In 2017, Healthline reported that many people are unaware that nearly 4% of American adults (as many as 9 million people) are affected by one of the three ADHD disorders.
Adult ADHD, which impacts brain functioning, presents in ways that may affect decision-making, memory, academic achievement, relationship stability, general social interactions, and substance abuse. Healthline reported that “if left undiagnosed and untreated, ADHD and its frequent companions, depression and low self-esteem, can prevent the sufferer from reaching his or her full potential.”
Various characteristic behaviors can reveal an adult ADHD diagnosis. Some of them are when a person is unable to stop being late or cannot stop themselves from losing focus, has unusual character traits, or often demonstrates nervous behavior.
Should anyone want to see if a possibility exists that they may have adult ADHD, go to The Mainstream Facebook page to download a direct link to an ADHD Self-Reporting Scale. Please note that the document is not intended for self-diagnosis. A clinical diagnosis requires a licensed physician.
Sample questions from the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale
- How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?
- How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?
- How often do you have problems remembering appoint- ments or obligations?
- When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?
- How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?
- How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?
- How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?
- How often do you have difficulty keeping your attention when you are doing boring or repetitive work?
For additional screening information, see the Attention Deficit Disorder Association website.