Finding Solutions For ADHD in Adults

Many school age children are being diagnosed with ADHD, but what about adults with ADHD? Actually, ADHD in adults causes many of the same kinds of problems as those seen in children. In fact, many adults with ADHD first had their symptoms while in school, and some were even diagnosed back during school days. Perhaps they thought they would grow out of it, but that is not always the case.

Unfortunately, ADHD in adults causes a set of symptoms that set a person up for problems in life with their finances and their relationships. Adults with ADHD often have problems with impulsiveness and temper such that they find it hard to keep a job. They may either fight with the boss and get fired, or quit the job suddenly when something goes wrong.

The same quick temper and impulsivity often keeps adults with ADHD from being happy in a permanent relationship. Therefore, ADHD in adults is characterized by divorces and separations, instability in job security, and financial difficulties. The impulsive behavior characteristic of ADHD in adults also contributes to many of them having problems abusing drugs or alcohol.

Children with ADHD are often treated with prescription stimulant drugs. These drugs are reported by some to be very similar to cocaine. In fact, it is said that researchers use Ritalin to research the effects of cocaine because the substances are so similar! Adults with ADHD do not make good candidates to treat with cocaine-like substances because many of them already have substance abuse problems. It is also doubtful whether these drugs are suitable for children!

Fortunately, there are natural remedies that are helpful for minimizing the symptoms of ADHD in adults. Actually, some ADHD symptoms can be positive characteristics in the right setting. Adults with ADHD sometimes are able to focus intently on a topic they enjoy. Their energy and enjoyment of activities with an element of risk involved can suit them for certain jobs, such as police officers. But the negative aspects of distractibility and the learning problems ADHD can create often require some sort of medical aid.

Herbal remedies work by supporting the normal brain functions rather than altering brain chemistry artificially. Natural cures help improve ADHD in adults by nourishing the brain and normalizing the nervous system. Nutrition and exercise help, too, of course, but adults with ADHD often have problems with self-discipline and self-control. An herbal remedy can calm them down enough to begin to get a handle on the challenge of changing eating and exercise habits.

The main thing is for adults with ADHD not to get discouraged and give up. There is help available, but your best line of action is not to treat ADHD in adults with stimulant drugs. Give the natural remedies a chance first.

Terry Tobin has been a student of the link between nutrition and behavior for over 8 years. His research led him to finding natural ways of dealing with attention and mood issues in his own life and family. Terry is the editor of Help For ADHD where he shares what he has found to be effective, natural help for ADHD. If you or someone you know is dealing with ADD/ADHD and the behaviors associated with it, then visit Help For ADHD to learn more about effective ways to improve concentration and behavior.

Discover Help For ADHD in Adults

Tell me, do these adult ADHD symptoms describe someone close to you? They are impulsive and have difficulty staying on task. Maybe they are frequently late to work, forget where they placed things, or have a hard time organizing tasks. They may even be prone to depression and have relationship problems. While many have some of these problems occasionally, if they are a frequent occurrence, they are a strong indicator of ADHD in adults.

Has ADHD affected your family? It has mine, both in my own life and in that of my son's. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and usually becomes apparent in young children. ADHD in adults is also common because this disorder can last into adulthood too. Many adults do not outgrow ADHD but they can learn to adapt to it. There are several adult ADHD symptoms which can denote the disorder.

Adult ADHD Symptoms

The main symptoms of ADHD in adults are hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. These symptoms will appear over the course of several months, with the impulsiveness and hyperactivity usually occurring before the inattention is obvious. Adults with ADHD might have difficulty remembering information, following directions, organizing tasks, concentrating or completing work within a set time limit.

Other adult ADHD symptoms can include chronic lateness, employment problems, relationship trouble, depression, boredom, substance abuse, difficulty controlling anger and low self esteem. If these symptoms are not managed properly, they can result in associated emotional, social, behavioral, academic and vocational problems.

With ADHD in adults, the symptoms can be mild or severe. Some symptoms come and go and others might be present all the time. Some adults with ADHD might be unable to focus if they are excited about something while others avoid stimulation. This is why some adults with ADHD are antisocial and withdrawn and others are overly social and hate being alone.

Treatment for ADHD in Adults

Stimulant drugs are usually prescribed for adult ADHD symptoms. However, the side effects of these drugs can sometimes make the symptoms even worse due to lack of sleep. They can also affect one's appetite, leading to not receiving the balance nutrition that is so important to balanced brain chemistry. One other concern is that ADHD can cause addiction or substance abuse so offering substances is not always a good idea.

There are also non-stimulant drugs available for adult ADHD symptoms, but these too are not without side effects. I have tried both stimulant and non-stimulant medication and was not able to tolerate either due to the side effects.

Behavioral training can also work to relieve adult ADHD symptoms. Examples of behavioral training include family education, job and personal coaching, relaxation techniques, stress management techniques and cognitive therapy to help with self esteem issues.

Natural treatment is always preferable to pharmaceutical preparations because natural ingredients do not have side effects. The diet, lifestyle, environment and surroundings of the adult with attention issues should be taken into consideration and changes made in order to help with the symptoms.

Natural treatments containing herbs have been used for literally thousands of years with good results to treat a variety of disorders. ADHD might not have had a name that long ago but the natural ingredients beneficial in the treatment of the disorder were used to calm hyperactive behavior.

