[Closed] ADHD in Adults

To have ADHD as an adult, you should have had it in childhood (either diagnosed in childhood, or symptoms of ADHD clearly recognised at home/school/work but no diagnosis made)...

Clearly adults CAN have ADHD...but a LOT of adults I see thinking they do are in fact stressed/angry/depressed/disorganised/normal.

DrP

This probably isn't tremendously helpful, but there was an article in the Saturday or Sunday Times magazine a few months ago about ADHD in adults. I don't remember much as I only skimmed it, but might be worth seeing if you can find it online.

he told me he was ‘certain’ that most of my own issues are ADHD-related

Hmm, I wonder what brought him to that conclusion...

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/thread-highlighted-in-blue-green-on-main-page/

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/loakes-shoes/

Joking aside, it can be quite debilitating.

But I'm assuming it's less prevalent than I thought, considering the responses here compared to Loakes shoes!

Someone in the family did it as a grown-up, was deffo worth it in terms of self-knowledge and trying the drugs (which worked but had side effects).

I'd guess it's reasonably common among compulsive internet users, more so than in the general population at least.

To have ADHD as an adult, you should have had it in childhood (either diagnosed in childhood, or symptoms of ADHD clearly recognised at home/school/work but no diagnosis made)…

Clearly adults CAN have ADHD…but a LOT of adults I see thinking they do are in fact stressed/angry/depressed/disorganised/normal.

DrP

Complete tosh !
Without a Conners test and lots of information/ history of the patient you couldn’t possibly presume someone has depression etc and not ADHD.

You’re born with ADHD ! FYI you’re still normal even if you have ADHD !

As an adult unless you have a very understanding GP good luck getting a referral- private would be your best bet.
Probably best not to see DrP as he may presume you’re depressed etc.

 

My wife was diagnosed at 52, 4 months ago.

Although I only have my external view of it, it's been pretty devastating for her over the years, being told she's scattered, disorganised, forgetful, misbehaved, clumsy, confusing etc etc. whilst simultaneously being genius like with a breadth of knowledge that I am always in awe of, but of course obtained from not being able to stay on one track for extended periods.

it's meant lots of job changes, partly due to boredom, partly due to being viewed as weird, partly being bullied and called out for being 'full of herself'. It's meant lots of impulsive behaviour, socially and professionally, and an inability to retain and maintain friendships as a result. Mentally it's been tough for her. growing up in the west of Scotland in the 70's and 80's there's a lot of judgement about those that don't fit in. I'd like to say it's changed but even though Glasgow itself is quite cosmopolitan, there is still a very strong family orientated community in different parts and it's still the same. There's already a lot of shame introduced by catholic ideals in these parts, so she was off to a poor start if acceptance was the goal. This persistence has led to severe anxiety, and depression and it's taken a lot to get through to where we are now.

However, since diagnosis she's found a lot of forums and a lot of assistance, a lot of recognition of common behaviours and experiences. There's medication that can help too, but the knowledge of an appropriate diagnosis has helped her come to terms and accept herself more than anything.

My daughter was diagnosed Aspergers at 13, she has, at 21 been diagnosed for ADHD and has medication to help her focus.

overall, diagnosis has been a turning point for them both. Recognition of what ADHD is and acceptance of themselves.

hell of a household really. me Asperger, wife ADHD and daughter both!

Wife was private diagnosis btw, daughters was NHS. Wife's diagnosis has been recognised by NHS and she's now getting specialist assistance through NHS.

I often think I was missed as someone who should have been diagnosed with this as a child. I'm not sure there's much point in pursuing a diagnosis now but I have most of the characteristics and it really does affect my life in some quite severe ways.

Joking aside, it can be quite debilitating.

Yeah, sorry, wasn't my intention to belittle anything

not sure there’s much point in pursuing a diagnosis now but I have most of the characteristics and it really does affect my life in some quite severe ways.

