What is Adult ADD/ADHD?
by Wilani Wahl
The following is a combination of information gleaned from books and articles on ADD/ADHD, conversations with people who suffer or have a spouse who suffers from ADD/ADHD (from now on referred to as ADHD), and personal experiences.
What it is not!
I will start with what it isn't. There are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions when it comes to ADHD. It is first of all not a death sentence. It is not just for kids. It is not something that just happens to boys. It is not that someone had bad parents. It is not a ploy for the pharmaceutical companies to make money. It does not mean that the person is stupid or lazy. Quite the opposite is true. It does not mean that the person has a low IQ. It is not about being irresponsible or having a character flaw. It is not sin! It is not something that will go away if the rod of correction is applied.
What it is!
It is a neurochemical disorder that affects three areas of behavior: attention, activity and impulsivity. Perhaps one way to explain might be that those with ADHD have brains that are wired a little differently than others.
One author explains it this way, "ADD is a result of the inefficiency and inconsistency of the mind information transmission system in the brain. The brain itself is fine. There is no damage; actually ADD people can be (and usually are) quite bright. It is just that these chemical messengers called neurotransmitters, sending information to and from the different parts of your brain are for some reason not firing consistently or efficiently." [Women with Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden]
It has also been explained that the brain occasionally has wires that short circuit. Believe it or not there are positives to being diagnosed with ADHD! There are medications that can help with some of the characteristics; and the person with ADHD is always trying to come up with a creative way of coping with these characteristics.
This list is a description of different characteristics that are exhibited by those with ADHD. The severity will vary from person to person. A description of each of these characteristics will be provided later in the article.
- Easily Distracted
- Short Attention Span
- Disorganized
- Distortions of Time Sense
- Difficulty Following Directions
- Depression
- Daydreamer
- Risk Taker
- Easily Frustrated & Impatient
- Sense of underachievement
- Procrastination or Difficulty Getting Started on a project
- Doing Several Projects At Once
- Tendency To Say Whatever Comes To Mind
- Search For High Stimulation
- Tendency To Be Easily Bored
- Creative
- Highly Intelligent
- Trouble Following Proper Procedures
- Impulsive
- Worrier
- Insecurity
- Mood Swings
- Restlessness
- Tendency Towards Addictive Behavior
- Chronic Problems With Self Esteem
- Difficulty In Paying Bills
- Sleep problems
- Poor coordination
- Difficulty when sudden changes or curves are thrown at them
- Short Term Memory Loss
- Inaccurate Self-Observation
Now for an explanation of these Characteristics.
Easily Distracted
They are often overwhelmed with stimuli and thoughts. So many thoughts and signals are at times bombarding them that they can't tell which way to go and cannot shut off all the thoughts. This person might be in the middle of doing something important and they will suddenly think of something else that needs to be done so they drop what they are doing to get this important job done. They may be having a conversation with someone at church or in a crowded area and are totally aware of all the other conversations going on in the room, so they find it very difficult to concentrate on just the conversation they are having with someone. It is not that they are being nosey; it is because their brain is taking in all the other stimuli. They will often "tune out". They may be listening to someone and all of a sudden their mind has wandered and they have no idea what has been said. This is something that they cannot help and is involuntary.
Short Attention Span
It is very difficult for them to stay focused on any one subject for very long without their mind jumping to something else. At times the opposite can be true and they cannot stop from focusing on the one project for hours. It is literally like they cannot relax or do anything else until the project is completed. There is usually no happy medium but the two different extremes in this person's life.
Disorganization
They are chronically disorganized. Their rooms are shambles and look like a bomb went off. It takes all of their strength and energy just to get started on cleaning the room and often before a room is finished the first part where they started is a disaster all over again. Often times they will need to have a professional come in every few months to help with the organization. It is possible for them to be organized in other areas such as planning whole programs but yet not be able to have their home or office organized. They stagger under the organizational demands of everyday life. Others will tell them that if they just wouldn't put things down until they are where they are supposed to be than there wouldn't be so much clutter. The problem with that however is that they sometimes can't think of where it should go or what they should do with it. Then with the fact that they are easily distracted, they may be in the middle of one project when all of a sudden they think of another project that at that moment is screaming that it is so important that they will lay down the first project thinking that they will get back to it. The phone may ring or someone may come to the door and the next thing they know the project is forgotten.
Distortions of Time Sense
They are often late, or have over compensated and are so afraid of being late that they arrive super early so they won't be late. They have no real sense of how long a project will take.
Difficulty Following Directions
They have difficulty understanding directions or having their mind fully get all details of the directions. Directions sometimes need to be written down in short simple steps. For some trying to put together something that comes unassembled is a big source of frustration. The reading and understanding of the instructions and directions is so difficult for them. They will try for hours sometimes to put the item together and still not be able to do it and then this will cause feelings of being a failure or stupid.
Depression
They are very often struggling with depression. Even very dedicated Christians struggle with this and cannot help it. They will often learn steps they can do when the depression comes such as praying, reading their Bibles and listening to beautiful, calming Christian music.
Daydreamer
Their minds will often wander off in little tangents. They often cannot control this. Sometimes due to the feeling of being so inadequate they dream of being someone who is able to do every thing just right.
Risk Taker
Many times they will take risks because of impulses. They will suddenly do things without thinking about what the risk might be or even what the consequences might be.
Easily Frustrated and Impatient
Frustration comes when they are not able to do things that they think they should be able to do. Sometimes they can tell you exactly how to do something but yet they cannot make their hands do it. For instance, one person with ADHD can tell you exactly how to change a halogen light bulb but yet had to call someone to come over and change the light bulb because no matter how hard they tried or prayed to be able to do it, they couldn't. This frustration reminds them of failures of the past and can cause anger and a tendency to withdraw. Impatience has to do with their need for stimulation and also because they want so much to be able to do the things they can't. This often causes other people to think of them as immature.