Some natural treatments work immediately and some take several weeks before any improvement is noticeable.

One effective natural remedy that is not well known are tissue salts. These minerals have an entire science behind them that has shown a strong correlation to general health including brain health. Tissue salts are obtained through the food we eat, but often not in the amounts our bodies need. As a supplement, they can be formulated to support different areas of health such as to help with concentration, mood, or sleep issues.

Gingko biloba, skullcap and chamomile are some natural herbs and preparations which can help with ADHD. Homeopathic formulas such as hyoscyamus, tuberculinum and arsen iod can also help with ADHD. Depending on the formulation, these ingredients might be taken in tablet form or in liquid form added to water.

There you have it. ADHD in adults can have a profound negative impact on your family. However, a natural approach to adult ADHD symptoms makes it possible to live a healthier, more satisfying and productive life with a positive impact on those close to you.

Terry Tobin has been a student of the link between nutrition and behavior for over 8 years. His research led him to finding natural ways of dealing with attention and mood issues in his own life and family. Terry is the editor of help for ADHD where he shares what he has found to be effective. If you or someone you know is dealing with ADD/ADHD and the behaviors associated with it, then visit help for ADHD to learn more about effective ways to improve concentration and behavior.

ADHD and Adults - New Survey Reveals Greater Problems

Children, teens, and adults can all suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD impacts about 5% of the children and teenagers, and about 3% of all adults. Less than half of children with ADHD ever out-grow it in adolescence or adulthood. If untreated, the disorder can have long-term adverse effects into adolescence and adulthood.

It is important to remember that many, or most, children with ADHD will never really out-grow the problems that ADHD brings. This has been well documented, and has been further discussed in detail through recent studies on ADHD and Depression in females.

Recently another reminder of this was published in a national survey of 1,007 adults with ADHD. The survey looked at how adults with ADHD cope at home, at work, and in relationships with others. The survey was published just in time for the 2008 ChADD Conference, and the 2008 ADHD National Awareness Day.

What the survey found was that, of those adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:


75% reported that ADHD strongly impacted their ability to stay focused to a task long enough to complete it;
70% reported that ADHD strongly impacted their ability to focus on what others were saying;
65% reported that ADHD strongly impacted their responsibilities at home;
60% reported that ADHD strongly impacted their ability to stay seated through a business meeting, or to organized projects, or follow through with projects until they are completed;
57% reported that ADHD strongly impacted their relationships with their families and friends;
56% reported that ADHD strongly impacted their ability to advance in their work place or career;
47% reported that ADHD caused them to have to work harder than others just to accomplish the same amount of work as those without ADHD;

The survey group was asked about what they would like to accomplish, or treatment goals:


50% reported that they would like to get their house organized, and 28% reported that they needed to get their personal finances more organized;
38% reported that they needed to get their moodiness under control, and 26% wanted to improve their relationships with others;
36% felt that their ADHD symptoms were still not under control, and many report feeling depressed thinking about how hard it is to be an adult with ADHD.

The study was headed up by two big names in the ADHD community: Ed (Ned) Hallowell, M.D., who has written important books such as "Driven to Distraction," and Natalie Knochenhauer, who as a mother of ADHD children has become an important advocate in the Philadelphia area.

The study was funded by McNeill Pediatrics, which, by the way, markets CONCERTA (methylphenidate HCI) for the treatment of ADHD in adults, as well as in children. Hallowell and Knochenhauer are both paid consultants for McNeill Pediatrics. So there is an element of this study that is designed to market CONCERTA to those adults who are not receiving any treatment, feel that their ADHD is not under control, and etc.

But this study should be more than that.


IF conservatively 5% of the children in the USA have ADHD, and
IF conservatively 50% of the children in the USA will "out-grow" their ADHD symptoms by the age of 20 or so, and
IF there are approximately 300 million people in the USA,
THEN there are conservatively 7,500,000 adults in the USA alone dealing with "adult ADHD." And if 38% of them feel that their ADHD is not under control, or are depressed by their ADHD, and so on, well that's a lot of people suffering from ADHD even into adulthood (38% of 7.5 million adults with ADHD is 2,850,000 adults who feel it is out of control or feel depressed because of their ADHD).

If you are an adult with ADHD, and you are feeling that you can't get ahead at work because of it, or you can't get organized, or motivated, or get your moods under control, there is help for you.

Yes, medications like Concerta can help. Stimulant medications can help to increase time on task, focus to boring tasks, and so on. Consider medications as a treatment option and talk to your doctor about it.

We also like people to try the combination of an ADHD diet (including high protein, low carbohydrate breakfasts and some caffeine), with ATTEND, Extress or Deprex (for mood stabilization) and Memorin for memory improvement.

With either of the approaches above, counseling or coaching for ADHD as well as for skills and strategies to improve relationships and work performance are essential.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is the Clinical Editor of the ADHD Information Library at http://newideas.net and its family of ADHD related web sites. He is also the author of the very popular ADHD Diet. Try Dr. Cowan's free online screening tool for ADHD or view his ADHD videos on YouTube. Further information on ATTEND is available here. For more information on ADHD support groups visit ChADD.