Sometimes diagnosis can alleviate some of the impact. There are reasonable adjustments in the work setting, but it depends how it affects you really

Sometimes diagnosis can alleviate some of the impact. There are reasonable adjustments in the work setting, but it depends how it affects you really

I've thought about that many times but ultimately it felt like I'd just be approaching my employer with something for them to single me out with. The bits I struggle with in almost any job are starting a task from scratch, juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time, getting engrossed in the bits that really interest me and putting off the bits I find boring until the last minute. And waiting until I'm chased for something before starting it just so I can feel some kind of drive or reason to make progress. Those aren't really things I'd have thought an employer can make adjustments for. It think it's called executive dysfunction or something awkwardly similar sounding to erectile dysfunction.

Yeah, sorry, wasn’t my intention to belittle anything

No problem.

ultimately it felt like I’d just be approaching my employer with something for them to single me out with.

that sounds like a rubbish position to be in.
ultimately reasonable adjustments are to enable those with particular needs to be enabled to work in the same capacity as those without a diagnosis, and singling you out would be discriminatory.
However, in practice no one wants to get heavy with their employer so it is the hope that an employer know their responsibilities to staff.

there may be tools you could use to assist you with the difficulties you have, and reasonable adjustments are there to afford you the opportunity to use them without prejudice. kinda like a ramp for wheelchair users, but for people with ADHD.

edit: I have assumed you are in the Uk, where these are in place.

I work in occupational health (sometimes).

I'm doing an article on ADHD later this year I think, but here's one I found with a quick search. It suggests some potential interventions and adjustments...
https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/download/otFil87e98

Some of these might be tough to swallow, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Yes in the UK. Part of the problem is a lack of understanding. It's fairly easy to see that if someone's in a wheelchair and works in a building where there's steps up to the door, a ramp is needed. But it's far less easy to see what adjustments can or should be made for someone with a so called 'learning difficulty'. Especially when the person themself doesn't know what adjustments would help.

Also it's easier to decide who to give new career opportunities and responsibilities to when two otherwise identical candidates exist but you know one of them has a learning difficulty, right?

@unfitgeezer

Not sure where that angry response and "assuptions of assumptions" came from TBH.
You seem to assume that GPs don't take a history to ascertain "lots of information/ history of the patient".
That's literally what the job is.
My point was highlighting what YOU yourself are highlighting: You’re born with ADHD ! FYI you’re still normal even if you have ADHD ! (by normal, I meant 'no medical condition at all'..sometimes it's normal to be a bit distracted etc We don't need to overmedicalise everything)

In the absence of any evidence of being born with the condition, thus transcending it though childhood into adult hood, then you don't have ADHD.

Ergo, if an adult comes to me saying they can't concentrate, are agitated etc etc etc, BUT had ZERO signs alluding to ADHD traits as a child, based on their own AND collobrative history, then the other diagnosis I suggested are more likely.

DrP

Also it’s easier to decide who to give new career opportunities and responsibilities to when two otherwise identical candidates exist but you know one of them has a learning difficulty, right?

Having recruited quite a few times, this shouldn't happen. of course, declaring it upfront means that it will, subconsciously or otherwise.
However, you are under no obligation to disclose a 'disability' at interview or prior. in fact actively discouraged. in the same way that you no longer need to put age etc on CV's. if you subsequently disclose and ask for reasonable adjustments, that's just part of an employers responsibility.

OP, I suppose the big question and it's been asked before, is what will a diagnosis give you in reality. Could be it helps you mentally deal with who you are, might reduce your own stress levels a bit if you struggle with your own personality traits. Will it open doors to some form of treatment? If either of these apply it might be worth looking at getting assessed. If you hope it'll make work more tolerant of you, friends and family treat you differently etc. I don't think it will help much.

I think a lot of people see a diagnosis of a specific condition for themselves or their kids as a bit of a justification as to why they are struggling and by inference assume that other people should adapt now they can prove they have a condition. In reality most people will be sympathetic but will not adjust their behaviour towards you in any way. Work is a great example, doesn't really matter how much legislation there is, employers, colleagues, friends are all dealing with their own issues and generally don't have a lot of headspace to accommodate other peoples needs. The big problem is where do you draw the line between reasonable adjustments that allow someone to get on with their job and people not being equipped to do the job. It's easier for say something physical like a wheel chair user where a bit of adaption allows them to fully utilise their work related talents that are nothing to do with their disability, it's very different with mental illness or conditions like ADHD are involved that can impact daily interaction with others. Our personalities are so intertwined with our perceptions of performance it's difficult to separate.

