The symptoms of ADHD and their severity vary from person to person and are often difficult to recognize. Symptoms of ADHD might show up when kids are below the age of 12 but may even appear much earlier. To make an appropriate diagnosis, a professional doctor evaluates your child using stringent criteria. But recognizing ADHD in adults can be even trickier since hyperactivity significantly decreases over time as we age. Here we’ve created a comprehensive guide to five major symptoms of ADHD to make the task easier for you:

A Quick Glance at ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect your ability to perform, work, and maintain relationships. According to academic research, ADHD occurs in up to 9% of the general population. This neurodevelopmental disorder typically appears during childhood and lasts into adulthood.

5 Major Symptoms of ADHD

1. Inattention

Signs of inattention may occur in children, teenagers, and adults with ADHD. It can interfere with your development and appear as:

• Avoiding or being reluctant to do activities that require mental effort
• Being forgetful in daily activities
• Difficulty paying attention to tasks
• Fail to finish duties or schoolwork by getting side-tracked or losing focus
• Getting distracted easily
• Having trouble organizing tasks
• Inability to pay close attention to details
• Making careless mistakes in schoolwork or office work
• Seem not to listen when spoken to
• Unable to follow through on instructions

2. Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity in children or teenagers may cause them to:

• Difficulty taking part in leisure activities quietly
• Fidget with or tap hands or feet
• Interrupt others
• Leave the seat when you shouldn’t
• Running about or climbing in inappropriate situations
• Squirming in seat
• Talking excessively

3. Impulsiveness

Impulsiveness typically appears as:

• Blurting out answers
• Frequent fidgeting
• Interrupting while others are talking
• Intruding on others
• A habit of finishing other people’s sentences
• Trouble waiting for your turn

4. Unfinished Tasks

Children and teenagers with ADHD tend to show interest in various activities but find it difficult to finish any.

For instance, they may start their homework or a project, but they may jump on the next thing before completing the first one.

5. Emotional Turmoil

Children and adults with ADHD may find it difficult to control their emotions. They may experience frequent mood swings and have an outburst of anger.

Kids with ADHD may throw temper tantrums.

The Bottom Line

Children with ADHD may exhibit other disruptive disorders, anxiety disorders, or mood disorders.

Get an appropriate diagnosis by connecting with a professional doctor today!

If your ADHD is getting in the way of living your best life, do not hesitate to seek further evaluation and treatment.  We offer ADHD therapy and ADHD treatment, so call us at (833) 931-1716 to learn more when you are ready to take your first step towards healing.