Adults with ADHD often overlooked

• Author: Karen Kotze karen.kotze@inl.co.za
• Published date: 16 September 2021
• Publication title: False Bay Echo

While it’s usually associated with children, the disorder is being more frequently recognised in adults.

Dr Comrie says there are many misconceptions around ADHD. People with ADHD are often thought of as simply being “hyperactive, distracted or generally disorganised”.

"It is in fact, a very real and legitimate problem, with regulating attention," she says.

ADHD is a largely hereditary neuro-developmental disorder, which has to do with the wiring of the brain during a baby's development, she says.

“While current figures for adults with ADHD are at around 4% of the general population, it is suspected that this number is much higher, but that due to a lack of awareness, it often goes undiagnosed.”

According to Dr Comrie, there are three sub-types of ADHD, each of which presents differently.

The hyperactive/impulsive form is characterised by fidgeting; an inability to sit still or wait patiently; talking too much, interrupting others; and highly active behaviour, as though there is a motor constantly running inside.

Those with the inattentive form tend to be distracted easily, often day-dreaming; have problems with completing or remembering tasks; make mistakes; lose things often; and have difficulty in being organised.

The third sub-type combines symptoms of the other two.

The hyperactive/impulsive type of ADHD tends to present more commonly in boys and men, while inattentive ADHD is more common in girls and women, she says.

“It is possible that because inattentive ADHD is less of a visible concern, less disruption in class at school, it is more undiagnosed than hyperactive/impulsive or combined ADHD," she says.

The disorder occurs on a spectrum, so it is more severe in some than in others, she says. And many people with it are quite functional and have systems in place to help them manage their condition.

"Those with ADHD often have a strong entrepreneurial spirit as they tend to be creative thinkers and can experience incredible levels of focus on subjects about which they are passionate. At the same time, they can really struggle with more mundane tasks in life, such as doing the bookkeeping or remembering to run errands.“

This type of behaviour can be frustrating for family members and colleagues but it is quite literally out of the control of the person with ADHD.

"Because this is a neurological disorder, it often requires medical intervention to help regulate it. It is most certainly not the case that these individuals lack discipline or are lazy, as...