Anyway lovewookie seems to have a lot of personal experience and a pretty good grasp of the real world, I'd listen to them.

The bits I struggle with in almost any job are starting a task from scratch, juggling multiple responsibilities at the same time, getting engrossed in the bits that really interest me and putting off the bits I find boring until the last minute. And waiting until I’m chased for something before starting it just so I can feel some kind of drive or reason to make progress.

You are me and ICMFP!

I have a friend who has been diagnosed as an adult fairly recently in Germany. It seems they're more open to the diagnosis in adults than the UK / NHS. He's now on medication and by all accounts it's transformed his work life.

Sometimes I wonder if I have it, as I do seem to have many of the symptoms - that list of interventions from devon seems very similar to what I actually do at work to get on with stuff. The main reason I don't investigate further is a) I always put things off and make small steps seem like a big deal b) worry medication would change my personality in a way my wife wouldn't like!

There is still a lot to learn about neurodiversity so it shouldn't be surprising that many adults haven't been diagnosed as children. Working in academia I recognise a lot of people with traits, myself included, who probably don't have a diagnosis. Or they don't until they have kids are diagnosed in school. I think the way to think of it is, will your workplace consider changing the way you work to make you more productive and happier or do you think they will see it as a 'disability' even though you do your job now without the diagnosis so it isn't. Either way, I would read about autism and AD(H)D in adults, executive function etc (it's not procrastination!) just for your own sanity and well being. I too know people with ADHD or autistic traits who also struggle with mental health, anxiety, addictiveness and understanding that I think is helpful.

Possibly, no, significant career issues because I can't be bothered to do anything unless it's urgent. See my post count on here for evidence.

As I understand it, hyperfocus on some things is the other side of the coin, which was always my issue. I never did homework from school because I was busy doing other stuff I wanted to do. In fact I was nearly incapable. I still am, it can be extremely difficult for me to do things I am not interested in or where there's no challenge. My team mate at work who's ten years younger than me (half the career time) has just been promoted to two bands above me and this is the reason why.

Although I only have my external view of it, it’s been pretty devastating for her over the years, being told she’s scattered, disorganised, forgetful, misbehaved, clumsy, confusing etc etc. whilst simultaneously being genius like with a breadth of knowledge that I am always in awe of, but of course obtained from not being able to stay on one track for extended periods.

it’s meant lots of job changes, partly due to boredom, partly due to being viewed as weird, partly being bullied and called out for being ‘full of herself’. It’s meant lots of impulsive behaviour, socially and professionally

Wow, this.

Interesting to see how many people have similar traits. I've found it difficult to discuss in person with people but I suspect it's a lot more prevalent in the population than people are willing to admit to each other.

Is there a point where it is so  prevalent that we stop considering it to be anything other than typical human behaviour?

Happy to be corrected, but I believe the general thrust of neurodiversity awareness campaigners is for understanding of how such conditions differ from neurotypical individuals (the word "normal" is frowned upon, I believe).

My daughter is autistic and has ADHD. I'm happy she was born now rather than when I was.

execute thoughtsdump: (TL;DR - see illustration)

Undiagnosed and never even thought about it until a few years back (turns out highly likely via self-tests and interactions with those diagnosed)

School: I couldn’t complete homework. If I did it then it was crammed/ rushed at 3am and way below my ‘ability’ (so w did the teachers measure my ability?)

I can never seem to quiet my brain unless with repetitive/ambient music and/or simple rhythmic exercises, ie cycling, swimming, walking, digging, sweeping, certain types of painting, sawing, hammering etc. I also did well at electrical manufacturing. Easy: Given order sheet. Build things I’d learned and memorised. Package. Put in basket. Job done.

Life in general though, I ‘have to’ minutely process, assess and compare literally everything, unless I cannot*.

It’s nigh on impossible to describe but as I say wilk thoughtsdump

Work: Between 17yr and 27yrs old I’d had about 13 different full time jobs. Then I found a job in a school working with special needs and everything just clicked. I was now very good at my job. That lasted 7 years until a work-injury forced me to leave. Then after a number of years in a wheelchair and becoming addicted to the internet I finally got back into employment. And the carousel began again. I went back to college and found that my homework was still a major problem. Then instead tried startup/own business/es. A nightmare of tight deadlines and trying to learn a hundred new things, and I’d just feel regularly overwhelmed with my head in my hands late at night.

