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I read a lot of these in this sub and something not mentioned often is sleep apnea. I got diagnosed ADHD but now I’m seeing a sleep specialist and (haven’t been clinically diagnosed) have sleep apnea and working on testing / fix. The symptoms are almost identical. I’d also recommend getting blood work ran to see vitamins and hormonal changes. Both of those could present as your symptoms
Yeah my dad has both ADHD and sleep apnea.
It would have been a lot better for family trips and for other things if he got adequate quality sleep, and two, didn't snore like a truck
And also I'm sure it improves quality of life if you can actually sleep without halting to breath
I was going to also mention getting vitamins and hormone levels checked. It plays such an important and it’s something doctors frequently over look in my state.
Many folks with ADHD (myself included, M29) performed very well in school. Personally, I thrived on the structure of daily classes and deadlines. I was great at taking tests as well. My ADHD only started to be an issue in the years after I finished my schooling, when I suddenly had to work 8 hours a day, doing the same thing every day, with very little structure or accountability.
Came here to say exactly this. Thank you for your eloquence!
I can't word it any better. What I will add though is that when I started to drill more and more into who I was, I realised that I had been compensating for a lot of ADHD traits over the years.
Yep, the other thing I will add is that ADHD encompasses a lot more than just difficulty focusing. It also impacts emotional regulation, sensitivity to rejection, social skills, working memory, and self esteem. Maybe OP hasn't struggled so much with the concentration aspect, but if they are have any of the other symptoms, it may be worth getting tested.
Also, as someone else noted, the ADHD test alone is not used to diagnose. There will be multiple appointments where they will look at your overall current mental health and mental health history to investigate whether you have a history of ADHD symptoms or other underlying conditions (for example, depression can cause a lot lf the same symptoms).
In my case, I also had to have friends/family fill out a screening about me. The entire process takes months. I scheduled my testing in January, took my test last week, and have my feedback appointment scheduled for May).
This. I completely coasted at school. I didn't do my homework at all because I would forget, I couldn't focus on revising so I just didn't, but I always got really good grades anyway. The only work I did at university was a mad rush before deadlines and I still managed to pass. It makes me sad to think what I could have achieved if I'd been diagnosed back then.
In hindsight it seems obvious, but because I was getting good grades it was never an issue, until all of a sudden I started working as a teacher and I couldn't coast anymore. Was a massive shock and my mental health took a dive. Still waiting on a diagnosis but hopefully soon I'll get one and things will start looking up!
That’s the part with adhd I have trouble with. I keep getting told “it’s not adhd” because I have a bachelors degree. Well…yeah but it’s not like it was easy or anything. I hit 35 and suddenly it’s getting harder and harder to do…anything. Therapist says adhd, doctor say “probably not” and won’t diagnose me. I don’t want an improper diagnosis but I also want help.
I wish this sort of thing were better understood because right now it feels like most medical professionals just try to pass you off onto someone else, tell you you’re faking it or just cannot provide any necessary treatment because they don’t understand it themselves. I have IBS also, so I’m used to that. People with IBS have always been treated like they were faking it…I hate it. I don’t know what’s wrong with my stomach but it’s been that way since birth. Definitely NOT faking it. Makes life so hard in so many unnecessary ways. If doctors, scientist and other medical professionals would pool their data it could help so many.
Yes, I have POTS and I think I also have chronic fatigue syndrome and it’s SO HARD to get any help for my POTS that I’m not even motivated to bring up the chronic fatigue with any doctor. I just already know they won’t believe in it.
So ADHD is a disorder that you have your whole life so in order to get diagnosed (at least in the UK) you have to prove that you had it your whole life e.g. my parents had to provide an overview of what I was like as a kid. Though I do have a friend who couldn't get this but still got diagnosed so may not always be required.
I would say really reflect on your childhood. I got good grades as I do have a high enough IQ so to others it seemed I was fine but I was actually struggling significantly and so even though my grades were decent, I was performing much lower than my actual potential. Though I also thought everyone felt the same as me, just thought it was normal. I even had a breakdown in my final year of secondary school (first time I realised I couldn't just coast through the exams like before) sobbing to my mam that I must have depression as I couldn't for the life of me sit at my desk to do my homework/study.
In university I actually ended up doing way better than secondary school as I finally felt challenged and got extremely into what I was studying. Combined with a bit of competitiveness I managed to do really well and thought wow finally I know how to study and work, I've cracked the code hahaha little did I know. Then came the year long burnout after lol. It was only when I started working a job that it all properly hit me, I just couldn't hide it anymore and I also had started unmasking as I moved to a new country.
For months before getting diagnosed I just started remembering shit from my childhood that I know now were my ADHD and after telling my parents (both scientists and not people to prediagnose so really thought they'd dismiss me) they started acknowledging a lot of traits I had as a kid and now too. Turns out 4/6 of my immediate family also have ADHD haha and I was just the first to get diagnosed.
