Do You Have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)?
We hear a lot about ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) these days. It used to be these diagnoses were only applied to bouncing-of-the-walls children. Now, just about every adult you talk to will say, “I’m SO ADD! I can’t stay focused on anything.” But is it really ADD/ADHD or just the modus operandi that describes how we currently function in our stressed-out work and home lives?
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Mind Games: Attention Deficit Disorder Isn’t Just for Kids. Why Adults are Now Being Diagnosed, Too, Melinda Beck says, “How do you know you have ADHD, which experts compare to having a mind like a pinball, with thoughts flitting in multiple directions. Maybe you're just overcaffeinated and overworked?”
If you can relate to “having a mind like a pinball,” how do you differentiate a real ADD/ADHD diagnosis from a chaotic work style or work environment? As the article states, getting a definitive diagnosis is tricky, even though children have been diagnosed and treated for years.*
Does the following describe you when you first arrive at work?
1. Start to open email.
2. Glance at email; get up to go get coffee.
3. Stop on the way to chat with co-worker.
4. Go back to desk.
5. Remember that you were going for coffee.
6. But take a minute to text buddy to confirm happy hour plans.
7. See project folder on desk with today's due date.
8. Remember you were going for coffee.
9. Stop to read one or two emails. Respond to them.
10. Remember that you were going for coffee.
11. Repeat with additional diversions/thoughts/work interspersed.
I might contend that if you relate to the above, you might have adult ADD/ADHD OR it might just be how we work in today’s information-overloaded environment.
Having previously lived with someone who I suspect was ADD (who would decide that immediately before dinner guests arrived was the best time to dismantle the garbage disposal); I know that it can be hard on relationships, friendships and work colleagues. But there are ways to rein in the behaviors rather you have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or just share similar traits.
· Make lists and constantly refer to them, checking items off as you complete them.
· If you can, listen to music to drown out background noise and co-workers’chatter.
· Work with an understanding boss, mentor or coach to find work-style methods that will help you stay focused and on task.
* If concerned, my preference as a mental health professional would be for you to see your doctor, psychiatrist and/or a therapist who specializes in these disorders. Treatment usually includes behavioral therapy and/or medications. But there are lots of quizzes online that will help you research the topic. Just Google “Do I have ADD?” Although not usually scientifically-based, these quizzes or questionnaires can be helpful tools.
This is a post by Nancy LaFever. You can read more from her at the Centre for Emotional Wellbeing blog.
Andrew G. Rosen
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