Part-time I’d work at a brewery - just cleaning, casking etc. Utter bliss. Then another injury. So I tried another two lean startups, one with literally millions on the table if we delivered. And at that point and after 18months solid work yours truly flipped his lid and disappeared into the beyond with a tent. Cooked my goose. Killed my pig. How could my partners multi-focus and keep going from 6am til 10pm? Every day? My head would literally swim and I’d feel physically sick like I did getting up to go to school, or to work. Like fighting a revulsion. The act of working on laptop became a torture device. I couldn’t foresee the next decade doing this. I could hyper-focus all day on one thing of my musing’s choice, or simple physical labouring, lansdcaping, crafting, etc (still can). But try and bottle that same focus and intensity and instead direct it somewhere more abstract, targeted, timed, spread over (say) learning and building spreadsheets , campaigns and the like and I’d just feel like I wanted wings to fix it (or by which to flee/fly). I instead had lead in my stomach. And so plodded on all through the night to reach deadlines. Through two days and nights. Sometimes literally crying with frustration.

And conversations. What about people, socialising etc? A sentence can mean a thousand things. I’ll barge in before they finish speaking. My mouth moves like my thoughts move. A thousand thoughts, each a distraction, and every distraction a thought leading to another thought. ie I’ll hear a bird pecking at a drainpipe if I’m trying to talk to the postman. Or see a baby robin on a bush. Or a woodlouse near his shoe. A cloud-shape. And remember I have possibly left the tap on? And what’s that happening behind me? In a room back there, I can hear something.? What’s that you said, postman? He’s already guessed that I’m not listening (or more correctly not fully listening).

Him: ‘Yeah I was saying we go as far as (names a village) and so…
Me: ‘Oh yeah, I used to live in so and so…and’. (Not my turn to speak)

Mostly I’m not the best at socialising because I can never seem to learn the rules. This gets worse with the isolation that inevitably came from being out of place and time, (seemingly all of the places all of the time)

I don’t pick and choose who I don’t ‘gel’ with, it may as well be a world leader or my boss or my wife or best friend or the delivery driver or landlord. I’m pretty much the same with everyone. A head like an open, broken, spooling watch. Running at double speed, only not engaging in all the correct places. What a mess! Like my studio. I wonder if those old lonely people who hoard stuff to the ceiling have ADD?

My father is a ‘terrible listener’, and also hoards and is disorganised in his workspace.

I was much happier when younger and literally had a cardboard box with all of my belongings in it, as I’d move from job to job, rental to rental. Now I stayed in the same place for 5 years, so have three sheds full, and also a studio rammed full (mostly of bike bits and camping gear and tools. Etc.

I have to purge every once in a while but even that gets hyper-focused and addicting, so then I want to purge my life of everything, including everything and everyone in it. At that point I wish to be on the move with a small rucksack and a blank slate. It’s too late in life now, but if I could have it over again then I’d have spent the first twenty years of adulthood travelling and working around the world doing whatever took my fancy. I’m a hard and conscientious worker for employers, but cannot seem to focus/discipline on my own business in the same way. There is anything at all in the room (or outside of) that will distract**

* Certain learning skills are extra-difficult as they require extended focus via steps. Mathematics above and beyond simple sums is to me like some kind of evil torture. Same with coding and music theory.

**Including this forum 🧐

So here’s a quick painting I made of how it feels at any given second. My job is to label every colour in the next hour. Each shape/colour represents a thought/event/memory/process. I’d say I process something like this entire every of thoughts every 30-60 minutes on a ‘bad’ day.

