That lack of attention may mean adult ADD/ADHD

Colby Hetrick — Chances are that it's not unusual for your adult friends or co-workers to joke that they have ADHD. When the adults that you know lose track of what they were doing or start a new project before the first is done, it's often thought of as funny to use the excuse of attention deficit disorder. Unfortunately, for adults that truly have the disorder, it's anything but funny. Here are five symptoms of adult ADD/ADHD that you should understand:

1. Emotional Difficulties

Though adults with attention deficit disorder may not have difficulty controlling pleasant emotions like happiness, joy and excitement, they can have difficulty controlling anger and frustration. Other emotional difficulties experienced by adults with the disorder include irritability, mood swings, explosive tempers, acute sensitivity to criticism, a persistent low self-esteem or sense of underachievement, and a feeling of being constantly stressed out.

2. Impulsive Behaviors

According to medical experts, adults with ADD/ADHD may have problems with impulse control. These adults may speak without thinking, often hurting the feelings of people they are talking to. It's not unusual for these adults to act spontaneously with no regard for the consequences of their actions. It can be difficult with adults with attention deficit disorder to have poor self-control, talk over others, and have trouble acting socially appropriate in public situations.

3. Lack of Organization

If your closet is a mess, you don't necessarily have ADD. If, on the other hand, you are chronically late for work, frequently forget commitments, procrastinate, and have a totality of disorganization in your life; you may be suffering with attention deficit disorder. It can be difficult for adults with ADD/ADHD to stay on task and keep track of their time. Due to a general state of forgetfulness, these adults are often disorganized, tardy, or unable to be counted on.

4. Inability to Concentrate

We all know people that are extremely focused. These people can concentrate on a task, work on it for hours, and see it through to fruition with skill and determination. For adults with ADD/ADHD, the ability to remain focused for long periods of time is absent. These adults often struggle to complete seemingly simple tasks, have a tendency to overlook details, find themselves unable to follow directions, and struggle with wandering attention. While most adults can stay focused during a conversation, easily remembering what has been said, even days later, adults with ADD/ADHD lack this ability.

5. Hyper-Concentration

Many adults with attention deficit disorder have learned to cope with their disorder by using a sort of hyper-concentration. They are able to read a book, watch television, or even work on projects at the expense of everything else in their lives. This hyper-focus is a way to cope with the inability to concentrate. Unfortunately, these adults become so engrossed in pleasurable activities that they often lose track of time. It's not unusual for these adults to complete one task and completely ignore several others.

Attention deficit disorder presents differently in adults than in children. Many adults with ADD do not display the same hyperactive tendencies as children do. It's also important to know that you don't have to have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD as a child to be affected by it as an adult. If you think that you may have ADD/ADHD, or know an adult who displays many of the symptoms above, a medical professional can diagnose the disorder and give you the tools necessary to keep it under control.

About the Author

Colby Hetrick writes for several health sites