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ADHD In Everyday Life

Have you ever walked into a room and suddenly forgotten why you went? Or started a task, but find yourself cleaning your kitchen and scrolling on your phone ten minutes later? Maybe you were in a meeting, trying hard to listen, but your mind kept jumping from one thing to another. These moments happen to everyone from time to time. But for individuals with ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), it is not just being “distracted.” It might affect focus, time management, and emotional regulation.

For people with ADHD, everyday tasks might be challenging even at work, at home, or during simple routines like getting ready for work in the morning. For example, choosing what you wear can turn into a 30-minute decision. A five-minute break can easily turn into a one-hour break if no one reminds you. Or when you clean your desk, you might find yourself doing the laundry. Even leaving home can be stressful, you might find yourself asking these questions just after locking the door: “Did I lock the door? Where are my keys? Where was the cat sleeping?”

These are not happening because the individuals with ADHD are lazy, careless, or reckless. It is how the ADHD brain works. Their attention shifts quickly, and everyday tasks might feel overwhelming. Many individuals with ADHD genuinely want to be organized, stay focused during conversations, or finish tasks on time. However, their minds might pull their attention in different directions. In this mini sketch, we will briefly explain ADHD, its symptoms, and management strategies.

What is ADHD?

Neurodiversity refers to conditions that affect the development of the nervous system and how the brain functions, which can impact learning and behavior. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, is one of the most common neurodiversity, and there are three types: Hyperactive-impulsive, Inattentive, and combined, which is the most common. Symptoms of ADHD can vary for each individual, but most include:

  • Hyperactive-impulsive: Excessive or fast-paced talking, difficulty making decisions or impulsive decision-making, restlessness, and little to no sense of danger.
  • Inattentive: Difficulty maintaining focus in tasks, lack of focus, avoiding tasks that require sustained mental effort/attention, and disorganization.

You may start showing behavioral issues at school when you are struggling with ADHD. You may have difficulty completing assignments, paying attention in class, speaking at inappropriate times, or frequently losing your belongings. As an adult with ADHD, you may experience similar symptoms in your daily life, such as time management and attention to detail, which can impact your performance at work and relationships with others.

Time Blindless

People with ADHD often experience a struggle with a sense of time or estimating how long tasks will take. This situation refers to “time blindness.” Time blindness might look like constantly running late, forgetting appointments or deadlines, getting lost in your hobbies, work, or studying. It is not about being lazy or careless; it’s the ADHD brain processing time differently. For example, you might start a chore thinking it will take 10 minutes, but an hour passes. Or you might plan to leave the house at 8 AM, and suddenly it’s 9 AM.

Time blindness is a common way in which ADHD shows up. However, occasionally feeling “time blind” doesn’t necessarily mean someone has ADHD.

Distractedness

Individuals with ADHD might experience the world differently from people without ADHD. While someone without it might easily focus on tasks, movies, or books, people with ADHD may get distracted even by sounds, environments, or their own thoughts. However, it is important to remember that the symptoms we have mentioned above don’t mean that you have ADHD. Many people experience difficulties paying attention, completing tasks, and doing chores, especially during stressful periods. 

Is it really ADHD?

You might think you’re experiencing certain symptoms mentioned above, and it’s easy to come across countless posts on social media that seem to match your experience and point toward ADHD. The experiences listed above can overlap with many different things, like stress, anxiety, emotion regulation difficulties, burnout, personality patterns, or even temporary life changes. Also, ADHD doesn’t appear later in life. It’s a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that significantly affects daily functioning. To avoid misinterpretations and ensure an accurate understanding and the right kind of support, it is essential to talk to a professional if you notice similar patterns. 

Managing ADHD

When managing ADHD, a combination of both therapy and medication often yields the most effective results. Medication works to help regulate the central nervous system, while therapy helps you regulate your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. While ADHD is a neurodiversity, changes in behaviors and lifestyle can improve symptom management. Acquiring and utilizing new skills, learning how to regulate emotions, and building self-esteem can lead to a greater well-being when you live with ADHD.

Several ways that therapy can be valuable for ADHD include:

  • Skill development: Therapy can help you develop and strengthen skills like planning, organizing, and time management to improve your ability to manage daily tasks and responsibilities.
  • Behavioral strategies: A therapist can work with you to identify unwanted or unhelpful behaviors, implement strategies to modify or reinforce positive behaviors, and set new goals.
  • Emotional regulation: Because inattention and hyperactivity are the key elements of ADHD, emotional regulation is a crucial skill to learn. Therapy can help you recognize your emotions and better regulate them through impulse control.
  • Self-esteem and coping: Living with ADHD can be challenging and isolating at times, especially if it is causing issues at school, work, or in relationships. Therapy can provide a support system to explore and address challenges in order to create a greater sense of self.

Modalities

Although many different types of theoretical approaches are used in therapy, certain modalities have been found to be beneficial when addressing the symptoms of ADHD. Additionally, many individuals with ADHD have found that combining two types of therapies helps them manage their symptoms more effectively. In the end, it is all about finding the right theoretical approach that works for you. Some of the most effective modalities for ADHD include:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a goal-oriented, short-term form of psychotherapy that helps address unhelpful thinking styles and behavior patterns. An example of an unhealthy thought pattern that CBT addresses is the all-or-nothing mindset. For someone with ADHD, you might procrastinate or avoid tasks that cannot be completed “perfectly”. With CBT, you will learn how to challenge unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and replace them with more productive ones.
  • Mindfulness: Mindfulness strengthens your ability to control your attention. This approach teaches you how to observe yourself, focus on a task, and bring your attention back to the present moment when you get distracted. Additionally, it can also help you become more aware of your emotions, so you are less likely to act impulsively.
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: This therapy combines CBT techniques with mindfulness and acceptance strategies to help you regulate your emotions, tolerate distress more effectively, and improve relationships with others. Common struggles experienced by people with ADHD that DBT can address include:
  1. Emotional dysregulation: DBT skills such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance can help you better understand and cope with your emotions.
  2. Impulsivity: DBT’s emphasis on mindfulness and distress tolerance can help you pause before acting on impulses and make more thoughtful choices.
  3. Relationship difficulties: The interpersonal effectiveness skills of DBT can help you navigate social situations more successfully.

In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for managing ADHD. However, a collaborative and supportive relationship with a professional therapist, family members, and individuals in the work and school settings, along with therapeutic tools, can set the stage towards a brighter future with ADHD.

Takeaways:

  • Neurodiversity refers to conditions that affect the development of the nervous system and how the brain functions, which can impact learning and behavior. 
  • People with ADHD often experience impulsiveness, time blindness, distractedness, and emotional regulation difficulties.
  • To avoid misinterpretations and ensure an accurate understanding and the right kind of support, it is essential to talk to a professional if you notice similar patterns. 
  • When managing ADHD, a combination of both therapy and medication often yields the most effective results. While ADHD is a neurodiversity, changes in behaviors and lifestyle can improve symptom management. 
  • Modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy can help people with ADHD to learn skill development, behavioral strategies, emotional regulation, and self-esteem.

References:

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
  • Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of executive functioning. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8106-5