ADHD: what it is, symptoms in adults, what to do, ways to improve concentration

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder in which a person has difficulty acquiring, processing and retaining information.

“It seems that reality itself, with multitasking and distractions, creates the conditions for people to be inattentive, distracted and forget what they were actually going to do.”

I only recently learned about my attention deficit disorder while researching the topic. At its core, ADHD is a minimal dysfunction of the cerebral hemispheres that can occur before a child is even born. I honestly thought it applied exclusively to hyperactive children who are constantly yelling, screaming and demanding attention. However, as it turns out, this diagnosis is also found in adults, but it is expressed in a different way.

This is due to the fact that the human body completely changes after puberty and its energy resource becomes limited. After adulthood, new symptoms of ADHD appear. Among them, the most pronounced is instability of attention. Such people find it very difficult to perform daily duties, routine tasks, for example, to clean the house, sort things and put them in their places, to finish what they have started.

To determine that an adult has ADHD, it is possible by such signs:

In everyday life, such people are disorganized, scattered, distracted by extraneous matters and constantly late;
They are unable to make and control their own budget, as well as pay utility and other bills on time. People with ADHD cannot save money or use it wisely;
they find it excruciatingly difficult to listen to the other person without interrupting;
they cannot restrain spontaneous expressions because they are highly impulsive;
they are unable to concentrate on work and engage in one activity for long periods of time;
they have difficulties in planning and also in following through on what they have planned. They lack long-term plans;
they cannot write a report, make a conclusion or draw a conclusion because they are unable to analyze anything.
They have no hobbies; any new activity quickly becomes boring because of their scattered attention and inability to concentrate on one thing.
they are very forgetful. Especially when it comes to regular procedures – taking medications and supplements or plans made earlier.
they find it difficult to read a book, watch a movie or a play without being distracted by something else.

It is believed that the manifestation of symptoms of attention deficit in adults is associated with the development of ADHD in childhood. Even then, abnormalities in the nervous system associated with improper functioning of brain structures begin.

Looking back in the past, I can say that once in my childhood I was a hyperactive child, jumping, running, screaming, singing songs, pestering my dad, not letting him lie quietly on the couch. To get rid of my hyperactivity, I was given to figure skating, English class and music school. I no longer pestered my father, he could read newspapers in peace. The sphere of circles and hobbies in adolescence expanded even more. And everywhere I went at will. I was interested.

The brain recorded a program: if you are inside as if torn apart, you can not concentrate on one thing, do several things at the same time. Something will work out. This program is still active today. And thanks to it I managed to achieve success in certain areas of life.

At university, I studied foreign languages at the Moscow State University’s Philosophy Department. When I couldn’t concentrate on one language for a long time, I started studying another, and then returned to the first. Then I would take another language as an elective and continue studying it. Then I would go back to the previous ones. In five years of study I have mastered nine languages. However, I speak only four of them actively now. In any case, four is more than one. If I had studied only one language, there is no guarantee that I would have learned it.

By the way, I can’t read only one book. Instead of forcing myself to keep going, I start a new one, but then go back to the previous book. It’s the same as with languages. You keep taking the new one, you go back to the old one to go on and complete it.

As for nutrition, cooking only one meal for people with ADHD is unrealistically agonizing, unless it’s scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs. For quick recipes, patience is definitely enough, but with long cooking – a problem. But the first, second, third and dessert are just what you need. It’s better to take one day and prepare a week’s worth of meals than one meal every day. This works great for me.

It’s the same situation with training and hobbies. I have a lot of them. Today I paint, tomorrow I dance, the day after that I go horseback riding, then something else. Every week I give new things to my brain, which is greedy for knowledge and experience. As a result, new neural connections are formed. As a result, my memory and concentration improve. My friends think I am an encyclopedia person and an adventure person. Since I know a lot of things and am constantly doing something new.

I will be honest, I have not dealt with all the complexities of ADHD, for example, I still haven’t written a book due to lack of concentration and due to distractions. I have difficulty with time management as it seems like there is endless time and I have time for everything.

I have trouble putting my closet in order, but I do it too. Just not all at once, but intermittently. In essence, switching is what distracts us from what’s important, but what allows us to not get burned out, not burn out, but just start doing something else. And then get back to the process with renewed vigor. The key is to keep a to-do list. And cross off what’s completed.

I orient myself to my inner state and don’t set alarm clocks. When I’m running out of energy, I switch to a new activity rather than forcing myself to reach the finish line. For me, this is the most gentle and effective method of working out.

Many experts still recommend the attention management technique “Pomodoro”, which was proposed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The essence of the technique is simple: you need to set an alarm clock for 25 minutes. And during the day, every 25 minutes switch to a new activity or a new task, giving yourself five minutes of rest. At the end of the day, be sure to reward yourself for the tasks completed. I’m sure this technique was invented by someone with ADHD for people with the same symptom.

In my experience, I can tell you that the following helps with ADHD:

Using medications to improve concentration. They are prescribed by a doctor. The intake of medications should be monitored by relatives, since the person himself will regularly forget about them.
Psychotherapy. Since the main syndrome of any types of ADHD in adults is nervousness and anxiety, it is necessary to treat this sign of attention deficit with complex therapy with diversified trainings.
Regular sports or just physical activity. In the process of physical exercise increases the level of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. These substances have a positive effect on the ability to concentrate. You don’t have to go to the gym four times a week. You can simply take walks in the park.
Proper sleep schedule. When a person sleeps, his brain rests and relaxes, as a result, the overall psycho-emotional state improves. If a stable sleep schedule is absent, then the symptoms of ADHD will manifest themselves more strongly.
Balanced proper nutrition. Here it is important not what exactly a person eats, but how he does it. The inability to self-organize leads to the fact that a person’s diet becomes chaotic. A person can go without food for a long time, and then absorb it in large quantities. As a result, the general well-being deteriorates.
Meditation and yoga classes. They reduce nervousness and impulsiveness. If practiced regularly, you can increase attention, reduce impulsiveness and anxiety.

Psychologist’s opinion

Psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, teacher of “Psychedemia”

“The basic diagnosis of ADHD consists of history taking and observation. It is very important that symptoms are present in childhood and appear before the age of 12.”

On its own, the syndrome can be suspected, as in the case of the heroine, but since the symptoms can be similar to other disorders, it is imperative to consult a doctor. First of all, it is worth paying attention to constant difficulties with concentration, forgetfulness, problems with relaxation.

Since the brain of a person with ADHD is poorly switched from work to rest and back, it is difficult to start work, which manifests itself in procrastination, the inability to start doing boring tasks and swing. Same with inhibition after the end of a workload. Because of this, many people with ADHD suffer from trouble falling asleep.

If you have been diagnosed with ADHD, you need to implement skills that will help you systematize your life. This is done by using calendars, to-do lists, and prioritization. However, it is very important to understand that the task is not to force yourself to do everything that you can’t do, but to compose and organize your routine so that and give yourself the opportunity to recover.

Therefore, planning and implementing rest, normalizing sleep and eating are some of the most important tasks in helping yourself with ADHD.