NAMI Mercer County

Families Meeting the Challenge of Mental Illness

Attending to ADHD

By

Angelina Villalva, NAMI Intern

It’s 11:00 PM. There are 3 assignments that you have to turn in by 11:59 tonight, and another 2 due tomorrow. You already missed the previous assignments due this past week, but for some reason or another, you absolutely cannot bring yourself to start. You know you should, in fact you tried your best to. But you still can’t focus. Why? 

For many of us, forgetting deadlines and losing track of time is nothing new. It can be hard to juggle a busy schedule, balancing the time needed for chores, job responsibilities, upcoming appointments, and social relationships. However, if you find yourself with an excessive inability to stay organized and complete your assignments (whether schoolwork, chores, and/or job duties) it may indicate a sign of ADHD. 

ADHD stands for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. For those unfamiliar, ADHD is commonly characterized with symptoms of poor time management, difficulty in focus, trouble multitasking, and impulsivity. However, ADHD is much more complicated than that, presenting symptoms differently in not only genders, but also age groups.

Many children exhibit common issues with impulsivity and hyperactivity. But what separates that from ADHD lies in symptoms being noticeably greater than expected for their age or developmental level and then furthermore causing problems at home and school.

In adults, ADHD can present itself as low self-esteem, trouble coping with stress, avoiding mentally straining tasks, and having unstable mood swings. Furthermore, adults with undiagnosed ADHD may have relied on unsustainable coping mechanisms such as substance abuse or binge eating. 

Overall, ADHD is more commonly diagnosed among boys than girls. Boys tend to present symptoms that indicate hyperactivity and externalizing symptoms (such as fidgeting, impulsivity, and high energy) while girls tend to present inattentive symptoms (problems focusing, organizing, remembering tasks, etc.)

Unfortunately, there is no designated cause of ADHD. However, there are multiple suggested correlations between the likelihood of someone to develop ADHD if they have the following: 

  • Low birth weight
  • Premature birth
  • Exposure to toxins during pregnancy
  • A family member who also has ADHD

Currently, medication treatments and psychological counseling are available to help individuals who are impaired from severe ADHD. There are also several further coping strategies that former NAMI Intern, Matthew Michibata, highlights in his toolkit titled, “ADHD: A Guide for Adults.” (https://namimercer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ADHD-A-Guide-for-Adults.pdf)

Remember that you are more than your diagnosis, and to treat yourself kindly. As former President Theodore Roosevelt says, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” 

Resources: 

  • Nami Mercer Helpline: 609-799-8994 x17
  • Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA): https://add.org/
  • Fact sheets, infographics, and other resources about ADHD signs, symptoms, and treatment options posted by the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/

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