10 Signs You Might Have Adult ADHD

While ADHD symptoms first show up in childhood, sometimes the adults around us didn't recognize our ADHD symptoms when we were a child. That doesn't mean the struggle or symptoms went away as we grew up. Many people seek counselling for something like depression, anxiety, anger management or substance use in adulthood, and later realize that ADHD is also part of what is going on for them.

Here are 10 signs you might have ADHD:

1. It takes a LOT of energy to get started with something, and not much to knock you off task.

2. You've always struggled with staying focused, sitting still or being quiet, especially if what you were expected to do wasn't interesting to you.

3. You often lose things or forget appointments.

4. You have a history of impulsive or disruptive behaviour.

5. You have a child or parent with an ADHD diagnosis.

6. You've had rocky relationships and/or an erratic work history.

7. You experience challenges with substance use, overspending, or difficulty keeping caffeine, alcohol or cannabis consumption under control.

8. You have difficulty regulating your emotions.

9. It's hard to find a middle ground between hyper-focused productivity/perfectionism and being so frozen you can't do anything.

10. You struggle with establishing and maintaining household organization, daily routines, and consistent parenting.

Do you recognize yourself in this list? You have options. You can consider whether formal diagnosis is right for you, continue to learn more about ADHD, or reach out to book a consultation and ask about how therapy might help with the struggles you're facing.