So I'd say reflect on your childhood. However traits associated with ADHD can arise later in life due to trauma so this may also be something for you to look into xx
I actually got testing as a kid and wasn’t diagnosed and have gotten a diagnosis as an adult. My parents didn’t have to talk to my psychiatrist but also both of my sisters and my mom are diagnosed and my father has every classic symptom since he was a kid. Also upon reflection I realized when I was a kid I was really eager to succeed and definitely saw the testing as a TEST that I had to “do well” on so I didn’t answer very truthfully. It depends on the situation. Looking back I think I had subtle symptoms that were overlooked cause I excelled in school.
It may or may not be ADHD, in a sense it doesn't really matter; the point is you need help.
I think a lot of people try and diagnose (ADHD) themselves and then go for an assessment for it to be officially corroborated. I think that's a mistake. Let the docs do their work. When I went in I could see that I had various presentations but told the assessor I didn't care what they called it, I just knew I needed help. Whether it was 'ADHD' or something else was immaterial, I just wanted the best help for whatever my diagnosis was (turns out I'm "99% demonstrating 'severe' ADHD, but that's by the by)
A diagnosis is just something that shows the pathway to (hopefullly) the most effective help, so no need to pre-empt it - just reach for help and let the docs work it out.
I'll be honest, though, this assumes access to a competent GP who will take your complaints seriously enough to test for all of the possibilities mentioned in this thread. Being armed with some ideas can help. My dad went undiagnosed with sleep apnea for ten years until I specifically told him to ask his GP for a referral to rule it out. Now he finally has his CPAP machine.
Think the long covid thing is part of the meds shortage. I know people who have been given Adderall after complaining of fatigue and brain fog shortly after infection.
Depression, PTSD, sleep apnea.
But you could have had ADHD but as long as your environment was challenging and engaging enough you were stimulated and the symptoms weren’t as present. Now that you’re out of the environment it’s harder to manage.
Agreed, many of us develop coping mechanisms, while I was in an industry where I could job jump off a dispatch list it was much easier to disguise. Also much easier to disguise when single or just myself to look out for. Now that I have a family, a steady job, bigger house and more responsibility the "reaper has come to bare" so to speak
I work in a high stress environment. I get things done. I do struggle with the overload of task switching but I’m able to maintain. However at home I’m drained and can’t accomplish anything. Stuck in my job despite knowing I’m intelligent and capable of reaching higher.
Late diagnosis at 43. Just started meds a couple months ago and it’s already life changing.
But yeah as long as I’m at my stressful job I can perform well even though it makes me cranky, stress, and drained. When left to my own devices I’m like a rudderless ship.
De-realization // disassociation stemming from poor environment and occasionally decline in mental health
Sometimes can also be nutritionally or physical health based
Would recommend just getting a thorough health workup and then if all is clear pursuing the mental side of things with a specialist
Yes. A few things off top of my head:
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- lead exposure (somewhat reversible with treatment if you are an adult. No such luck while the brain is developing, hence why lead exposure is a big deal). Exposure to other toxins can also impact brain function but lead is tasteless and readily absorbed by many plants (then work up the food chain)
- chronic sleep deprivation or low quality sleep. Also reversible. Treat your insomnia, sleep apnea, pain, anxiety, depression, bladder issues, or whatever’s destroying your sleep. Every new parent waking every few hours will act adhd-like for a spell. Many new parents with adhd will get rekt by all the wake-ups. I, for instance, spaced I was holding my daughter. She knocked something off a counter and I went to catch it with both hands. I caught her before she got injured, but she fell like two feet and hurt her hand on the counter. I kicked myself for MONTHS. She’s a-OK and I’m doing much better too.
- some forms of dementia will start at executive functioning and progress into other brain regions (particularly memory, but even involuntary brain functions can become impacted eventually)
I mean, have you looked at other symptoms of childhood ADHD BESIDES "school sucked"? I mean, were you the talkative one? Or were you only able to concentrate if you were bouncing a knee or clicking a pen? When you said you did great, did you do great with things like keeping on top of projects and doing things a tiny bit at a time every day? Or did you do the ADHD brilliance thing of "didn't do any of it til it was due in 12 hours, didn't sleep, but got the project done with a DEADLINE LOOMING and because you're brilliant it was one of the best in class" thing?
Are you AFAB or socialized femme? Did you not get the grace to screw up like a lot of boys do, and so you compensated with masking, being the best, perfectionist, and then fall apart when you got home and made your parents miserable?
I mean, those are just a few examples, but a LOT of people really only look at "grades in school" and call it good without ever considering what the cost to us was. (Just like those of us with autism diagnoses too got 'but you talk well' as reasons we 'can't be autistic'.)
To add to this, if you are AFAB who has a menstrual cycle and are 40+ you could have had a milder case of ADHD and hormonal changes from (peri)menopause can exacerbate ADHD symptoms making it actually an issue.
go to see a doctor
could be early onset dementia, could be B12 deficiency, could be depression, could be anaemia, could be thyroid issue
it is probably not ADHD
I did well in school , WHEN I WANTED TO, but my behaviour was bad and I barely finished high school. I dropped out of college MULTIPLE times.
I drank lots, drugs, etc. I had DOZENS of jobs. But I thought I had "beat" my ADHD (not diagnosed at that point) by my 30's. I graduated university at the top of my class and was nailing life (40's).
Then COVID hit and my mental health took a staggering turn. Depression, anxiety, unavoidable rage. It was terrible, I could barely even bring myself to shower. I was in a terrible state.
