First, the honest part. I have an ADHD diagnosis, along with BPD, and at 50 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was added. So when I go looking through the lists, the way I do when something grabs me, I keep finding myself in them. Seeing yourself in a list still doesn't make it a diagnosis, though. That takes an assessment.
What are the signs of ADHD in adults? The NHS lists the core ones: being easily distracted or forgetful, finding it hard to organise your time, struggling to follow instructions or finish tasks, losing things like keys and wallets, restlessness, talking a lot or interrupting, and making quick decisions without thinking about what happens next. In adults, a lot of that doesn't look like the hyper kid from the 80s. It hides as lateness, half-finished projects, losing hours, and a short fuse.
What are the textbook signs of ADHD in adults?
The NHS page on ADHD in adults splits them into two groups.
Inattentive signs: easily distracted or forgetful, trouble organising time, trouble following instructions or finishing tasks, losing things often.
Hyperactive and impulsive signs: a lot of energy or restlessness, talking a lot or interrupting, quick decisions without thinking it through.
Most people have some of both. Some lean hard one way.
Here's the catch that matters most. Canada's ADHD charity CADDAC puts it plainly: everyone has some of these sometimes. People with ADHD have more of them, consistently, to the point where it gets in the way at work, at school, at home. A messy desk isn't ADHD. A messy life that's been messy since you were a kid, despite trying everything, might be worth a look.
The signs that hide in plain sight
These are the ones that get called personality, laziness or "just how he is." Some of them I see in myself. Some I don't. I'll say which.
Time just disappears
Some people call it time blindness. You sit down to answer one email and it's dark out. Or you think you have loads of time before you leave, and then you're twenty minutes late, again. This one's me. I can lose three hours to one email and have no idea where they went.
The low-tech fix that helps a lot of people with this is time you can see. A Time Timer is a clock with a red disc that shrinks as time runs out. Sounds dumb. Works on a brain that doesn't feel time passing. Get the silent one, because the ticking drives some of us up the wall.
Time Timer (silent)
Time Timer
My take. Time you can see. A red disc that shrinks. Sounds dumb, works on a brain that loses three hours to one email.
Good to know. Get the silent model. The ticking drives some of us up the wall.
A graveyard of half-done projects
Big start. All the energy in the world. Then it stalls at 70% and something shinier shows up. I've done this my whole life. My closet is full of the evidence, and so is my hard drive. Is it ADHD, or the autistic boom-and-crash cycle, or both? In my case, probably both. I wrote about that question in AuDHD explained.
Restlessness that moved inside
Adults often aren't bouncing off the walls anymore. The hyperactivity goes internal. A brain that won't shut up, a leg that won't stop going under the table, a need to be doing something even on the couch. Long meetings feel like being held underwater.
Hyperfocus
This one confuses people, because ADHD is supposed to be about not paying attention. But a lot of adults with ADHD describe locking onto something interesting for hours and forgetting to eat. Then crashing afterward. There's more on that in hyperfocus, then the crash.
Emotions on a hair trigger
Autistica lists emotional dysregulation as a trait ADHD and autism share, and rejection sensitivity too. In real life that can look like a short fuse, big reactions to small things, and taking criticism like a punch. The robplosions, a friend's word for when I explode at people, have been part of my life for a long time. Since the diagnosis, I've tied them to autism and overload. I'm open to the idea there's more than one thing feeding them. Either way, they're mine to deal with.
Impulsive decisions
Quitting, buying, moving, saying yes to a huge project on the spot. Some of those calls turn out great. Some don't. The pattern is deciding before the thinking part catches up.
Sleep that never works right
CADDAC notes that about 75% of young adults with ADHD report sleep problems. Racing brain at night, can't get up in the morning, repeat.
Why do so many adults get missed?
A few reasons. When people my age were kids, the picture of ADHD was a hyperactive boy disrupting class. If you were quiet and dreamy, or bright enough to coast, nobody looked. Adults also build workarounds over decades (alarms, a partner who remembers things), so the struggle is hidden behind the coping. And ADHD overlaps with anxiety, depression and autism, so it can get filed under something else.
How do you get assessed for ADHD as an adult in Canada?
According to CADDAC, ADHD can be diagnosed by family doctors with ADHD training, psychiatrists, psychologists and neurologists. Doctors and psychiatrists are covered by provincial health plans but waits can be long. Psychologists usually see you faster but cost money, often in the thousands.
In Québec, start with your family doctor or CLSC. If you don't have a family doctor, call 811 and they can point you to the right door. For the emotional side of it, Info-Social 811 is option 2. The Canadian clinical guidelines come from CADDRA and include adult screening forms.
What helps the appointment:
- examples from childhood (symptoms usually start before 12), like old report cards
- someone who knew you as a kid, if they're willing
- concrete examples of how it gets in the way now, at work and at home
And if you're autistic, say so. The two overlap and you want someone who'll look at both.