ADHD is rarely just those recognizable symptoms such as hyperactivity, impulsivity and problems with focus. Often those very symptoms show up in ways that we don't realize.
The lists below are meant to encourage you by showing that you are not alone because others experience the signs and symptoms below too!
You'll want to write this down!
Take note of the signs you notice in yourself.
Even if you never look at the list again, writing it down helps it stick.
Are you Forgetful?
You know that feeling when you walk into a room and forget why you're there? ADHD can feel like that, only all day, every day.
It isn't early dementia. Working memory is the culprit!
Another reason we are "forgetful", is that we are always thinking, which means we are often not paying attention to what we are doing. When you arrive home, set your keys down while our thoughts are occupied, you essentially "forget" where you put them.
Do you fidget?
Using fidgets is a way to sooth and add focus.
Hair twirling, tapping, hand play, gum chewing, leg shaking, nail picking, foot tapping, pen clicking, and skin picking are some examples.
What ways of using fidgets do you notice in yourself?
Do you have sleep issues?
Sleep challenges might include bedtime revenge(feeling wide awake at night in order to claim some me time), sleeping late, trouble feeling awake, frequent waking and insomnia.
This can be a result of an active mind, being hyper-focused, rumination, sleeping late, feeling bored and family culture, such as lack of routine, or beliefs about how and when sleep should happen.
ADHDers are often:
Overwhelmed
Disorganized
Tired
Night owls
Keep irregular hours
Empathetic
Time Blind
Curious
A Jack of all trades
Idea people
Forget to eat
Clumsy
Unfiltered
Sensitive
Told they're too sensitive
Highly Sensitive People (HSP)
Told they're lazy
Hard on themselves
Addicted to exercise
ADHDers often:
Run late
Don't wear a watch
Lose track of time
Pay bills late
Pay late fees
Pay higher interest rates because of poor credit
Hyperfocus
Over Pack
Under Pack
Have piles
Ruminate
Interrupt
Need more sleep
Over-share
Have a lead foot
Forget to take medication
Forget why they walked into the room
Have lots of interests
Return items late, such as library books or clothing returns
Forget to pay for parking
Forget about perishable food in the refrigerator
Tried all the planners
Appear shy
Misplace or lose phone, keys, wallet
Buy more because they can't find the thing they're looking for
Love to putter
Over promise and under deliver
Don't remember names
Look younger than their age
Have difficulty making decisions
Keep all the stuff because everything is a possibility
Become Entrepreneurs, Artists, Designers, Photographers or Writers
Become medics, firefighters and emergency room personal
Good in an emergency
Make plans and immediately regret making plans
Don't like to be told what to do
Need Freedom
Need Flexibility
Self-medicate
Self soothe with exercise, drugs, alcohol and other addictions
Put a lot of pressure on themselves
Find money in their coat and pants pockets
Feel overwhelmed in grocery stores
Forget the grocery store list
Get take-out
Wash laundry and forget to dry it
Have lots of unfinished projects
Own books but don't read them, or not entirely
Are generous with their time and money
Buy gifts but never send or give them
Do anything but that task that feels too hard
ADHDers often find:
Large menus are hard to choose from
Difficulty following recipes and forget ingredients
If they can't see it, it doesn't exist
Eating enough or healthy eating is challenging
ADHDers often feel:
A connection to plants and animals
Alone
Sensitive
Boredom is mentally and physically painful
Inner restlessness
Overwhelmed by cooking
Easily overstimulated
Afraid they'll forget what they want to say
Afraid they are too much and not enough
They aren't meeting their potential
Remember, we all experience ADHD a little differently.
Feel free to add to this list!
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