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Nathan Davis

Prof. Freeland

English 1201

April 10, 2021

ADHD

Have you ever felt like your mind and body are running constantly but not going

anywhere? As a young adult male with ADHD, this is a feeling that I have often. ADHD,

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, is a medical condition that I have suffered from since I

was quite young. As a child, I accepted my diagnosis and the decisions my parents made to treat

my behaviors and challenges. While in high school, I experimented with those treatments and

tools my parents had in place, not only to show my independence but to see who I was

introspective. Now, as I make my way through college and enter into adulthood, I am intrigued

to learn further about the condition and challenges that I may face. Adults with ADHD face

challenges and problems that accompany this condition that is just as prominent, and maybe even

more so than in childhood.

ADHD is described as “a neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood whose symptoms

include limited attention and hyperactivity” (CDC). As a child, this diagnosis was true for me

and it was not until I was a freshman in high school that I realized the medicines that I was

taking were making me someone I was not. If you would have known me at the time, you would

have described me as the most monotone and bland person you had ever met. The medicine

helped me to focus but at the same time, made me feel almost robotic. I didn’t show any

emotions to a point that my friends made it a game to see who could make me laugh that day.
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The second effect of my medication was that it would keep me awake. I was tired but could not

sleep. Furthermore, the medicine suppressed my appetite.

This realization led me to only take medication when I felt that it was necessary, like if I

had exams or if I just really needed to focus and be present one day. Now, because of there being

no school and always being at home for school I haven’t taken any medication for about a year

and a half. In that time I am learning that school is still tough without medication.

ADHD was first mentioned in 1902. A British pediatrician, Sir George Still described

“an abnormal defect of moral control in children.” He found that some children could not control

their behavior the way a typical child would, but they were still intelligent. Then in 1936, Dr.

Charles Bradley found that stimulants could control behavior problems in children. ADHD was

originally called hyperkinetic impulse disorder and it was not recognized in the first edition of

“Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM). Then the APA, the American

Psychiatric Association, formally recognized ADHD as a mental disorder in 1968 as published in

the DSM The condition has since gone through a few other name changes and its latest is in the

fourth edition of the DSM as ADHD with three subtypes. These types include; combined,

predominantly inattentive, and predominantly hyperactive-impulsive types. Research continues

in this area with strong evidence leading to a strong genetic link, as well as determining the

underlying causes and possible connections of the role that environmental factors play in who

develops ADHD. (Angel)

Signs of ADHD need to be evident before the age of 12, meaning ADHD does not

develop in adulthood but that you already had it as a child. As a child, the disease can be

diagnosed, according to the DSM as young as four years of age. Children at this age are active

yet those with a full evaluation who are confirmed with ADHD, “are plowing through activities
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and people at a high pace” (Bhandari). Likewise, in one of my incidences with ADHD, that my

mother frequently relays to others is the Saturday morning, when I was about 5, that I barged

into her bedroom at 6:00 am with a floor lamp, chord traveling behind me, asking to play

lightsabers! Symptoms for this condition in children include, but are not limited to, impulsivity,

hyperactivity, inattention. Presenting in a child as unable to wait for his/her turn, interrupting,

fidgeting, unfinished tasks, and a real need to move constantly.

Children with ADHD frequently have trouble in school, learning to read and write

legibly. This is when many children are diagnosed with this condition and where many of the

symptoms, mentioned above are seen. Children with ADHD behave differently than typical

children in a classroom and struggle to learn because focusing is paramount. This is when I was

diagnosed with ADHD. The impetus for my diagnosis came when I told my mother that I was

completely frustrated with my inability to learn to read and was so mad at teachers who

constantly required me to rewrite words/sentences to sit on a line. A trip to the doctor followed

with a confirmation that I did indeed meet the criteria for ADHD.

Though it’s called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into

adulthood. Dr. Paul Wender researched and introduced the concept of adult ADHD back in the

1970s as he was seeing signs of it in the parents of children that he treated. It was not until about

1995 when the book, Driven By Distraction, was released that ADHD was accepted by the

general public and some of the medical community as a valid diagnosis of ADHD. (Bailey)

“Prevalence estimates for adult ADHD in the U.S. vary. One 2019 study estimates an adult

ADHD prevalence of 0.96 percent – doubling from 0.43 percent a decade prior” (ADDitude).

Also, according to ADDitude, ADHD diagnoses among adults are growing four times faster than

are ADHD diagnoses among children.

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Further research was done by Courtney Lopresti, MS, to determine for certain that

although some characteristics of ADHD may present themselves differently as an adult, the brain

is still the same. Researchers looked at adult brain scans of both those who no longer presented

many symptoms of ADHD as adults and adults who did display symptoms. They paid close

attention to the part of the brain called the caudate nucleus, a section that plays a role in how we

learn, process, and store memories and communicate. The surprising result was that this section

of the brain did not change. Therefore, confirming that “ADHD doesn’t disappear just because

symptoms are less obvious--its effect on the brain lingers”(CHADD). It is important to note also

that symptoms are believed to be fluid over a lifetime and not stable traits.