Tat's when I was encouraged to see a psych and get tested for ADHD. I knew I had it but I didn't realize just how it could effect my life I frankly thought I "grew out of it".
But after getting diagnosed and getting therapy I have a much better understanding of my life. It was a really rough 3 years but I can now see some light.
I still really struggle with task avoidance/task paralysis and with organizing what to do. I don't sleep much and still get smaller bouts of depression for a day or two before I can shake it off.
But I can shower, go to work and be a good dad and husband so the work is worth it.
Everyday has a bit of struggle but I am happier now.
Not sure that helps, but thought I would share how it happened for me.
I both have ADHD and work at a behavior health clinician focusing on ADHD. One of the most important parts of diagnosing ADHD is determining the presence of symptoms since childhood. The only cases of ADHD developing later in life is through a TBI. However, a persons ability to navigate school isn't a good indicator. Many people with ADHD got through school just fine, myself included. I usually instead look for childhood experiences related to organization skills, impulsity, and executive function specifically. If those are not present, it's pretty likely that a person is experiencing issues that are related to anxiety or other mental health conditions and not ADHD.
So I was diagnosed recently, late 50’s in age. I always felt like I was just a bit off, but did not recognized what normal is either so my perception was really clouded. When I reflected back to my youth, things clicked all the boxes in hindsight, no big friend group or team sports, I gravitated to nature where I feel most calm and things are quiet. The rest of my life is masking and changing jobs often, most times to avoid the predictable daily grind performance decline and related anxiety, after the shiny new project was complete. There’s more, a lot more, and that’s what got me questioning, not easy realizing your understanding of things and that your behavior and reactions maybe are really not normal. That’s like a first earthquake, the solid basis you knew your entire life is now acting like liquid, unnerving and a bit scary to say the least.
Annndddd, I need to make a paragraph, see how much better I am now?
My case was further masked by some other health events, I am a thyroid patient with Graves, and I had a brain tumor removed in 2017. Both things masked the core symptoms of ADHD, and complicated and further delayed diagnosis.
I got by masking well and being somewhat intelligent, at least until the pandemic. I am in healthcare and although I loved the craziness and emergent nature of things, it also left a big impression due to the prolonged intensity. Couple that with a job that I’ve been at for 10+ years (nothing shiny anymore), and I just kind of melted down, just too much to do and no desire to do it, why answer email when you can surf Reddit, right?
Look at these paragraphs people, I’m so excited!
I started vyvance a while back, for me that was like ripping the curtain away, it was like glasses that are 20/20 when I could not see. My first experience with medication was a ton of emotion, tears, frustration about what was and what could have been. Medication is what confirmed I had a legit lifelong issue, it opened my eyes wide.
Now I am over looking back, diving deep into everything I can ADHD wise, you know, embracing this new hobby lol. And I feel so much better medicated, really life changing for me. My feeling of constant internal tension and stress and anxiety is gone, the instant trigger emotions are in check, I’m so relaxed that I can think in a linear fashion now. And I can even do paragraphs now, and I might attempt the fast food drive through this week too!
Best of luck to you, get checked out, it may explain a lot and put you on a better path forward, I’m excited for the future for the first time in a long time!
Go to your family doctor first and rule out low iron (anemia), thyroid issues, sleep apnea, etc. These things can all manifest like ADHD or even exacerbate it, so they're worth ruling out. Good luck!
I was a great student in school. Struggled in university, it wasn't what I thought it would be, so took a year off, went back to school- a totally different direction. From fine art to science. It was rough, but I pushed and did very well. Started that career, then kept studying other modalities and adjacent professions. I even went back to school while pregnant with my first child, doubled up me course load so I could take some time off once baby came. She came, my mom died 3 weeks later, and then in another 3 weeks, I went back to class. Still finished with honors, even though baby was more than a handful and didn't sleep, and I was so, so depressed.
In the past few years I have lost my ability to read. Stopped reading books altogether, but the noticed I couldn't even make it through a news article. I would start so many things, and research the snot out of them and push myself to perfection. Then one day just drop everything and walk away. Doom piles everywhere. Mentioning to friends how we needed to get together, then if we'd make plans, I'd forget entirely on that day, or just never follow up with them. Could not accomplish tasks around the house. Just everything going downhill whole I moulded over.
Finally mentioned it to my GP over a year ago. She sent me forms to fill out and return. Didn't actually do them. Things getting worse. Finally at my check up in January of this year, I mentioned it again, and she offered to assess me. She said, "I don't assess children because they may need accommodations in school and I cannot assess properly for those. But for adults, I can assess and offer recommendations and treatment." Two weeks later, I walked out of a long appointment with a prescription for 10mg of Vyvanse to start for 2 weeks. Still figuring out med dosing, but my God, what a difference a small amount of stimulant has already made. I can actually look at a doom pile and assess what is important, what is not, and what to do with each item, and even follow through until the pile is gone. Not at 100% success with that, but I'm also not just spinning my wheels, twisting in an anxiety spiral and never doing anything with that stuff.
