But people with ADHD often hyper-fixate as well. For me, this usually comes out when I'm writing or doing a creative task. I'll get so into the creative process that I lose track of the world around me. I don't hear external stimuli, I lose my sense of time and all I can think about is the task I'm doing.
Children with ADHD show specific signs of the three major ADHD symptoms: hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 core behaviors could indicate that your child has ADHD.
With ADHD, a child or teen may have rapid or impulsive speech, physical restlessness, trouble focusing, irritability, and, sometimes, defiant or oppositional behavior.
Invisible ADHD symptoms
emotional dysregulation. time blindness, or not being aware of time. racing thoughts. intrusive or self-defeating thoughts.
The ADHD iceberg is an analogy representing the visible and invisible symptoms of ADHD. Above the water, the tip of the iceberg represents the external symptoms of ADHD many people recognize.
“Opposites Attract”: People with ADHD are attracted to “organized” and joyless workers bees who can keep the trains running for the both of them and who in turn are drawn to their free-spirited ADHD partner's spontaneity and sense of fun.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is very common — according to the most recent statistics, one in 10 children between the ages of 4 and 17 has been diagnosed with this problem.
It might be embarrassing small talk or something private about someone else. But for many people with ADHD, “oversharing” can be a more frequent problem. Oversharing is saying something personal or inappropriate in the wrong setting or to the wrong person. It's usually not something people with ADHD do on purpose.
Problems with attention, especially focusing for long periods of time or paying attention to details, is one of the hallmarks of the condition. Depression, anxiety, and addiction disorders can also take a toll on your focus, and many people with ADHD have one or more of these issues, too.
Executive functions have other roles which affect how someone thinks. In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do. People with ADHD do think differently though, in a sense.
The ADHD Brain: Structurally Different
Several studies have pointed to a smaller prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia, and decreased volume of the posterior inferior vermis of the cerebellum — all of which play important roles in focus and attention. What this means is ADHD is not a difference in behavioral preference.
The rarest type of ADHD diagnosed is the hyperactive-impulsive type with no indication of inattentive or distracted behavior, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
High IQ may “mask” the diagnosis of ADHD by compensating for deficits in executive functions in treatment-naïve adults with ADHD.
Put simply; masking is intentionally shifting your behavior to hide your differences. For example, a woman with ADHD might smile and nod during a conversation even though she tuned out long ago, or she may secretly work late into the night to overcompensate for not staying on task for a deadline.
Type 6: Ring Of Fire ADHD
People with Ring of Fire ADHD typically show patterns of high brain activity and have trouble “shutting off” their minds, which can make thoughts and emotions overwhelming. Stimulant medications alone may make ADHD symptoms significantly worse.
However, some research suggests that ADHD symptoms may peak at a certain age. One review study published in the journal Neuropediatrics indicated that peak prevalence of ADHD may be higher in certain age groups, such as among 9-year-old boys. 7 In contrast, the prevalence of ADHD in adults was estimated at 2.8%.
Usually by the time a child with ADHD reaches age 7 years, his parents have already become aware that their child's inattentiveness, level of activity, or impulsiveness is greater than is typical.