Correction/addendumb:

I’d guess that I process something like this entire (painted) number of ‘thoughts’ every 30-60 minutes, on a ‘bad’ day. And they are all connected, past present and future. I don’t quite know if this is unusual and everyone does this, or that I just can’t do it well enough. My suspicions = that I’m broken 😆

 

And conversations. What about people, socialising etc? A sentence can mean a thousand things. I’ll barge in before they finish speaking. My mouth moves like my thoughts move. A thousand thoughts, each a distraction, and every distraction a thought leading to another thought. ie I’ll hear a bird pecking at a drainpipe if I’m trying to talk to the postman. Or see a baby robin on a bush. Or a woodlouse near his shoe. A cloud-shape. And remember I have possibly left the tap on? And what’s that happening behind me? In a room back there, I can hear something.? What’s that you said, postman? He’s already guessed that I’m not listening (or more correctly not fully listening).

Him: ‘Yeah I was saying we go as far as (names a village) and so…
Me: ‘Oh yeah, I used to live in so and so…and’. (Not my turn to speak)

Can relate to this very well

Clearly adults CAN have ADHD…but a LOT of adults I see thinking they do are in fact stressed/angry/depressed/disorganised/normal.

with a name like DrP i’m going to guess that you are a doctor, but isn’t a lot of ADHD in adults misdiagnosed as depression, etc?

edit, or is this just something that gets overstated in the media?

Wow, @P7eaven. Thanks for that. So much of what you said resonates deeply.

As for those who have mentioned depression and ADHD, I have been on various quantities of sertraline for a number of years now, and while it has definitely helped me mood-wise, I have yet to come to terms with the fact that I can hardly hold a train of

I always see these threads and wonder if it applies to me.

I'm a bit of a loner, but I feel like that's a chicken and egg situation.

I take up difficult and/or niche hobbies (art/painting/drawing, computer programming, bicycle trials) and try to use them to meet people but either I'm not good enough for people who do that thing or they're not in my area or (I think) they see I'm socially awkward and don't want to know. Actually wanted to be an artist painting. But couldn't sell myself to myself for free. Tried to be a computer programmer. But the one chance I got I didn't want fall for the giving 110% bullshit or learn databases or be unable to code whatever the hell I wanted to in my free time.

The older I get I feel like I'm over coming some social awkwardness but have fewer friends than ever compounding the socially awkward loner chicken and egg situation. People aren't interested in anything I say or do!

My interests are too focused on niche perhaps. Example. my posts in the Tune Association thread, all mostly unpopular electronic music. I can't bare to be subjected to music that other people like. I only like listening to the music I like by myself - I feel awkward listening to it in the company of others. I really don't understand people who get to work and put the radio on straight away. The radio constantly tugs at my attention and focus and won't let me be free in my own thoughts. I sometimes need to put my headphones on even if I don't actually want to.

FWIW, the numbers of adults that get a diagnosis because they have a child that receives one is shockingly high. Partly to do with the fact that it was poorly recognised in the past and is better monitored now. A diagnosis may help - it would help you understand yourself better and why you do what you do how you do. Many cases only really respond well with medication plus some form of CBT. It's a spectrum though and if it isn't causing you any difficulty you may not see much benefit beyond the 'oh, I get it now'

Ergo, if an adult comes to me saying they can’t concentrate, are agitated etc etc etc, BUT had ZERO signs alluding to ADHD traits as a child, based on their own AND collobrative history, then the other diagnosis I suggested are more likely.

I get what you are saying but GPs are far from the best people to diagnose adults. For one, the DSMV days there should be sings prior to age 7. Good luck getting an accurate history or corroboration from teachers or parents, who may no slinger be with us, or remember. Plus iirc the EU only recognises the disorder if the hyperactive condition is present, so primarily inattentive, which is more common in females, doesn't qualify.
Add to that the fact that ODD, Conduct disorders, anxiety, depression, OCD just to name a few are very commonly comorbid (if you've spent 40 years wondering why you don't quite fit in the world, and beating your head against the wall, you'd probably be angry, depressed, stressed and anxious too) and it can be very difficult to get an accurate diagnosis without a great deal of experience and training that GPs don't commonly have. As an adult I think skipping the GP and going straight to a specialist is the only way to get a really good diagnosis. Apart from anything else, they will probably do some psychometric testing which is very useful by itself to tell you what kind of learner you are and so on.