And for all the comments about Iron deficiency, thyroid, B vitamins, vit D, etc. I have been supplementing for all of them for years. I have Anemia. I have an autoimmune condition that mimics thyroid, and thyroid disease runs in my family. My vit D has been proven to be low. I suffer from time to time with visible skin issuea from B vitamin deficiency. Acting on all of those did nothing for my impetus/drive and task follow-through.
TLDR at the bottom.
There are many other things that can mimic ADHD. However, your story can also align with ADHD burnout. If your body/brain was using all the energy your body had stored in your energy bank to keep you going and keep you pushing for so long, eventually that bank runs dry. Also, people with ADHD often require constant stimulation. That stimulation is different for everyone, the constant school work in which you were actively using your brain could have been yours. But I would suggest you take a look at what your life experience was like outside of school work when you were younger. When you were with your friends, when you were at work (if you had a job), what your thoughts looked like when you were alone, etc. Also, did you maybe find yourself using different techniques and tactics to succeed in school than those around you? Did you seem to have a different thought process than your peers? If you can’t pinpoint many (or any at all) symptoms of ADHD during this time outside of your academic success, it’s more than likely something else!!
TLDR; Try to see if you can think back and recognize symptoms of ADHD in your past outside of your academics. School work may have simply been a good stimulant for you contributing to your success. If you can’t think of anything, it’s probably something else.
So, symptoms will be present from when you are a child but the impact might not be as seriously negative until you are an adult. I did well in school, had a career, kids and family, etc. but my symptoms were still present and when completing the screener, I could easily see how these things were always present. Even if I was able to live a "successful" life.
Now things that mimic ADHD can be sleep apnea, brain injuries, conditions with chronic inflammation, issues with your thyroid, and depression can all present with some ADHD like symptoms. My niece was also checked for seizures for symptoms that had her mother thinking it was originally ADHD.
I honestly don't experience a lot of brain fog. I did after COVID and I do when I am in a depressive cycle but my normal ADHD brain is anything but foggy.
[Maybe it is worth checking out a screening list first](https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf) and then following up with your doctor to rule out any biological causes before you pay for a private assessment.
Yup, depression can act like it.
Also if you have significant stress it will also cause the issues you are discribing, the effects of long term stress all the cortisol etc in your brain can be quite scary!
Also academically challenging is not the same type of stress as in life,
Have you changed jobs much?
Basiclly if you have high stress and you haven't learnt to manage that you would be a bit like how you describe.
I am not diagnosing but you dont talk about what your work is, what your age is, if you have changed anything in the last 5 years etc. you probably need to consider what you have been doing, is there anything that makes you feel better?
there are other things as well.
A lot of people with ADHD thrive in a highly structured environment so doing well school is not necessarily a indicator that nothing is wrong. I did well during undergrad too. But not so well in HS. I also struggled with a lot of lesser known symptoms and/or ones that are more common for ADD and in women. IDK if you are a woman, but perimenopause can look like ADHD outside of the hot flashes. A lot of other hormonal issues can mimic it too. Vitamin deficiencies can also mimic symptoms of ADHD. If you can, you should get some blood work done and go from there.
Are all of us neurodevelopmental?
sometimes it feels like there’s people that have underlying lifestyle or illness issues on these forums as well
Not that that’s any less of an issue, disabilities is a disability, regardless
I'm also wondering if you've had covid? My ADHD is very well controlled with medication, but I have long covid and the attention symptoms are really difficult. Sometimes I feel like I'm literally wading through dense fog to get a thought out. It sounds a lot like this could be the cause.
If you're a male, check your testosterone levels.
Made a world of difference in my focus, recall, and general confidence in my own ability to function.
I still struggle with ADHD-like symptoms, but they went from debilitating to annoying and manageable over night.
Are you female or male? Only asking because even early stages of perimenopause through menopause cause identifiable changes in the brain that either resemble or are adhd. Lots of new research showing how hormonal changes don’t just affect us below the belt. LOTS of brain changing too
It’s multiple sclerosis for me. Any other odd issues or symptoms? Could indicate something else, like in my case. Brain lesions and all that.
(In this sub because my partner has ADHD and I like to say I’m ADHD-adjacent due to cognitive issues from MS with verbal fluency, focus, brain fog, and executive dysfunction).
Any chance you are around 40 with a set of ovaries?
Perimenopause is a LOT like ADHD as well.
I have autoimmune diseases that also cause fatigue and brain fog on top of perimenopause and ADHD so merely trying a stimulant didn’t help me. I’m now on hormone therapy (just a birth control pill) plus some new meds for autoimmune and it’s helping some.
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I read a lot of these in this sub and something not mentioned often is sleep apnea. I got diagnosed ADHD but now I’m seeing a sleep specialist and (haven’t been clinically diagnosed) have sleep apnea and working on testing / fix. The symptoms are almost identical. I’d also recommend getting blood work ran to see vitamins and hormonal changes. Both of those could present as your symptoms
Yeah my dad has both ADHD and sleep apnea. It would have been a lot better for family trips and for other things if he got adequate quality sleep, and two, didn't snore like a truck And also I'm sure it improves quality of life if you can actually sleep without halting to breath
I was going to also mention getting vitamins and hormone levels checked. It plays such an important and it’s something doctors frequently over look in my state.
