ADHD
“Time escapes me and I can’t deal with it effectively like other adults”
“I can’t seem to organize my work near as well as the other adults I know”
“I flit from one thing to another…But I have to do things as soon as I think of them or they never get done”
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can present in ways that extend far beyond it’s name. Signs of ADHD include:
Trouble concentrating.
Feeling busy all the time but never really accomplishing what you want.
Difficulty organizing and prioritizing things.
Distractible or ‘tuned out’ to what others are saying.
Difficulty with procrastination, getting things done, staying organized, or focusing for extended periods—things we all experience from time to time—for some may be a clinical disorder explicitly impairing executive functioning . Worse yet, ADHD has gone severely under-diagnosed in populations now in adulthood.
Studies show that as many as 5% of Americans suffer from ADHD, while less that 20% are aware of it. And the impact is two-fold. First, and most obviously, undiagnosed ADHD makes managing it’s symptoms incredibly challenging. Second, many individuals affected by the disorder harbor a deep-seated shame; having often been told all their lives that they’re lazy or simply “aren’t trying hard enough.”
The first step in therapy is to assess whether or not you may be affected by ADHD. Once you learn about the symptoms and it’s reflection (or not) on your own experience, you and your therapist collaborate on a plan.
This involves, but is not limited to: getting a formal ADHD assessment; consideration of medication to address your symptoms; and exploration of tools and skills to enhance your functioning and address the unique challenges of your particular ADHD experience.
If you’re noticing these or similar issues—or just have a sense you might have ADHD and want to learn more, contact us us to arrange a no-cost consultation or schedule an appointment.