An Introduction to Adult ADD
Adult ADD is the name given to a variety of syndromes in which psychological functions such as attention, planning, concentration, managing time and tasks, maintaining focus, and making thoughtful decisions are impaired, and no other condition can be found to explain the impairments. Affected individuals have serious problems in one or more of the following areas:
screening out distractions
starting and completing tasks
remembering and organizing information and belongings
being on time
keeping priorities in order
Individuals with the disorder can get lost doing unimportant activities, heedless of more important jobs that need to be done. At times, they may have difficulty with their short term memory. They may not fulfill their obligations until the last moment or complete a task only when they feel an external pressure to do so. Symptoms are particularly burdensome to those whose work involves deadlines and/or organizing and recalling complex information.
People suffering from ADD often feel unfairly nagged by those around them and sometimes become defiant when confronted with their performance problems. Their underachievement often leads to reduced self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Some undertake psychotherapy to deal with interpersonal conflicts that are caused by the disorder or to gain control over their seeming negligence.
Mild or non-specific deficits of executive functions, such as planning and organizing, are common in the general population, particularly among older people. Executive functions may also be affected by injury to the brain, fatigue, alcoholism, Alzheimer's, and other medical disorders. In addition, various psychological disorders, including learning disabilities, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, may impair executive dysfunctions. They are especially common in people with ADD.
ADD first becomes evident in
childhood although frequently it is not recognized at the time.
Many people are able to compensate for their symptoms until they are
faced with especially challenging tasks in high school, college, the workplace
or parenting.
Since ADD has a strong hereditary component, ADD in a child is an
indicator that one or both parents may suffer from ADD and vice versa.
ADD is
associated with abnormalities in various parts of the brain, especially
the frontal lobes. At the
present time, there is no definitive test for the disorder. The
diagnosis is based on a thorough assessment of a person's present and past
functioning and, if possible, the report of a friend or relative who has
observed the individual's daily behavior. As
with most psychological disorders, the severity of the symptoms and their impact
on the patient's life are important factors to consider in deciding whether to
make a diagnosis.
Psychological testing can sometimes be helpful in identifying learning problems that may need special attention.
They should never
Most children with ADD, especially boys, also exhibit hyperactive behaviors. They are unable to sit still, often feel like they driven by a a fast motor inside them, can't focus on a topic or even a game unless it is very interesting to them, when they sometimes cannot pull themselves away. As most, but not all, of these children reach adulthood, the hyperactive symptoms weaken or disappear and their ADHD becomes just plain ADD.
Stimulant medication has been found to be effective for about 75% of adults with ADD in reducing or eliminating many symptoms of the disorder, especially distractibility and problems with focus. No other types of medication provide benefits as consistently as the stimulants. However, while stimulants are helpful for ADD, they do not so reliably helpful with executive function symptoms such disorganization and problems with planning.
Because other disorders that disturb executive function may resemble ADD, a careful assessment should be carried out by an experienced clinician before treatment with stimulants is undertaken.
The Next Step: Gathering Diagnostic and Treatment Information