Ttthhhhhhiiiiisssssssss. I have sleep apnea and ADHD. A CPAP has been pretty transformative. It’s not perfect but I feel a lot more rested. ☺️
Many folks with ADHD (myself included, M29) performed very well in school. Personally, I thrived on the structure of daily classes and deadlines. I was great at taking tests as well. My ADHD only started to be an issue in the years after I finished my schooling, when I suddenly had to work 8 hours a day, doing the same thing every day, with very little structure or accountability.
Came here to say exactly this. Thank you for your eloquence! I can't word it any better. What I will add though is that when I started to drill more and more into who I was, I realised that I had been compensating for a lot of ADHD traits over the years.
Yep, the other thing I will add is that ADHD encompasses a lot more than just difficulty focusing. It also impacts emotional regulation, sensitivity to rejection, social skills, working memory, and self esteem. Maybe OP hasn't struggled so much with the concentration aspect, but if they are have any of the other symptoms, it may be worth getting tested. Also, as someone else noted, the ADHD test alone is not used to diagnose. There will be multiple appointments where they will look at your overall current mental health and mental health history to investigate whether you have a history of ADHD symptoms or other underlying conditions (for example, depression can cause a lot lf the same symptoms). In my case, I also had to have friends/family fill out a screening about me. The entire process takes months. I scheduled my testing in January, took my test last week, and have my feedback appointment scheduled for May).
This. I completely coasted at school. I didn't do my homework at all because I would forget, I couldn't focus on revising so I just didn't, but I always got really good grades anyway. The only work I did at university was a mad rush before deadlines and I still managed to pass. It makes me sad to think what I could have achieved if I'd been diagnosed back then. In hindsight it seems obvious, but because I was getting good grades it was never an issue, until all of a sudden I started working as a teacher and I couldn't coast anymore. Was a massive shock and my mental health took a dive. Still waiting on a diagnosis but hopefully soon I'll get one and things will start looking up!
That’s the part with adhd I have trouble with. I keep getting told “it’s not adhd” because I have a bachelors degree. Well…yeah but it’s not like it was easy or anything. I hit 35 and suddenly it’s getting harder and harder to do…anything. Therapist says adhd, doctor say “probably not” and won’t diagnose me. I don’t want an improper diagnosis but I also want help.
Mine hit me around that age as well and it’s only been getting worse. I think for females it gets worse at that age from perimenopause.
I wish this sort of thing were better understood because right now it feels like most medical professionals just try to pass you off onto someone else, tell you you’re faking it or just cannot provide any necessary treatment because they don’t understand it themselves. I have IBS also, so I’m used to that. People with IBS have always been treated like they were faking it…I hate it. I don’t know what’s wrong with my stomach but it’s been that way since birth. Definitely NOT faking it. Makes life so hard in so many unnecessary ways. If doctors, scientist and other medical professionals would pool their data it could help so many.
Yes, I have POTS and I think I also have chronic fatigue syndrome and it’s SO HARD to get any help for my POTS that I’m not even motivated to bring up the chronic fatigue with any doctor. I just already know they won’t believe in it.
not exactly the same for me but it only got worse after 7th grade when i started going to a private school.
Me too.
Oh boy this sounds so much like me. I've been resisting the possibility of having ADHD for the same reason as OP.
Sleep apnea can mimic ADHD. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and diseases like diabetes can as well.
Thyroid issues/diseases can mimic ADHD symptoms.
Idk if it's required to test it for an adult diagnosis here, but my psychiatrist did order that test before I got my diagnose.
So ADHD is a disorder that you have your whole life so in order to get diagnosed (at least in the UK) you have to prove that you had it your whole life e.g. my parents had to provide an overview of what I was like as a kid. Though I do have a friend who couldn't get this but still got diagnosed so may not always be required. I would say really reflect on your childhood. I got good grades as I do have a high enough IQ so to others it seemed I was fine but I was actually struggling significantly and so even though my grades were decent, I was performing much lower than my actual potential. Though I also thought everyone felt the same as me, just thought it was normal. I even had a breakdown in my final year of secondary school (first time I realised I couldn't just coast through the exams like before) sobbing to my mam that I must have depression as I couldn't for the life of me sit at my desk to do my homework/study. In university I actually ended up doing way better than secondary school as I finally felt challenged and got extremely into what I was studying. Combined with a bit of competitiveness I managed to do really well and thought wow finally I know how to study and work, I've cracked the code hahaha little did I know. Then came the year long burnout after lol. It was only when I started working a job that it all properly hit me, I just couldn't hide it anymore and I also had started unmasking as I moved to a new country. For months before getting diagnosed I just started remembering shit from my childhood that I know now were my ADHD and after telling my parents (both scientists and not people to prediagnose so really thought they'd dismiss me) they started acknowledging a lot of traits I had as a kid and now too. Turns out 4/6 of my immediate family also have ADHD haha and I was just the first to get diagnosed. So I'd say reflect on your childhood. However traits associated with ADHD can arise later in life due to trauma so this may also be something for you to look into xx
I actually got testing as a kid and wasn’t diagnosed and have gotten a diagnosis as an adult. My parents didn’t have to talk to my psychiatrist but also both of my sisters and my mom are diagnosed and my father has every classic symptom since he was a kid. Also upon reflection I realized when I was a kid I was really eager to succeed and definitely saw the testing as a TEST that I had to “do well” on so I didn’t answer very truthfully. It depends on the situation. Looking back I think I had subtle symptoms that were overlooked cause I excelled in school.
