ADHD Coaching Tips

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults is more common than you might think. Actually 1 in 7 adults has some ADHD symptoms. Not only is there a broad range of ADHD symptoms, the intensity of the symptoms varies widely. This means ADHD may look very different from one person to the next, which is one of the reasons it can be challenging to understand the disorder.

It is not weakness on your part, a lack of discipline, a lack of willpower, or some fatal character flaw if you happen to experience symptoms that are associated with ADHD. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder is very real and the impact on your life can be significant, so it is worth understanding a bit more about what you are dealing with if you have ADHD.

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder can go undiagnosed in childhood. It may be that the structure you had at school and at home helped keep your symptoms in check and so you had success early on. Or maybe you weren’t successful in school, but it was assumed that you were a bad student or just “not trying hard enough”.

The good news is, that just like the successful child, adults with ADHD can be helped with a good support system, a little structure, and some high-impact tools.

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder is an equal opportunity disorder, meaning it doesn’t discriminate based on your gender, your intelligence, your age, or your race. Research indicates that ADHD is found in all cultures, however it may not be diagnosed as such and therefore may be unreported.

ADHD itself is not considered a learning disability, but it is six times more common for people with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder to have other learning disabilities or psychiatric issues than people without ADHD.

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder will not just ‘go away’ if you ignore it. You may experience some, or many, ADHD symptoms and sometimes those symptoms will wane in intensity, but they can as easily return and even intensify. This can be because of hormonal changes in your body, a change in your lifestyle, or changes at work that increase or decrease your stress levels.

As human beings we are complex mechanisms. Everything that we put into our body will affect our chemistry and our brains, and potentially our Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms. Many adults with ADHD find that they are able to begin to control their symptoms and thrive with ADHD by making some simple changes in how they take care of themselves.  Getting regular exercise, ample sleep, and eating a balanced diet that is low in sugars helps many people with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder begin to feel better and in control.  Implementing these life-style habits is much easier said than done; however beginning to think about it and creating a plan to help you move forward in these areas is an excellent start!