Coping with Adult ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is mostly associated with children, and a lot of the time, many adults aren’t even diagnosed with it. However, ADHD does affect many adults – even some who did not have the disorder when they were kids. When a child has ADHD, it is usually more socially acceptable for them to display the symptoms of the disorder, but as an adult, you probably feel as though you are acting immature and that your peers are looking down on you. However, you are entitled to all of the accommodations that are given to kids with ADHD, minus the accommodations that are naturally given to children, of course!

So how do you cope with ADHD as an adult? It is hard enough to live with the disorder at home, let alone at work, in your social life (if you’ve got time for one!) and with your family. However, there are a few things you can do to make your life a little bit easier, one step at a time. Unfortunately, there is no “magic pill” for ADHD, and no formula that will make the symptoms go away forever; you have to work hard to keep your ADHD in check, but it is possible!

One thing you can do to make your life easier is to make time for that morning cup of coffee every day. Studies show that caffeine is a great stimulant for the ADHD brain, and one cup in the morning along with another cup at 3pm will make a difference in your day.

Another tip is to keep a piece of paper and a pen or pencil in your pocket at all times. When you think of things you need to do later on, pull out that piece of paper and write it down immediately! You can also use this paper to write down things you tend to forget doing throughout the day, to remind you of what you need to do.

Perhaps the most important thing that you can do for yourself is to embrace who you are. You don’t need to hide your ADHD all the time or keep apologizing for it. Your ADHD contributes to the creative, spontaneous person that you are, and I would bet that many people in your life appreciate a lot of your qualities that would maybe not be there if it weren’t for your disorder. Make a list of the qualities you like about yourself and the things you think you need to work on. Chances are, a lot of the things that you like about yourself are there because of your ADHD.

Don’t forget that you have support out there. You have family, friends, ADHD support groups, and there are therapists who specialize in adult ADHD. As an adult with this disorder, you require a different kind of support system from kids with ADHD, and that support really is out there. Take advantage of it; don’t go another day without the support system you need!