A common assumption of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD as it is commonly called, as that it affects only school-aged children.
However, Sussan Nwogwugwu, a licensed clinician with Done., a Texas-based clinic that provides online services for people with ADHD, says that’s hardly the case.
The trouble, says Nwogwugwu, is most adults with ADHD may not know they have it. An estimated 75% of adults with the disorder go undiagnosed but were never provided treatment, she adds. They have likely lived with the disorder their entire lives.
Nwogwugwu notes adults with ADHD are 1.5 times more likely to suffer from other other mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. They may have struggled with performance in school, at their jobs and in their relationships, she adds.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ADHD is marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. People with the disorder experience an ongoing pattern of symptoms, which can include:
• Inattention: Difficulty staying on task, sustaining focus and staying organized. These problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension, according to Done.
• Hyperactivity: Moving about constantly — including in situations when it is not appropriate — or excessively fidgeting, tapping or talking. In adults, hyperactivity may manifest in extreme restlessness and interrupting others when they are speaking.
• Impulsivity: Acting — including making important decisions — without considering consequences or having difficulty with self-control. Impulsivity can also include a desire for immediate rewards and the inability to delay gratification.
Adults with ADHD may suffer from one of the symptoms or a combination of the three, Nwogwugwu notes.
“A lot of patients who have never been diagnosed could have internalized their symptoms, ” she explains. “This is often true with women. More males are far more likely to be diagnosed than their female counterparts.”
Nwogwugwu says some undiagnosed people may have realized they had symptoms of the disorder, but did not have the financial resources for treatment. Those services are likely to be covered by health insurance following adoption of the Affordable Care Act.
She says it’s important that people not suffer in silence, and that agencies such as hers can provide therapies and/or medications to ease symptoms.
A person with ADHD who goes without treatment may cope by focusing on one aspect of their lives, such as their careers, but at the expense another.
“There’s never a balance when you have this condition,” Nwogwugwu says. “You cannot have it all without therapy.”
Living with untreated ADHD can be debilitating, she adds.
“It’s really hard for some of them to get anything done,” she says. “They come home and try to go to sleep and they have a million things going through their heads. It’s tough. It’s really tough.”
Nwogwugwu encourages adults who think they might have ADHD to get an assessment with a licensed therapist. Done. provides free online assessments.
Done.’s self-assessments cover inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, restlessness and other ADHD symptoms, allowing specialists to more accurately evaluate a case. These specialists will follow up at appointments, either in person or virtually, to take a deeper dive into a patient’s symptoms and concerns. Patients will likely get screenings for other conditions to determine the causes of symptoms.
If an ADHD diagnosis is determined, says Nwogwugwu, therapies are determined in conjunction with the goals of the patient. Medication, counseling and ADHD coaches may be recommended, she explains.
How frequently one takes medication needs to be determined by a licensed therapist and the patient because of potential tolerance to ADHD medications. Some are simply taken as needed, Nwogwugwu adds.
Patients may be provided organizational tools, including helping them prioritize tasks, along with setting daily goals, she says. Additionally, an ADHD professional may recommend psychological therapists as well, Nwogwugwu says.
While there is no cure for ADHD, adults with the diagnosis can expect to see improvements, with the length of time patients may be under professional care varying widely, she says.
“Technically, there is no timeline with treatments,” she says. “It’s patient-led.”