Sense of Underachievement
They may be highly accomplished but don't think they are accomplishing anything.
Procrastination or Difficulty Getting Started on a Project
They fear they won't do it right so they put it off which only adds to the stress around the task.
Doing Several Projects at Once
They will often have several projects going all at the same time. Many times projects are never finished. Some find their stress is reduced if they are able to work on each of their projects every day for at least a few minutes.
Tendency to Say Whatever Comes to Mind
They get so carried away with enthusiasm. An idea comes to mind and it must be spoken right then. One reason for that may be because they know that if they don't speak it then they may forget it later.
Search for High Stimulation
Because of the whirlwind that is going on inside of their brain, they are constantly on the lookout for something new and exciting to match up with the whirlwind.
Tendency to be Easily Bored
This is actually an inability to sustain interest over time. One author puts it this way, "As much as the person cares, his battery pack runs low quickly." [Thom Hartman's A Complete Guide to ADHD].
Creative
This is one of the positive traits for people with ADHD. They are often very creative. It is amazing to others that they can be so creative even in the midst of all their disorganization.
Highly Intelligent
They often are very intelligent. Some will have a higher verbal IQ then a performance IQ which leads to frustration and depression
Trouble Following Proper Procedures
This is not because the person has a problem with rebellion. Instead it is because of the need for not doing things in always the same way and could be because of frustration at not being able to do things the way they are supposed to be done.
Impulsive
The impulsiveness may be either verbal or in action. They can be impulsive in spending, (having difficulty in determining what they are seeing as either a want or a need. It is like everything is a need.) career plans, changing plans, or enacting new schemes.
Worrier
They are constantly worrying. Even when strong dedicated Christians have ADHD, they struggle with this even though they are trusting in the Lord. For them it may not be as severe because of the Lord and the trust in Him. It is like it is something they cannot help.
Insecurity
They have had the sense of failure many times so are afraid of becoming a failure again, or to put themselves into a situation where they will be ridiculed or made fun of.
Mood Swings
Mood swings come from the frustration and failures they are facing because of the ADHD. They also come because of the biological nature of ADHD.
Restlessness
As adults the hyperactivity may exhibit itself a little differently than with children. It may look like the person is full of nervous energy. They may be constantly wiggling or kicking their legs. When they walk it is usually in fast mode. They may be drumming their fingers, changing their positions when sitting, or pacing. They often are unable to totally relax.
Tendency Towards Addictive Behavior
This addiction can include alcohol, drugs, eating, gambling, overwork, shopping, tobacco.
Chronic Problems with Self Esteem
This comes from years of being told they are: a burden, different, a failure, in the way, a klutz, lazy, out of it, a slob, a space cadet, stupid, an underachiever, weird, and such. It takes a long time to change the perceptions of themselves after years of being told something negative about themselves. They eventually come to believe that this must be true about themselves.
Difficulty In Paying Bills
They have difficulty making and sticking to a budget. Balancing a check book is extremely difficult. One of the big problems with the actual paying of bills is all the paperwork and things that go along with it. Many have found that paying the bills online is much easier. They can pay it without having to write a check, no need to try and find an envelope. No need to try and find a stamp and also no need to have to remember to mail the check! They just have to come up with a plan on how to remember that they even have a bill to pay and when to pay it. They struggle with the whole concept of money and being able to know how much money they really have. Often times it is gone and spent so quickly and they have no idea where it went.
Sleep Problems
A lot of this stems from the inability of the mind to shut down at night. Their minds are such a whirlwind of thoughts that won't shut off. They may do all kinds of things to try and be able to go to sleep because lack of sleep can cause them to be very unproductive in the morning. They may have to rock themselves to sleep by sticking their leg over the side of the bed and kicking it. Some have even been known to do flips in the bed to try and wear their minds and bodies out so they can sleep. Some have made up stories and talked themselves to sleep. Praying does help.
Poor Coordination
Many times the person has difficulty with eye hand coordination. They are often told that if they would just practice and keep trying that they will be able to do whatever the coordination problem might be. Only no matter how hard they try and work at it for several years, it is still a difficulty for them (gargling, using a curling iron, swallowing pills by flipping them back with the tongue, to name a few items). They may also have a tendency to walk into walls or doors. They were often the last ones picked for games when they were children.
Difficulty when sudden changes or curves are thrown at them
They need someone to warn them ahead of time or if when a sudden curve or change is thrown give them a minute to take a deep breath and be able to adjust and think totally through as to all the ramifications of the change. They may involuntarily cry while they are trying to make their minds work through this.
Short Term Memory Loss
They will often not remember doing something right after they have done it. Did I brush my teeth? Did I brush my hair? Did I take my medicine? Did I turn out the light? Did I lock the door? Checklists can sometimes help. Yet they can remember other things very clearly.
Inaccurate Self-Observation
They are poor self-observers. They do not accurately gauge the impact and effect they have on other people.
References
- Thom Hartmans's Complete Guide to ADHD by Thom Hartmann, Underwood Books
2000.
- Understanding Women with ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau and Patricia O. Quinn, Advantage Books 2002.
- Women with Attention Defficit Disorder by Sari Solden,Underwood Books
1995.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults by Paul H. Wender,
Oxford University Press 1995.
- Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception by Thom Hartmann,
Underwood Books 1997.
©Copyright
2006 by ADHD of the Christian Kind.
| 
