Lesser Known Symptoms of ADHD
By Amy McQuinn, MM, MT-BC
You’ve likely heard about ADHD. You might associate it with rambunctious school-aged children who have trouble staying in their seats and listening, and you’re not wrong. Many of those who are diagnosed, especially in years past, are exactly that. However, ADHD can present in *many* ways, and not all of them quickly come to mind for the average person.
Most people diagnosed with the “classic” symptoms of ADHD were white male children at the time of diagnosis. As we learn more about ADHD, it’s becoming clearer that women, minorities, and adults are often going underdiagnosed because they do not exhibit the classic symptoms, but still struggle with coping with ADHD symptoms.
What is ADHD?
ADHD is short for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder leading to differences in the way the brain is wired. It is characterized by a set of symptoms that may sometimes be very easy to detect, such as physical hyperactivity and fidgeting; or it can be less obvious, like feeling “spacey.” ADHD starts in childhood, but is not always detected until adulthood (if at all, in some cases). Everyone with ADHD is unique and presents with a different set of symptoms. Some can be very focused, while others struggle with focus. Some can be very social, while others are withdrawn. Some can be academically gifted, while others struggle to keep up with school. Regardless of how it presents, the hallmark of ADHD is chronically low levels of dopamine in the brain. This could possibly be the root cause of all the symptoms mentioned below.
Types/Well-Known Symptoms
While no two people with ADHD are exactly alike, symptoms can generally be broken down into three main categories, as follows:
Hyperactive-Impulsive: This type of ADHD is usually the most noticeable in childhood, especially in classroom settings. Symptoms include frequent fidgeting, restlessness, irritability, excessive talking, interrupting others, and always wanting to move fast/move on to the next thing.
Inattentive: This type of ADHD can often go undetected during childhood, and has been more recently diagnosed in adults who are struggling with the increased responsibility of adult life. Symptoms include missing details or seemingly “careless” mistakes, misplacing items, even important items, getting “lost” in conversations, drifting off task/off topic, avoiding tasks such as housework and personal hygiene, and being easily distracted by both internal and external stimuli.
Combination: This type of ADHD has a combination of symptoms from both categories above. While both hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive types can have some overlap, the combination type has almost equal symptoms from both.
Less common symptoms
Hyperfocus
When you think of ADHD, you think of an attention deficit, but for many ADHD folks, this is a misnomer. It’s not that there is a lack of attention, but rather a different type of attention not well understood in the neurotypical world. This attention is intense and can be long-lasting. This can cause a person to read a whole book or write a 10-page research paper in one sitting, become an expert on the chosen topic within hours, or craft a new project with amazing skill. The downside of this symptom is that one can forget to do things like eat or sleep, or miss important appointments because it’s difficult to shift focus OFF of the current subject. This can also strike at any time, day or night, and it is difficult to control.
Time blindness
Time blindness is kind of a warped sense of time. One spark of an idea can consume the ADHD brain in such a way that it is easy to lose track of time. This could cause a person to be chronically late for appointments, frequently overcook meals, forget to switch the laundry, etc. Something that may only take 5 minutes turns into 2 hours without any sense of awareness of the time. On the flip side, some people with ADHD overcompensate with time blindness, often from the fear of getting distracted and being late. They might arrive excessively early to appointments and/or make sure they do absolutely nothing but focus on the time in the hours leading up to something, to make sure they don’t miss it.
Rejection sensitivity
No one likes feeling rejected, but it seems to go to an extreme with some people who have ADHD. Some may even feel physical pain when they feel rejected by others. It often stems from low self-esteem, which many ADHD-ers experience, since many have been told their whole lives that they are lazy, out of control, stupid, careless, “too much”, “not enough”, etc., when in reality, they just have different brain wiring. It’s no wonder that they may experience extreme shame, hurt, and rejection from even constructive criticism with the best intentions.
Mood swings
Since one of the more common symptoms in ADHD is impulsivity, a closely related symptom is mood swings. People with ADHD are quite whimsical, and a sudden new feeling can quickly turn into an emotional outburst since there may be a lack of impulse control. Most of the time, these outbursts will end/change quickly as new ideas and feelings come into the ADHD mind.
Poor money management
Also related to impulsivity is poor money management. When someone with impulsive ADHD sees something they want, they want it RIGHT NOW, often not thinking about how much it costs, if they’ll still want it a week from now, or if it is practical to have it at all. There is a deep need to fulfill the impulse of spending money, which could obviously be cause for concern with credit card debt, being unable to pay living expenses, and so on.
Addiction
ADHD brains are chronically low on dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that makes us happy. Since the ADHD brain is always low, it is always seeking more. Even though there are healthy ways to find dopamine, like exercise, humor, or creative arts, some people find dopamine in alcohol, drugs, sugar, cigarettes, etc. It is not uncommon for people with ADHD to become addicted to unhealthy habits. Many people with untreated ADHD crave sugar and carbs because it releases more dopamine than other foods, leading to obesity, sugar addiction, diabetes, and other weight-related health problems.
Sleep issues
It can be difficult for the ADHD brain to “switch off” at the appropriate time like neurotypical brains. People with ADHD often have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting quality sleep because the brain stays very active. A spark of inspiration can also happen right before bedtime, leading to hyperfocus and time blindness mentioned previously.
Low tolerance for boredom
Everyone experiences boredom from time to time, but the ADHD brain can not handle it very well. Boredom is not only…well, boring, but can leave a person feeling anxious, depressed, and/or angry. When dopamine levels are already low, and there is no dopamine to be found nearby, the mind is very unhappy.
Anxiety
Anxiety often overlaps with ADHD, and matched with the need to fidget, you’ll often see people with ADHD and anxiety skin picking, nail biting, jaw clenching, hair pulling, and other physical symptoms.
Relationship trouble
Many of the symptoms already mentioned could lead to difficulty maintaining relationships. Being inattentive, forgetting important dates, losing gifts from others, having low self-esteem, having an addiction, mood swings, rejection sensitivity, spending too much money, being chronically late…these all seem like a recipe for disaster in relationships, especially with people who don’t understand or are not supportive of individuals with ADHD.
I think I have ADHD! Now what?
If you have read through these symptoms and are concerned or wondering if you or someone you care for might have ADHD, the next step is to contact your doctor to do an evaluation. You may be referred to a specialist, but most adults fill out a lengthy questionnaire to track symptoms of ADHD as well as other possible mental health conditions. Your doctor and/or therapist will discuss whether you do or do not have ADHD, and what treatments are available if you do have ADHD
Keep in mind that diagnoses are lists of traits that are attributable to one or multiple causes. You may find yourself resonating with one, two, or a few of these symptoms, but that may not be indicative of ADHD. Or, it may be indicative of another diagnosis! This is why it’s important to learn more, either through more research and self diagnosis if you can’t access services, or through follow up with your doctor or therapist.
If you’re looking for help coping with your ADHD here in Colorado Springs, music therapy can help! Feel free to contact us here through the site, or by emailing marissa@resonatemt.com.
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