What Does Adult ADHD Look Like?

While ADHD is commonly diagnosed during childhood, there is a large population of adults who are not aware of the symptoms that present as you get older.

As kids the hallmark symptoms may be hyperactivity, impulsivity, and trouble focusing, but in adults, it can look different. For example, many adults have been misdiagnosed with anxiety or a mood disorder when in reality, it is ADHD that is making their life so much harder.

ADHD Signs as an Adult

Adult ADHD can take many different forms, but often the result is feeling unstable in work or relationships, low self-esteem, and problems with productivity.

According to the Mayo Clinic, ADHD in adults may present as:

• Impulsiveness
• Disorganized spaces and trouble problem solving
• Poor time management and planning
• Problems focusing
• Inability to multitask
• Getting frustrated easily
• Mood swings and temper
• Trouble handling daily stress

The hyperactivity may be present in some cases, but for many, ADHD in adulthood looks a lot more chaotic and disorganized than it would in kids.

What Cognitive Skills are Behind ADHD

ADHD is an attention disorder, but that does not mean weak attention skills cause ADHD. There are lots of other cognitive skills that come into play that can make it harder to focus, problem solve, and manage your responsibilities effectively.

Here are some of the biggest players:

• Working Memory is your ability to hold onto information while you’re in the process of using it. For individuals with ADHD, this is often their lowest skill—even more so than attention. Weakness in working memory looks like forgetting what you’re supposed to be doing, constantly jumping between tasks, struggling with follow through, and giving up easily for many individuals with ADHD.
• Sustained, Divided, and Selective Attention are all facts of your ability to focus, tune out distractions, and multitask. Each subset of attention has different implications for productivity and your ability to manage daily stressors and tasks.
• Logic & Reasoning is your ability to problem solve and come up with creative solutions. For many adults with ADHD, this is a sticking point because they have trouble following through on a logical process to reach a solution.
• Processing Speed is your ability to quickly (and correctly) work through a task. Many people with ADHD try to blast through tasks to get them done, but if processing speed is an issue, there will be many errors, missed steps, and issues with quality of work.

How Strengthening Cognitive Skills Can Help

If any of these scenarios resonate with you, there is hope!

Brain training at LearningRx improves cognitive skills like memory, attention, logic & reasoning, processing speed, and more in individuals with ADHD.

But beyond the assessments, our clients report incredible real-life changes after brain training, including:

• Improved confidence and self-esteem
• Better self-discipline
• Improved work performance
• Better attitude, mood, memory, and focus
• And more!

Whether you have diagnosed ADHD as an adult or you just expect your cognitive skills are holding you back from being as productive, focused, and organized as you need to be, completing a LearningRx brain training program is a great step to take.

Cognitive skill weaknesses don’t just go away on their own—but with brain training, we can make them stronger!

Contact us today to learn more about how brain training helps adults who struggle with memory, focus, organization, and thinking.