could very well be that you are experiencing a symptom of ADHD and just do not know it.
Treatment options available with our preferred providers
ADHD can essentially cause distress throughout the lifespan, but treatment can offer great potential for manageability. There is hope if any of these symptoms sound familiar to you. SoCal Mental Health connects individuals with treatment for ADHD and can help you arrive at your best life and most balanced you.
Along with talk therapy, meditation, and holistic forms of treatment, our providers may also provide medication management. With their comprehensive assessments, they can help you determine a treatment plan where you can have support, community, and a long-term solution for living with ADHD.
You do not have to continue feeling desperate and hopeless. Help and the resources you need are out there. So if any of these symptoms sound like what you’ve been experiencing and you are unsure why, get a doctor’s opinion so that you can get properly diagnosed and seek the treatment that can ease your mind.
Living with undiagnosed ADHD can be extremely challenging. It can be easy for ADHD can go unnoticed in adults because of its reputation as a disorder diagnosed in children. However, adults can live with untreated ADHD because it was not discovered when they were a child. This can cause there mental health problems for adults until it is diagnosed and treated. There are many forms of treatment that can help those who are living with ADHD unknowingly or not. SoCal Mental Health connects individuals to treatment specific to your symptoms and can help you enjoy life and not live in anxiety or depression. Call (888) 312-0219 for more information.
