Symptoms of ADD / ADHD
The symptoms of ADD/ADHD differ depending on age and severity. Here you will find a comprehensive overview.
Symptoms in Childhood
Section titled “Symptoms in Childhood”Attention Deficit
Section titled “Attention Deficit”- Difficulty starting anything at all
- Lack of sustained attention: drifting off, being distracted, having to re-read
- Alertness cannot be maintained during “uninteresting” activities
- Daydreaming, incomplete work
- Sensitive to criticism, chronically discouraged, irritated
- Insufficient working memory capacity (“What was I about to do?”)
- Strong distractibility
- Frequent occurrence of reading-writing difficulties (dyslexia)
Impulsivity
Section titled “Impulsivity”- Lack of impulse control
- Acts and speaks quickly without thinking
- Low frustration tolerance
- Cannot wait
- Rapidly switches activities
- No planful action (consequence: learning difficulties despite adequate intelligence)
Hyperactivity
Section titled “Hyperactivity”- “Fidgety Philip syndrome” (restless, fidgety, busy)
- Increased urge to move
- Gross motor skills and speech (much and loud)
- Enormous expenditure of energy
- Cannot stay seated
Symptoms in Adulthood
Section titled “Symptoms in Adulthood”Inattention
Section titled “Inattention”- Short attention span during non-motivating activities
- Rapidly shifting focus of interest
- Careless mistakes
- Frequent accidents of various kinds
- Lose the thread while reading, cannot remember content
- Cover up attention deficit with “cigarette breaks”
- Often accused of lacking interest
- Lack of persistence with tasks (beginning in primary school)
Hyperactivity
Section titled “Hyperactivity”- Always on the go, inner restlessness
- Especially when waiting or listening is expected
- Unable to relax
- Super-stimulus-seeking behavior
- And/or: Daydreaming, absent-minded
- Constantly switching topics during conversation
- Constantly new ideas, “verbal diarrhea”
- And/or: Listless, without initiative, uncommunicative
Impulsivity
Section titled “Impulsivity”- Acts without thinking, lives out feelings immediately
- Particularly intensified under the influence of alcohol
- Impatient - waiting is difficult
- Irritable
- Underestimation of danger (e.g., while driving)
- Reacts with anger and arguments to criticism
- Difficulty controlling explosive behavior
- Wears their “heart on their sleeve”
Forgetfulness / Poor Short-Term Memory
Section titled “Forgetfulness / Poor Short-Term Memory”- Forgetful, especially with everyday things
- Constantly misplaces or loses things (keys, tools, etc.)
Absent-Mindedness / Chaotic
Section titled “Absent-Mindedness / Chaotic”- Problems with planning
- Disorganized, chaotic
- No overview and little strategy
- Inability to independently initiate activities
Communication / Social Contacts
Section titled “Communication / Social Contacts”- Social contacts are often difficult
- Poor assessment of oneself and others
- Difficulty assessing the feelings and honesty of others
- Naivety
- Integration into a group usually difficult
- Does not listen, little eye contact
- Talks constantly instead
- Frequently interrupts others
Willpower
Section titled “Willpower”- Often stubborn
- Often appears eccentric
- Wants to enforce their will
- Difficulty fitting in or subordinating
Motivation
Section titled “Motivation”- Often begins tasks enthusiastically but frequently does not complete them
- Can be totally enthusiastic or refuse entirely, depending on interest
- Quickly bored
Self-Esteem
Section titled “Self-Esteem”- Often low self-esteem, low self-assessment
- Or: Often the exact opposite (inflated)
- Low frustration threshold
- Hypersensitive to criticism
Mood / Addiction
Section titled “Mood / Addiction”- Strong emotional fluctuations, even over minor things
- Small triggers lead to rapid shifts: anger - aggressiveness - depression - euphoria
- Affective reactions quickly lead to social problems
- Frequent feeling of emptiness
- Anxiety symptoms, depression
- Alcohol and drug abuse to dependence
- Argumentative and explosive
- Easily irritable and quickly frustrated
- Live in extremes, have no “middle ground”
Performance vs. Abilities
Section titled “Performance vs. Abilities”- Often does not fully utilize their abilities
- High rational logic
- Often low emotional intelligence compared to rational intelligence
- Frequently needs external structure (but can then achieve extraordinary performance)
Work Behavior
Section titled “Work Behavior”- Often leaves much to be desired
- Difficulty starting - prefers to procrastinate
- Interest in the activity must be present
- Works only under time/deadline pressure
- Too hasty or too slow work style
- Perfectionism
- Does many tasks at once and often completes none
- Organizational chaos for themselves, but can organize and delegate perfectly for others
- Poor time estimation and time management
- Very often late
- Frequent job changes