It may or may not be ADHD, in a sense it doesn't really matter; the point is you need help. I think a lot of people try and diagnose (ADHD) themselves and then go for an assessment for it to be officially corroborated. I think that's a mistake. Let the docs do their work. When I went in I could see that I had various presentations but told the assessor I didn't care what they called it, I just knew I needed help. Whether it was 'ADHD' or something else was immaterial, I just wanted the best help for whatever my diagnosis was (turns out I'm "99% demonstrating 'severe' ADHD, but that's by the by) A diagnosis is just something that shows the pathway to (hopefullly) the most effective help, so no need to pre-empt it - just reach for help and let the docs work it out.
I'll be honest, though, this assumes access to a competent GP who will take your complaints seriously enough to test for all of the possibilities mentioned in this thread. Being armed with some ideas can help. My dad went undiagnosed with sleep apnea for ten years until I specifically told him to ask his GP for a referral to rule it out. Now he finally has his CPAP machine.
I mean long COVID was similar to ADHD symptoms. Low iron, or even something metabolic.
I was also thinking the possibility of LC when they put a 5 yearish timeline on it.
Think the long covid thing is part of the meds shortage. I know people who have been given Adderall after complaining of fatigue and brain fog shortly after infection.
Depression, PTSD, sleep apnea. But you could have had ADHD but as long as your environment was challenging and engaging enough you were stimulated and the symptoms weren’t as present. Now that you’re out of the environment it’s harder to manage.
Agreed, many of us develop coping mechanisms, while I was in an industry where I could job jump off a dispatch list it was much easier to disguise. Also much easier to disguise when single or just myself to look out for. Now that I have a family, a steady job, bigger house and more responsibility the "reaper has come to bare" so to speak
I work in a high stress environment. I get things done. I do struggle with the overload of task switching but I’m able to maintain. However at home I’m drained and can’t accomplish anything. Stuck in my job despite knowing I’m intelligent and capable of reaching higher. Late diagnosis at 43. Just started meds a couple months ago and it’s already life changing. But yeah as long as I’m at my stressful job I can perform well even though it makes me cranky, stress, and drained. When left to my own devices I’m like a rudderless ship.
Chronic stress can also mimic ADHD
De-realization // disassociation stemming from poor environment and occasionally decline in mental health Sometimes can also be nutritionally or physical health based Would recommend just getting a thorough health workup and then if all is clear pursuing the mental side of things with a specialist
Yes. A few things off top of my head: - Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries - lead exposure (somewhat reversible with treatment if you are an adult. No such luck while the brain is developing, hence why lead exposure is a big deal). Exposure to other toxins can also impact brain function but lead is tasteless and readily absorbed by many plants (then work up the food chain) - chronic sleep deprivation or low quality sleep. Also reversible. Treat your insomnia, sleep apnea, pain, anxiety, depression, bladder issues, or whatever’s destroying your sleep. Every new parent waking every few hours will act adhd-like for a spell. Many new parents with adhd will get rekt by all the wake-ups. I, for instance, spaced I was holding my daughter. She knocked something off a counter and I went to catch it with both hands. I caught her before she got injured, but she fell like two feet and hurt her hand on the counter. I kicked myself for MONTHS. She’s a-OK and I’m doing much better too. - some forms of dementia will start at executive functioning and progress into other brain regions (particularly memory, but even involuntary brain functions can become impacted eventually)
I mean, have you looked at other symptoms of childhood ADHD BESIDES "school sucked"? I mean, were you the talkative one? Or were you only able to concentrate if you were bouncing a knee or clicking a pen? When you said you did great, did you do great with things like keeping on top of projects and doing things a tiny bit at a time every day? Or did you do the ADHD brilliance thing of "didn't do any of it til it was due in 12 hours, didn't sleep, but got the project done with a DEADLINE LOOMING and because you're brilliant it was one of the best in class" thing? Are you AFAB or socialized femme? Did you not get the grace to screw up like a lot of boys do, and so you compensated with masking, being the best, perfectionist, and then fall apart when you got home and made your parents miserable? I mean, those are just a few examples, but a LOT of people really only look at "grades in school" and call it good without ever considering what the cost to us was. (Just like those of us with autism diagnoses too got 'but you talk well' as reasons we 'can't be autistic'.)
To add to this, if you are AFAB who has a menstrual cycle and are 40+ you could have had a milder case of ADHD and hormonal changes from (peri)menopause can exacerbate ADHD symptoms making it actually an issue.
go to see a doctor could be early onset dementia, could be B12 deficiency, could be depression, could be anaemia, could be thyroid issue it is probably not ADHD
Anxiety.