But I’m assuming it’s less prevalent than I thought, c

The estimates run about 1 in 5 kids have some form and about 25% persist into adulthood I think. TBH you probably won't find a lot on a forum like this. Many adults with it struggle terribly and will not be amongst a group of people who have a couple of grand to drop on a few bikes each, the means to store them, the vehicle, time and energy to get out and ride them. The demographics are wrong.

Is there a point where it is so prevalent that we stop considering it to be anything other than typical human behaviour?

It's not really about prevalence, it's about persistence. Everyone has that moment when they go into a room without remembering why, or get home and realise they have absolutely no memory of the details. Did they stop at the traffic lights? Yeild properly at the roundabout?
When that is the norm, not the exception, its anything but typical.

A sentence can mean a thousand things. I’ll barge in before they finish speaking. My mouth moves like my thoughts move. A thousand thoughts, each a distraction, and every distraction a thought leading to another thought.

This is a huge problem for me, I find it almost impossible to follow conversations. It's a big source of stress at work, going into meetings and being expected to follow, and heaven forbid, respond with an answer. I'm still on a branch, of a branch, of a branch, of something that was said at the start of the conversation and I can't even remember what that something was. The rest is lost in the ether. I need things written down, so I can read it 6 times. And not just when other people are speaking, I struggle to follow my own thoughts as well. It's a never ending pathway of new avenues, without a map to retrace your steps.

Adhd has been on my radar for a long time but whenever I've looked into it seems there's no pathway to diagnosis as an adult on the NHS.

Through lockdown and WFH, I've started realising that I have some ADHD traits and when my daughter talks about kids at school that behave in a disruptive ways and receive certain help and interventions, she's describing a carbon copy of my school life minus the help.
I never did homework or revised for exams as the thought of committing my time was completely overwhelming,I feel the same way about tidying my garage bench.
I too struggle to remain interested in conversations and meetings at work which, when you're the managing director, can have consequences.
A couple of quotes I Heard over the years which resonated with me we're,
'attention surfit disorder would be a better description, as it's like you're trying to pay attention to too many things at once'.
'having ADHD is like going from being completely overwhelmed to being totally bored 100 times a day'.

I get what you are saying but GPs are far from the best people to diagnose adults.

Completely agree...
And a GP would never make the diagnosis...
But my point is that we would refer onwards those with signs and symptoms suggestions specialist review is warranted.

The flipside is that if someone tells me that since Christmas 2021 they've been convinced they've ADHD because they lack concentration since then, and are agitated at work, and all this stems from an accusation of malpractice at work in December 2021, THEY wouldn't warrant a referral onwards....

I think we're all agreeing on the same points.... I'm just highlighting that the health service (mainly general practice in this case) deals with a lot of "I think I have this that or the other" and it's not always the case...

Anyway OP.. Best of luck with it it.

DrP

Another husband to a wife who's been diagnosed mid 40s as being Autistic and likely ADHD.

We only realised when my wife could relate to kids that she was helping at school who did have a diagnosis, e.g. kid finds something annoying enough to want to throw a chair, my wife realised the other teachers didn't feel like that but she did.

Id agree it's pretty debilitating, but most people don't realise, it's not something that you can see like being in a wheelchair.

Girls with autism are better at hiding than boys which is why they don't get picked up at school.

Autism and ADHD together bring together a mass of conflicting thoughts, e.g. I want an clean/tidy house but the ADHD part of her brain can't get organised enough to create that tidy environment.

An example of how her brain works differently to a neuro typical brain, she has to plan every potential conversation that she might have when she leaves the house otherwise it scares her that she might say wrong / inappropriate things.

Luckily she's now found a career where she only has to work a couple of days each week, but working more than that exhausts her.

We say that each thing she does takes some jelly beans out of the pot and she's only got so many jelly beans each week, if she runs out then she'll need to rest to rebuild the supply of jelly beans. So she can do anything, but each thing comes at a cost. Working 4 days a week meant nothing left for anything else.

On top of living with long term GAD and depression I was diagnosed 6 weeks ago with the attention defecit side of things and started on extended release methylphenidate of which I am now on the maximum dosage .
I am almost 58 and basically had concentration issues and anxiety most of my life as well as various other frustrating issues which have screwed my life up .

