Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most talked about diagnoses, yet many people still struggle to understand how it affects lives. It may seem easy to recognize the child that can’t sit still, jumps from task to task, and is impulsive. However, many people with attention-deficit don’t realize they have it, or don’t recognize the symptoms in themselves until one of their children starts to have difficulty. This is a much publicized, yet much misunderstood disorder.
There are two main areas that I help adults with ADHD with. The first is recognizing the symptoms and how they play out. For example, whether it’s impulsivity leading to interruptions in meetings and conversations, poor listening, or difficulty with sex, food, shopping, alcohol/drugs, ADHD can present additional challenges. Or, the difficulty might be more in the realm of feeling keyed up, on edge, or having a hard time finishing tasks. Other struggles include maintaining attention, concentration, and focus. Seeing how ADHD plays out in your life and developing strategies to work with it can make a big difference in your effectiveness, confidence, and happiness.
I also help individuals and families understand how ADHD impacts home and work relationships. Sometimes the strain in relationships comes directly from the challenges of ADHD—impulsive decision making, interrupting and poor listening, forgetfulness, difficulty structuring your time and your day, frequent job changes, or unfinished tasks can build resentment. Or, sometimes the tension comes from the strategies that are developed as you work with your symptoms. For example, a spouse or partner can feel like they are on a roller coaster when tasks are put off until the deadline or when important details are consistently forgotten. Sometimes the strategies used to hide ADHD can cause mistrust, confusion, or frustration in relationships. For example, blaming others or deflecting attention so that others don’t notice errors can add stress to relationships.
Adults with ADHD who were not diagnosed younger can have a lot of fear about losing relationships, jobs, or friends. They can carry around worry that mistakes or cover-ups will be discovered. The distress that comes along with these things can make it difficult to foster creative strengths, self-esteem, and a sense of wellbeing. When you are ready for a re-alignment that helps you regain your sense of balance and health in your relationships, I can work with you to get things back on track.
Clearly, not everyone with ADHD has these particular patterns. However, if any of these sound familiar, I’ll be happy to help.
