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Adult Symptoms On a functional level at home, work, or school, adults with Attention Deficit Disorder find that their minds wander when tasks are either uninteresting or difficult. Many adults with ADD also have difficulty with reading unless the material is either very easy, or very interesting. They may also have trouble planning out the order needed to do a series of tasks or activities. Adults with ADD try to juggle many projects at once and fail to finish many of them. Adults with ADD find it especially difficult to stay focused in groups and in meetings. They also find it difficult to wait their turn. Uncontrolled daydreaming is a common symptom. Adults with ADD describe themselves as having a quick temper, a "short fuse", or as being "thin skinned". They are irritable and get upset by minor annoyances; saying things without thinking and later regretting the statements or the decisions. Relationships with people are made difficult by this tendency to talk first and think later. In conversation, many adults with ADD start to answer questions before the questions have been fully asked. Adults with ADD are always on the go, and are more comfortable when moving than when sitting still. Even when sitting quietly, adults with ADD are usually moving their hands or feet. Adults with ADD describe high levels of "static" or "chatter" in their heads. Their minds get so cluttered that it is hard for them to function. Graphic descriptions of this symptom include:
Nearly all adults with ADD have difficulty with the following in a non-ADD world:
These core ADD characteristics seem to surface in adults in three distinct ways. Usually, people with ADD fall predominantly into one of the three categories, but the can exhibit a "blend" of two or even all three forms. Because everyone shows signs of these adult ADD/ADHD behaviors at one time or another, the guidelines for determining whether a person has ADD are very specific and are covered in detail in the diagnosis section of this web site.
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