Hyperactivity and impulsiveness

ADHD and mental health disorders Adults with ADHD are likely to have an anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, or other comorbid psychiatric disorder. (The term “comorbid” refers to a condition that exists with another.) About 50 percent of adults with ADHD also suffer from an anxiety disorder.

Recognizing adult ADHD Adult ADHD is often misdiagnosed as depression or an anxiety disorder, and can be overlooked as the source of such symptoms. Depression and anxiety often accompany ADHD because difficulty with executive brain functions can trigger both.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders frequently occur together. These conditions can simply exist simultaneously, or ADHD may contribute to the development of the anxiety disorder. Individuals with ADHD often have other mental health conditions.

An anxiety disorder is more than just feeling occasionally anxious. It’s a mental illness that is serious and long lasting….ADHD vs. anxiety.

• being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings.
• constantly fidgeting.
• being unable to concentrate on tasks.
• excessive physical movement.
• excessive talking.
• being unable to wait their turn.
• acting without thinking.
• interrupting conversations.

Although the diagnosis of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is often associated with school-age children, this condition may persist throughout adulthood and into old age.

“There’s an enduring effect of growing up with ADHD even if you don’t have it anymore.” Childhood ADHD persisting to young adulthood may typically shorten life expectancy by nearly 20 years and by 12 years in nonpersistent cases compared with concurrently followed control children.

Untreated ADHD in an adult can lead to significant problems with education, social and family situations and relationships, employment, self-esteem, and emotional health. It is never too late to recognize, diagnose, and treat ADHD and any other mental health condition that can commonly occur with it.

Children with untreated ADHD may face problems at home and at school. Because ADHD can make it hard for children to pay attention in class, a student with untreated ADHD may not learn everything they’re taught. They may fall behind or get poor grades. Children with ADHD may struggle to control their emotions.

Research studies show that about 70 percent of people with the condition also have ADHD, and that 20 percent of people with ADHD will develop Bipolar Disorder. The tragedy is that, when the disorders co-occur, the diagnoses are often missed. It can take up to 17 years for patients to receive a diagnosis of BD.

Mania can cause other symptoms as well, but seven of the key signs of this phase of bipolar disorder are:

• feeling overly happy or “high” for long periods of time.
• having a decreased need for sleep.
• talking very fast, often with racing thoughts.
• feeling extremely restless or impulsive.
• becoming easily distracted.

Children with ADHD often have what is referred to as oral fixation. The easiest way to explain this, is a compulsion with stimulating the mouth. Oral fixation is another method of ‘stimming’ and is often presented by children chewing on objects, such as clothing.

Neurodiversity has its roots in the social model of disability, which considers disability to be a civil rights issue. The social model rejects the notion that an individual must be “normal” to enjoy the full range of human experience, arguing that an impairment should not constitute a barrier to inclusion or access.