Most adults ADHD symptoms have the inattentive-type, but men exhibit a tendency towards the hyperactive/impulsive-type symptoms and have predominantly the combined-type. Adult ADHD can vary widely between individuals and throughout the lifetime of an individual. As the neurobiology of ADHD is becoming increasingly understood, it is becoming evident that difficulties exhibited by individuals with ADHD are due to problems with the brain known as executive functioning (see below, neurobiology). These result in problems with sustaining attention, planning, organizing, prioritizing, and impulsive thinking/decision making. These adults ADHD symptoms are independent of an individual’s overall intelligence.
Some of these theories have led to dead ends, some to exciting new avenues of investigation. Possible causes include:
1. The physical environment. Studies have shown a possible correlation between the use of cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy and risk for ADHD in the offspring of that pregnancy. Another environmental agent that may be associated with a higher risk of ADHD is high levels of lead in the bodies of young preschool children.
2. Brain injury. One early theory was that attention disorders were caused by brain injury. Some people who have suffered accidents leading to brain injury may show some signs of behavior similar to that of ADHD, but only a small percentage of people with ADHD have been found to have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
3. Genetics. Attention disorders often run in families, so there are likely to be genetic influences. Studies indicate that 25 percent of the close relatives in the families of ADHD children also have ADHD, whereas the rate is about 5 percent in the general population.
ADHD Treatment
1. Medications. If adults take a medication for ADHD, they often start with a stimulant medication. The stimulant medications affect the regulation of two neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and dopamine.
2. ADHD Coach. Although medication gives needed support, the individual must succeed on her own. To help in this struggle, both “psychoeducation” can be helpful. A professional coach can help the ADHD adult learn how to organize her life by using “props” — a large calendar posted where it will be seen in the morning, lists, reminder notes, and have a special place for keys, bills, and the paperwork of everyday life.
3. Psychotherapy. Therapy can be a useful adjunct to medication and coaching. First, just remembering to keep an appointment with the therapist is a step toward keeping to a routine. Therapy can help change a long-standing poor self-image by examining the experiences that produced it. The therapist can encourage the adults ADHD symptoms patient to adjust to changes brought into her life
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