Scientists are just beginning to learn about possible links between ADHD and hormones,

specifically sex hormones. These hormones may affect pathways in the brain that seem to be

abnormal in ADHD. During puberty, especially in boys when testosterone can affect brain

circuits in a way that causes more symptoms of ADHD to present. Furthermore, it may be the

reason why ADHD is more common in boys than in girls. Either way, the presence of symptoms

is more prominent than in childhood. (Bhandari)

Interviewing two different adults with ADHD was also beneficial in confirming that

challenges and behaviors are prominent as adults. The first gentleman, Shawn is in his early

forties, still lives at home, struggles with a lasting intimate relationship, and has had several

different jobs, none of which are “right” for him. He is unable to take direction/correction from

an authority figure and is up much of the night unable to sleep. His mother confirmed that he

struggled with symptoms as a child, always on the move, risky behaviors as a teenager, etc. but

did well in school and took direction from parents/teachers without incident.
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The second adult, Frank, also a male but in his mid-fifties, struggled in school, played

sports, was always on the go, but was never diagnosed as a child. However, his relationships as

an adult and challenges as an adult have been noted by his wife as symptoms of ADHD. His

wife, a teacher who recognizes similar symptoms from time to time in students. This, and the

fact that his son has been diagnosed with ADHD, lead him to now recognize the condition in

himself. As an adult, it is hard for him to remember dates, times, names, and important

information. He is up early and has a job as a manual laborer, allowing many of his ADHD

symptoms of hyper activeness to be “covered” by the job.

Both interviewees helped confirm that symptoms are present as adults. Furthermore,

both self-medicate. One of the interviewees has smoked since college. The other has chewed

tobacco since his early teens. People living with untreated ADHD as adults tend to self-medicate.

When adults with ADHD self-medicate, their drug of choice can range from coffee or Mountain

Dew, to unhealthy but legal, like cigarettes, to potentially more problematic, like alcohol.

Possibly, they end up self-medicating with stimulants. Stimulants they may or may not have used

as a child. (CHADD)

Many researchers, including the CDC statement above that, defines ADHD as a

childhood disorder, still feel that ADHD is outgrown with maturity and is thus not present in

adults. However, according to recent research, “80% of young people will continue to have

ADHD into adulthood.” Furthermore, the former name of ADHD was “hyperkinetic disorder of

childhood” giving the impression, like the CDC, that it is an age-limited condition. (CHAAD)

Many felt that children outgrew the disease because they no longer presented with many of the

hyperactivity characteristics, like constantly moving, up before dawn, and always on the go, etc.
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because they, in turn, were calmer in their daily life. However, symptoms of inattention,

impulsivity, and disorganization were never considered.

Many feel that children are overdiagnosed with ADHD. Therefore, many children don’t

have ADHD in the first place to even get it as an adult. In 2011, 11% of children were diagnosed

with ADHD, that is one in nine children and two-thirds were boys. (Saul) These diagnoses then

lead to a quick fix with stimulants. Stimulants that many felt were too quickly given out with

little attention to other issues that may have been diagnosed with a deeper examination. Yet,

several self-help books and organizations, like CHADD, are still in existence because of the need

to help adults with this condition.

As well as the condition being over-diagnosed, adults aren’t “learning to read” which is

paramount in a young child’s life to become successful as an adult. Therefore the brain is not

needing this level of concentration or focus as an adult. Adults only need to comprehend the

information read. However, adults with ADHD still need this high level of concentration. This

concentration is needed to remember what they have read, reminding us that ADHD still exists

but may not hinder the brain in the same way as a child. (Low) This high level of concentration

is also needed to complete other work tasks that we learned above can sometimes secure a job or

help in an adult relationship with dates, times, etc.

Furthermore, claims from physician Richard Saul, who has worked with thousands of

patients demonstrating symptoms of ADHD believe that ADHD is not a condition on its own,

“but rather a symptom complex caused by over twenty separate conditions—from poor eyesight

and giftedness to bipolar disorder and depression—each requiring its specific treatment.” (Saul)

Therefore not a condition of adults and/or children to have, but a different diagnosis altogether.

Still, many suffer from this condition as evident from a large number of books, research, and
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studies. However, more convincing than these readings and research were the two people that

communicated their struggles with ADHD.

These two personal interviews were most important to me in my research, because I

could speak with them and because I am somewhat familiar with both. Obviously, as an adult

with ADHD, interviewing them versus the reading that I did gave my body and brain a chance to

be active and learn, more my learning style. Adults with ADHD have challenges and obstacles

in their lives. The tools and changes in behavior that will be needed, although different for each,

will be crucial to their success as adults.

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Work Cited

ADDitude Editors, Medically reviewed by Sharon Saline, et al. “ADHD Statistics: New

ADD Facts and Research.” ADDitude, 22 Mar. 2021, www.additudemag.com/statistics-of-

adhd/.

“ADHD and Self-Medicating With Stimulants.” CHADD, chadd.org/adhd-in-the-

news/adhd-and-self-medicating-with-stimulants/.

Angel, Traci, and Timothy J Legg. “Everything You Need to Know About ADHD.”

Healthline, Healthline Media, 5 Sept. 2020, www.healthline.com/.

Bailey, Eileen, and Donald Haupt. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Adult ADHD. Alpha,

2010.

Bhandari, Smitha. “ADHD and Substance Abuse: Alcohol and Drugs Connected to

ADHD.” WebMD, WebMD, 30 June 2020, www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-and-

substance-abuse-is-there-a-link.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

www.cdc.gov/.

Davis, Nathan. “Adult with ADHD - Frank.” 17 Mar. 2021.

Davis, Nathan. “Adult with ADHD -Shawn.” 15 Mar. 2021.

“Improving the Lives of People Affected by ADHD.” CHADD, 22 Mar. 2021, chadd.org/.
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Low, Keith, and Aron Janssen. “Do Kids Outgrow ADHD?” Verywell Mind, Verywell

Mind, 21 Jan. 2021, www.verywellmind.com/.

Saul, Richard. ADHD Does Not Exist. Harper & Row, 2014.