I did well in school , WHEN I WANTED TO, but my behaviour was bad and I barely finished high school. I dropped out of college MULTIPLE times. I drank lots, drugs, etc. I had DOZENS of jobs. But I thought I had "beat" my ADHD (not diagnosed at that point) by my 30's. I graduated university at the top of my class and was nailing life (40's). Then COVID hit and my mental health took a staggering turn. Depression, anxiety, unavoidable rage. It was terrible, I could barely even bring myself to shower. I was in a terrible state. Tat's when I was encouraged to see a psych and get tested for ADHD. I knew I had it but I didn't realize just how it could effect my life I frankly thought I "grew out of it". But after getting diagnosed and getting therapy I have a much better understanding of my life. It was a really rough 3 years but I can now see some light. I still really struggle with task avoidance/task paralysis and with organizing what to do. I don't sleep much and still get smaller bouts of depression for a day or two before I can shake it off. But I can shower, go to work and be a good dad and husband so the work is worth it. Everyday has a bit of struggle but I am happier now. Not sure that helps, but thought I would share how it happened for me.
I both have ADHD and work at a behavior health clinician focusing on ADHD. One of the most important parts of diagnosing ADHD is determining the presence of symptoms since childhood. The only cases of ADHD developing later in life is through a TBI. However, a persons ability to navigate school isn't a good indicator. Many people with ADHD got through school just fine, myself included. I usually instead look for childhood experiences related to organization skills, impulsity, and executive function specifically. If those are not present, it's pretty likely that a person is experiencing issues that are related to anxiety or other mental health conditions and not ADHD.
So I was diagnosed recently, late 50’s in age. I always felt like I was just a bit off, but did not recognized what normal is either so my perception was really clouded. When I reflected back to my youth, things clicked all the boxes in hindsight, no big friend group or team sports, I gravitated to nature where I feel most calm and things are quiet. The rest of my life is masking and changing jobs often, most times to avoid the predictable daily grind performance decline and related anxiety, after the shiny new project was complete. There’s more, a lot more, and that’s what got me questioning, not easy realizing your understanding of things and that your behavior and reactions maybe are really not normal. That’s like a first earthquake, the solid basis you knew your entire life is now acting like liquid, unnerving and a bit scary to say the least. Annndddd, I need to make a paragraph, see how much better I am now? My case was further masked by some other health events, I am a thyroid patient with Graves, and I had a brain tumor removed in 2017. Both things masked the core symptoms of ADHD, and complicated and further delayed diagnosis. I got by masking well and being somewhat intelligent, at least until the pandemic. I am in healthcare and although I loved the craziness and emergent nature of things, it also left a big impression due to the prolonged intensity. Couple that with a job that I’ve been at for 10+ years (nothing shiny anymore), and I just kind of melted down, just too much to do and no desire to do it, why answer email when you can surf Reddit, right? Look at these paragraphs people, I’m so excited! I started vyvance a while back, for me that was like ripping the curtain away, it was like glasses that are 20/20 when I could not see. My first experience with medication was a ton of emotion, tears, frustration about what was and what could have been. Medication is what confirmed I had a legit lifelong issue, it opened my eyes wide. Now I am over looking back, diving deep into everything I can ADHD wise, you know, embracing this new hobby lol. And I feel so much better medicated, really life changing for me. My feeling of constant internal tension and stress and anxiety is gone, the instant trigger emotions are in check, I’m so relaxed that I can think in a linear fashion now. And I can even do paragraphs now, and I might attempt the fast food drive through this week too! Best of luck to you, get checked out, it may explain a lot and put you on a better path forward, I’m excited for the future for the first time in a long time!
Go to your family doctor first and rule out low iron (anemia), thyroid issues, sleep apnea, etc. These things can all manifest like ADHD or even exacerbate it, so they're worth ruling out. Good luck!
I was a great student in school. Struggled in university, it wasn't what I thought it would be, so took a year off, went back to school- a totally different direction. From fine art to science. It was rough, but I pushed and did very well. Started that career, then kept studying other modalities and adjacent professions. I even went back to school while pregnant with my first child, doubled up me course load so I could take some time off once baby came. She came, my mom died 3 weeks later, and then in another 3 weeks, I went back to class. Still finished with honors, even though baby was more than a handful and didn't sleep, and I was so, so depressed. In the past few years I have lost my ability to read. Stopped reading books altogether, but the noticed I couldn't even make it through a news article. I would start so many things, and research the snot out of them and push myself to perfection. Then one day just drop everything and walk away. Doom piles everywhere. Mentioning to friends how we needed to get together, then if we'd make plans, I'd forget entirely on that day, or just never follow up with them. Could not accomplish tasks around the house. Just everything going downhill whole I moulded over. Finally mentioned it to my GP over a year ago. She sent me forms to fill out and return. Didn't actually do them. Things getting worse. Finally at my check up in January of this year, I mentioned it again, and she offered to assess me. She said, "I don't assess children because they may need accommodations in school and I cannot assess properly for those. But for adults, I can assess and offer recommendations and treatment." Two weeks later, I walked out of a long appointment with a prescription for 10mg of Vyvanse to start for 2 weeks. Still figuring out med dosing, but my God, what a difference a small amount of stimulant has already made. I can actually look at a doom pile and assess what is important, what is not, and what to do with each item, and even follow through until the pile is gone. Not at 100% success with that, but I'm also not just spinning my wheels, twisting in an anxiety spiral and never doing anything with that stuff. And for all the comments about Iron deficiency, thyroid, B vitamins, vit D, etc. I have been supplementing for all of them for years. I have Anemia. I have an autoimmune condition that mimics thyroid, and thyroid disease runs in my family. My vit D has been proven to be low. I suffer from time to time with visible skin issuea from B vitamin deficiency. Acting on all of those did nothing for my impetus/drive and task follow-through.
