Adult ADHD: How Common Is It, and How Do I Cope?

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. – Psalm 34:17-20

When you first encounter the term ADHD, which stands for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, you may think of this condition as pertaining only to children. The popular culture’s concept of ADHD is generally related to hyperactivity or impulsiveness in kids.

But in the United States, 4-5% of the adult population has been diagnosed with ADHD. This statistic doesn’t even take into account the adults who do have ADHD but never receive a diagnosis. They simply live with the disorder in spite of the difficulties in their work and personal lives that it causes. If they never seek treatment, the struggle can seem hopeless and never-ending.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, about 5% of children have ADHD, and about half of them will grow out of it by the time they mature. What about the other half? Statistically, this group (comprised equally of both males and females) will continue to struggle with ADHD as adults.

The CDC believes that these statistics are merely a fraction of the actual number of people who could be diagnosed with ADHD since many of them did not receive a proper diagnosis as children. Many of these ADHD adults find the disorder debilitating mentally and physically.

Understanding the Symptoms of Adult ADHD

Though most ADHD sufferers begin to exhibit symptoms as young children, these symptoms may fluctuate throughout childhood and present differently later in life, with some worsening and others improving. By the time an individual has grown up, their ADHD will likely be more difficult to diagnose and manage than if the disorder been identified in childhood.

The symptoms of adult ADHD present across a broad spectrum of behaviors, including acting impulsively, having emotional outbursts, and being hyperactive. Adult ADHD individuals often struggle with:

• Following directions
• Concentrating
• Any tasks requiring organization
• Remembering key information
• Finishing work on time

The effect of these struggles can result in anxiety or depression, problems at work or in relationships, boredom, anger, mood swings, low self-esteem, memory problems, substance abuse or addiction, procrastination or lack of motivation. Sometimes all of these symptoms may present at once, while others may crop up intermittently depending on the circumstance.

Patterns Formed in Childhood

Adults who have ADHD today most likely had struggles at school as children, possibly being held back a year or being labeled as underachievers. Some ADHD individuals were high school dropouts or were frequently tardy, displaying mood swings and impulsive behavior. They may have abused drugs or alcohol.

These patterns often carry into adulthood, transferring into the inability to hold down a job or receive good performance reviews. A lack of focused attention might even cause them to be poor drivers, leading to car accidents or speeding tickets. ADHD adults may also abuse substances and have an increased tendency to go through a divorce and be married more than once.

“The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated… it is finished when it surrenders.” – Ben Stein

Why ADHD Adults Can Benefit from Therapy

It’s easy to see that these types of symptoms wreak havoc in one’s life. The answer isn’t as simple as medication alone; it’s important for therapy to be part of any treatment plan for ADHD since this condition is a mental health disorder.

A professional therapist is needed to work with the ADHD individual to assist in identifying their disorder and to teach coping mechanisms that will help them become more functional.

One key factor in coping with adult ADHD is learning how to become organized, and therapy can play a huge role in this. The goal is for the individual to make realistic plans and goals and carry them through to completion consistently. Once they’re able to achieve this on a regular basis, they will have gained a sense of mastery over their disorder.

Cultivating personal health and wellness is another key coping mechanism for the ADHD individual. This involves a process of learning the importance of self-care and healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and exercising. These habits will enable the individual to cope better with the stress that they encounter in their daily lives.

Learning how to focus on tasks and wellness is a challenge because ADHD involves a constant desire for mental stimulation. Rather than thriving in a structured, orderly environment, the ADHD individual jumps from one distraction to the next in order to avoid boredom or mundane tasks. This is why they often feel that too much is expected of them at work, leading their performance to suffer.

Ensuring Correct Diagnosis

ADHD does tend to run in families, and sometimes multiple members of the family exhibit similar symptoms. If you’re surrounded by family members who behave in a similar way to you, you might not realize that you have a problem. Some experts believe that children are experiencing more stress and societal demands now than in the past, leading to the development of ADHD.

When diagnosing a potential adult ADHD client, it’s important to find out if their behavior appears consistently in most or all areas of their lives, or whether it is confined to specific situations.

For example, if a client says they can’t focus at work but is able to carry on long, intelligent discussions elsewhere, or can play a mentally taxing game like chess, they may be experiencing a deep-seated discontent with their work situation rather than a mental health disorder. It’s crucial for therapists to differentiate between situational problems and a disorder.

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have. – Norman Vincent Peale

Learning to Cope in a Safe Environment

One of the primary areas of focus in ADHD therapy is helping the client cope with stressful situations in an emotionally healthy way. This involves training in coping mechanisms for self-regulation and life management. It also comprises goal-setting and identifying priorities, and along the way, discovering which techniques work the best for this individual to improve their attention span.