Having heard a radio documentary about the condition approx 3 yrs ago it made me wonder and desperate to investigate anything that might improve my life I mentioned it to my new GP.
Out of the blue approx 6 weeks later I received a letter from the ADHD clinic who asked me to document my history and lay out why I had begun to have suspicions .
To cut a long story short , 2.5 yrs later I had a 2.5 hr online assessment and was , as a result , started on the meds.
The initial effect was quite wonderful and for a few days I felt optimistic about life . I had more energy . a quieter mind , became far more productive and focused and generally procrastinated far less. That soon began to wane after the honeymoon period and my dosage was gradually increased up to the standard maximum.
I really don't know if I have classic attention defecit as in ADHD . Everyone knows that depression and anxiety have the same issue but my concentration is still improved which helps functioning . I have just been through 2 weeks of a recurrent depressive period where I was in bed much of the time ruminating with insomnia etc but unlike in the numerous past episodes I have experienced , I was actually able to read a book and move about a bit thanks to the stimulant effect. I have lost a lot of weight due to the appetite suppressant side effects on top of generally feeling awful anyhow but am glad to have the drug in my arsenal to help me get through difficult days which are more and more frequent these days . In the states I believe in some cases they prescribe methamphetamine which generally lifts mood all round ..(hence the recreational epidemic )...

This is a really interesting read. Thanks everyone for sharing.

I recognise in myself a lot of the traits people are describing, and I’d say my childhood behaviour was a bit excessive (dad always tells me the first time he spoke to my first head teacher they asked what I was being fed as I could be heard and seen all over the school). Fortunately I managed to get school work done ok though.
I really struggle to listen to people talking unless I’m under pressure to know what they’re saying. Teleconferencing has been challenging to say the least. And I’m forever going off on wild tangents.

A few years back I did a course called Process Communication Model (IIRC). It’s like a super detailed personality type model apparently used by NASA and lots of other high performers.

It was revelatory for me because it explained a lot of my behaviour and effectively validated it. I’ve stopped worrying why I can’t do this or that and started realising how to manage myself without guilt to be able achieve things, or accept that I’m not suited to other things.

Girls with autism are better at hiding than boys which is why they don’t get picked up at school.

It's also poorly understood. Most (as close to 'all' as makes little odds) Autism research has been undertaken examining male subjects.

We say that each thing she does takes some jelly beans out of the pot and she’s only got so many jelly beans each week

This is known as "spoon theory." https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

I have a number of friends affectionally known as Spoonies. "Out of spoons" is a handy shorthand for when they need to take time out without requiring further explanation.

“Out of spoons”

Cycling has the same 'out of matches' for I'm blown and going to be dropped any minute...

NB I realise one is a serious condition and ther other a chosen activity.

This is why I like doing long trips or expeditions, even holidays, or just days out in the mountains. When I'm travelling or walking or riding, there's only the one thing to do, and I can focus only on that. All the stimuli are about that one activity. Same for travelling for work. It's all about that trip, and that customer, and nothing else. WFHing in my job has allowed me to be booked out to several customers or internal jobs at once, which is actually very hard for me.

Another thing which we deduced was down to autism/adhd was that some motor functions take fraction of a second longer which is why riding a bike (especially on the road) is really difficult / scary due to all the reactions that need to occur - dodge that car or pot hole etc. It's not a controlled environment, where as a traffic free, reasonably surface path is a much better prospect.

I know a lady who got her ADHD diagnosis the month she retired. She is/was an incredibly successful education lead for a government department, parent of two etc, many voluntary efforts in<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">luding setting up our charity in the 1990's.</span>

It has helped explain many things she struggled with, and although too late to help, explains much about her career.

Another thing which we deduced was down to autism/adhd was that some motor functions take fraction of a second longer which is why riding a bike (especially on the road) is really difficult / scary due to all the reactions that need to occur – dodge that car or pot hole etc. It’s not a controlled environment, where as a traffic free, reasonably surface path is a much better prospect.

Interesting. I guess you don't do much bunch road riding... Doing 30 mph+ a couple of inches off the wheel of the rider in front boxed in on all sides.

@footflaps - correct I don't, but it's my wife that struggles with cycling. I was highlighting that some people have that slight delay between input and reaction that makes something as easy as riding a bike, not actually that easy.