Signs of ADHD in adults: how to recognise it
Many people reach adulthood without knowing that what they live with has a name.
What people usually notice
- Starting tasks is hard even when you want to do them, and unfinished things pile up.
- Attention drifts on its own; at other times it locks on to what interests you for hours.
- Objects, appointments and deadlines get lost despite your efforts to stay organised.
- Inner restlessness, impulsiveness and the feeling of always running with the engine on.
- Emotions that rise fast and are hard to bring down.
What does anxiety have to do with it?
Many people with ADHD end up with anxiety or exhaustion from compensating so much. That is why anxiety is sometimes treated for years without looking at what lies underneath. If what you describe goes back to childhood and shows up in several areas (work, home, relationships), it is worth looking at it calmly.
When to ask for an assessment
When these difficulties cost you work, relationships or wellbeing, or when you have long been thinking “this isn’t normal for me”. Only a professional can assess it: this article is not a test or a diagnosis. In the first session we talk about your history and decide the next steps together.
This article is for information only: it is not a test or a diagnosis and does not replace a professional assessment.