What is the difference between ADHD in kids and adults?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered by some specialists a disorder that can occur only in kids. But it is not quite true.
Indeed, it is believed that the onset of the disorder occurs always in childhood. But only in around 30% of kids, the symptoms disappear as they grow up. In the remaining cases, even in the treated patients, the symptoms are transferred into adulthood. However, their manifestations are naturally changed. For instance, a hyperactive kid can round around and climb different objects while in an adult the need for constant movement is transformed into tapping fingers or feet, etc.
Worth noting that those who were diagnosed with ADHD in their childhood and received treatment have much more positive results of managing the symptoms in adulthood than those who hadn’t been diagnosed and treated. But there is still a chance of managing the disorder effectively in adulthood if appropriate measures are taken.
How ADHD manifests in kids and adults?
It is crucial to understand what symptoms of ADHD can be preserved into adulthood to know when treatment is required. It is relevant both for people who were diagnosed and those who weren’t but suspect that they may have the disorder. Here is the list of ADHD symptoms in kids and adults and the examples of their manifestations in day to day life.
- Errors in homework;
- Cannot hear attentively or read for more than a couple of minutes;
- Cannot focus on tasks and follow the instructions, for instance, cannot complete homework or doesn’t notice that it is incomplete;
- Messy room (cannot organize space as even when starts, gets easily distracted);
- Often loses things, for example, keys, manuals, pens, etc.
- Forgetfulness, i.e. can forget about school assignments, projects, returning books to the library, etc.
- Can be easily distracted even without external stimuli, i.e. with their own thoughts.
- Academic performance is worse than in peers.
- Unorganized workplace;
- Forgetfulness, for instance, overdue bills, forgotten appointments, callbacks, etc.
- Gets easily distracted even by own thoughts;
- Cannot focus on tasks for sufficient time, for instance, takes frequent breaks;
- Is a poor listener which leads to misunderstandings, problems in personal and professional relationship;
- Is always late to work, appointments, etc.
- Trouble meeting deadlines because of inability to prioritize properly;
- Trouble starting a task.
- Need for constant motor activity manifested in minor movements such as tapping fingers, feet, fidgeting on a chair, etc.
- Frequently leave their places in situation when they should be seated, i.e. in a classroom at a dinner table;
- Often exhibit aimless motor activity: run, try to climb somewhere in such situations when it is unacceptable;
- Excessively talkative, interrupt others and start answering questions without listening them till the end.
- Need for constant motor activity manifested in minor movements such as tapping fingers, feet, fidgeting on a chair, etc.
- Anxiety;
- Cannot stay seated for the whole movie, concert, etc.
- Reckless driving, frequent accidents;
- Anger outbursts;
- Restlessness, trouble relaxing;
- Excessively talkative, interrupt others and start answering questions without listening them till the end.
The difference in ADHD diagnosis in kids and adults
The diagnosis of the disorder is made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (2013). Currently, the disorder can be diagnosed in kids older than 12 years while the previous edition suggested the age of 6 years.
To be diagnosed with ADHD a kid aged 12 should manifest at least 6 symptoms (see the examples of manifestations in the table above) throughout a year and in different circumstances.
For adolescences aged 17 or more, 5 symptoms are sufficient.
For adult patients, there is a need for retrospective diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood, i.e. they have to recall whether they had the symptoms of the condition based on the survey. If the symptoms were present without diagnosis established, they have to have two major symptoms – constant movement activity (i.e. tapping fingers) and attention deficit (inability to focus, distractibility) plus at least two of the following manifestations:
1. Inability to complete a task.
2. Emotional instability (for instance, mood swings).
3. Short temper.
4. Low-stress tolerability.
7. Impulsivity (impulsive buys, trips, risky investments, unreasonable arguments, bets, etc.)
What should you do if you suspect that you have ADHD?
If you think that attention deficit influences your social and professional life, you should definitely consider getting diagnosed. This will help you receive appropriate treatment as ADHD medications are sold with a prescription in the USA and many other countries.
However, if the symptoms are not very severe or you don’t have an ability to get diagnosed, you can buy Armodafinil (or generic Armod) without a prescription online and see how this drug works for you. The thing is that this particular medication isn’t approved for ADHD yet as it hadn’t been extensively tested in children but it is a much safer option for adults than the other medicines that are approved for ADHD such as Ritalin.
Armodafinil has the same effects as Ritalin as it affects the same mechanisms in the brain – prevents the recapture of wakefulness mediator dopamine and promotes the release of histamine. This helps a patient to be able to focus and improve their performance professionally and in daily activities.
However, the mechanisms slightly differ which makes Armodafinil much less likely to cause adverse reactions and so the drug is contraindicated to be used in a much smaller number of conditions. Due to this reason, it almost completely replaced amphetamines in the therapy of narcolepsy, and for off-label uses in the army, police, air traffic control officers, and so on. As you can see, this medication is much more preferable for adults (even if they do not have any condition) and the reason it is not extensively used for ADHD is that the disorder is mainly treated in kids in whom this drug hadn’t been sufficiently tested. We can expect that when enough tests are done, Armodafinil will also be approved for children.
The medication promotes wakefulness and substantially improves cognitive functions such as attention, alertness, ability to focus, and so on which can be of great help for ADHD. Basically, Ritalin does the same but it has more flaws.
Another advantage of Armodafinil over the drug mostly used in ADHD in kids, Ritalin, you can’t take the wrong dosage. The dosage per day is one pill a day, or, if you feel like the medication can be a reason for insomnia, you can take a half of a pill.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)
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