The adult ADHD therapist uses their numerous professional resources to help their client with behavior modification, enabling them to increase their focus in their personal life, work, and relationships. This occurs in a protected setting where the therapist seeks to understand the underlying cause(s) for difficulties attention.

It’s important to discuss childhood issues that may have contributed to the disorder, including emotions, behavior, learning disabilities, family history, etc.

It is not what happens to you that determines how far you go in life; it is what you do with what happens to you. – Zig Ziglar

Retraining the Brain

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a technique that seeks to change detrimental thought patterns into positive habits that allow the client to function well. Often, the technique shows results early on as clients’ ways of thinking are retrained. Because of quick results, clients are frequently motivated to continue to engage in the therapy.

Using CBT can rewire a thought process from an “all or nothing” to a more nuanced perception of reality. This limits both generalizing or catastrophizing and believing that any imperfection is a sign of failure.

CBT assists the client in seeing minor problems for what they are and having a more positive perspective instead of constantly looking for the negative. This helps clients to eliminate any inferiority complexes as well.

The Power of Talk Therapy

Aside from CBT, traditional talk therapy is also an important component of treatment, especially for examining the roots of any depression or anxiety that are concurrent with ADHD. It’s critical to discuss how family relationships have impacted the client’s problems in the past and present. Talk therapy is especially beneficial in reducing any emotional and spiritual distress.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

Talk therapy may include the family as well as the individual. Spouses and children are undeniably affected by the disorder. Supportive techniques and coping mechanisms can be taught in family sessions.

Around 50% of ADHD adults suffer from anxiety, and the two conditions combined can have negative impacts on many areas of their lives. A person who tends to be moody and angry is very difficult for others to be around, especially family members who feel targeted by angry outbursts. A strong support system is crucial to reducing both the symptoms and their impact on others.

An ADHD adult who is on medication can still benefit from therapy to help increase their attention span and moderate their behavior in other helpful ways. While medicine can help with impulsive behavior and lack of concentration and focus, therapy provides the skills and learning process to maintain improvements in habits and relationships.

It’s important for the client to learn how to plan a daily routine and sustain their motivation while carrying out mundane tasks. An adult ADHD therapist plays a vital role in allowing the client to master these skills.

For example, the therapist and client can work together to describe various tasks and the amount of time they should realistically take. The client then learns to manage their time effectively so they can complete the task in an expedient manner.

Tackling Low Self Esteem

If you’re an adult suffering from the symptoms of ADHD, you should be aware that many of your emotional struggles may result from an untreated mental health condition.

A key part of therapy is talking about low self-esteem and depression resulting from the disorder. You may have felt inferior your whole life, or even been labeled as lazy or stupid. This undermines your sense of personal value, and you need to process this pain and start your journey of healing.

If you’ve negative thoughts about yourself for most of your life, there is an accompanying kind of grief that you need to work through. In therapy, you’ll process the reality that this is a lifelong condition that you will always have, but that you can learn to manage well. You can thrive with ADHD, but the journey to thriving requires support.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. – 2 Timothy 1:7

As an adult with ADHD, you’ve probably felt the impact of your disorder preventing you from making progress in significant areas of your life. When you feel like your relationships and career aren’t thriving, you can end up feeling negative and helpless about everything.

This distorts your perception of who you are as a person, leading you to blame yourself for anything and everything that goes wrong in life. You’ve been carrying so much stress that it can be impossible to imagine a bright future.

Therapy offers a glimpse of hope by revealing your distorted thinking for what it is and offering you the possibility of progress in the days to come. It’s like charting a new course for your life; you aren’t doomed to be who you’ve always been, or to experience what you’ve always experienced.

Christian ADHD Therapy

A Christian therapist is trained in traditional psychological techniques, but also has a biblical worldview and works to support the client in this context. The Bible offers much help and hope for the ADHD sufferer who is working through their issues in search of peace.

Mental health disorders don’t exist in a vacuum; they can often be exacerbated by our spiritual condition. A Christian therapist can help you assess where your heart is toward God and how this may be affecting your condition. They will also bring a faith-based perspective and approach to the coping mechanisms they suggest. It’s vital to seek salvation, satisfaction, and comfort in God while dealing with the difficulties of ADHD.

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

If you would like to speak to a Christian therapist who can support you in your healing journey and learning ways to cope in the midst of your everyday life, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We can work with you to manage this disorder and help you find hope and freedom.

For nothing will be impossible with God. – Luke 1:37