ADHD can happen to adults without warning. Some of its symptoms combine very well with stress or with personality traits; some are detected at older ages. Some of the five most common signs of ADHD in adults are chronic confusion and forgetfulness due to difficulties with time management and memory. A person may show signs of being unable to concentrate on things, switching quickly from one task to another, or losing interest very quickly.
According to Dr. Geeta Shroff, co-founder of Lighthouse Counseling Center, “Another sign could be a lack of inhibition or restraint, as evidenced by impulsive spending or interrupting someone during a conversation. Another symptom is restlessness. Hustle may be the cause of restlessness or an inability to sit down and relax. Finally, emotional dysregulation causes mood swings as well as extreme reactions to everything. All of these symptoms must be identified for successful management of ADHD through lifestyle changes and treatment.

5 telltale signs of an adult struggling with ADHD may include:

1. Poor attention span: This can manifest as difficulty concentrating on tasks that require sustained mental effort, zoning out during conversations, careless mistakes, procrastination, and often missed deadlines due to inability to sit still. , concentrate and complete the task at hand.
2. Inability to organize: Adults with ADHD have poor organizational skills due to working memory deficits. They often show up at the last minute; they have difficulty planning their day and often arrive late for events or have difficulty paying their bills on time; they often end up having cluttered or messy living spaces.

3. Impulsiveness: According to Dr Madhusudan Singh Solanki, senior psychiatrist and head of the department of Mental health & Behavioral Sciences, Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, “Adults with ADHD also have a history of impulsive behaviors, including difficulty controlling their mood and emotional reactions, manifested by mood swings, outbursts of anger or impatience. It also negatively affects their relationships. They may tend to make instant plans or act on impulse, which they may regret later.

4. Forgetfulness: They appear as individuals who often forget the most important thing. Loss or misplacement of keys or other valuables is common. Forgetting daily tasks leads to many problems in their daily life, they may also show absent-mindedness.
5. Agitation: Adults with ADHD often have difficulty sitting still; They fidget a lot, keep moving their legs and often bump into objects in the house.
If you notice these signs in yourself or a loved one and if these signs are negatively affecting your daily life, work or relationships, then you should seek evaluation by a mental health professional. But here’s a caution not to self-diagnose ADHD after reading about the symptoms on the internet because many of these signs and symptoms can also be present in other mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or impulse control disorders and drug or substance use. etc. therefore a thorough mental health assessment is the only way to conclude a diagnosis.