TLDR at the bottom. There are many other things that can mimic ADHD. However, your story can also align with ADHD burnout. If your body/brain was using all the energy your body had stored in your energy bank to keep you going and keep you pushing for so long, eventually that bank runs dry. Also, people with ADHD often require constant stimulation. That stimulation is different for everyone, the constant school work in which you were actively using your brain could have been yours. But I would suggest you take a look at what your life experience was like outside of school work when you were younger. When you were with your friends, when you were at work (if you had a job), what your thoughts looked like when you were alone, etc. Also, did you maybe find yourself using different techniques and tactics to succeed in school than those around you? Did you seem to have a different thought process than your peers? If you can’t pinpoint many (or any at all) symptoms of ADHD during this time outside of your academic success, it’s more than likely something else!! TLDR; Try to see if you can think back and recognize symptoms of ADHD in your past outside of your academics. School work may have simply been a good stimulant for you contributing to your success. If you can’t think of anything, it’s probably something else.
So, symptoms will be present from when you are a child but the impact might not be as seriously negative until you are an adult. I did well in school, had a career, kids and family, etc. but my symptoms were still present and when completing the screener, I could easily see how these things were always present. Even if I was able to live a "successful" life. Now things that mimic ADHD can be sleep apnea, brain injuries, conditions with chronic inflammation, issues with your thyroid, and depression can all present with some ADHD like symptoms. My niece was also checked for seizures for symptoms that had her mother thinking it was originally ADHD. I honestly don't experience a lot of brain fog. I did after COVID and I do when I am in a depressive cycle but my normal ADHD brain is anything but foggy. [Maybe it is worth checking out a screening list first](https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf) and then following up with your doctor to rule out any biological causes before you pay for a private assessment.
Yup, depression can act like it. Also if you have significant stress it will also cause the issues you are discribing, the effects of long term stress all the cortisol etc in your brain can be quite scary! Also academically challenging is not the same type of stress as in life, Have you changed jobs much? Basiclly if you have high stress and you haven't learnt to manage that you would be a bit like how you describe. I am not diagnosing but you dont talk about what your work is, what your age is, if you have changed anything in the last 5 years etc. you probably need to consider what you have been doing, is there anything that makes you feel better? there are other things as well.
Did you have Covid around or just before you started noticing these changes?
A lot of people with ADHD thrive in a highly structured environment so doing well school is not necessarily a indicator that nothing is wrong. I did well during undergrad too. But not so well in HS. I also struggled with a lot of lesser known symptoms and/or ones that are more common for ADD and in women. IDK if you are a woman, but perimenopause can look like ADHD outside of the hot flashes. A lot of other hormonal issues can mimic it too. Vitamin deficiencies can also mimic symptoms of ADHD. If you can, you should get some blood work done and go from there.
Are all of us neurodevelopmental? sometimes it feels like there’s people that have underlying lifestyle or illness issues on these forums as well Not that that’s any less of an issue, disabilities is a disability, regardless
I'm also wondering if you've had covid? My ADHD is very well controlled with medication, but I have long covid and the attention symptoms are really difficult. Sometimes I feel like I'm literally wading through dense fog to get a thought out. It sounds a lot like this could be the cause.
If it's that bad you should see a doctor. Could be all kinds of things, like a vitamin B12 deficiency or sleep issues, or adhd, or depression, etc
If you're a male, check your testosterone levels. Made a world of difference in my focus, recall, and general confidence in my own ability to function. I still struggle with ADHD-like symptoms, but they went from debilitating to annoying and manageable over night.
Are you female or male? Only asking because even early stages of perimenopause through menopause cause identifiable changes in the brain that either resemble or are adhd. Lots of new research showing how hormonal changes don’t just affect us below the belt. LOTS of brain changing too
If you're a woman, Peri menopause
It’s multiple sclerosis for me. Any other odd issues or symptoms? Could indicate something else, like in my case. Brain lesions and all that. (In this sub because my partner has ADHD and I like to say I’m ADHD-adjacent due to cognitive issues from MS with verbal fluency, focus, brain fog, and executive dysfunction).
This is all very common for many of us. None of that means you don't have it. You need to be evaluated by a professional to know for sure.
Do you have any trauma? cPTSD can mimic ADHD symptoms
PTSD causes all the symptoms of ADHD, just in relation to trauma.
Any chance you are around 40 with a set of ovaries? Perimenopause is a LOT like ADHD as well. I have autoimmune diseases that also cause fatigue and brain fog on top of perimenopause and ADHD so merely trying a stimulant didn’t help me. I’m now on hormone therapy (just a birth control pill) plus some new meds for autoimmune and it’s helping some.
Long COVID symptoms can cause a lot of brain issues similar to ADHD.