Everything you need to know about ADHD in adults

There are an almost staggering amount of adults living ways Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) not only in the United States but also around the world.

And when we say staggering amounts, that’s exactly what we mean. Depending upon the specific team of researchers that you are listening to, that number is going to be anywhere between 4% of all adults worldwide and closer to 14% of all adults worldwide.

Regardless of which of those figures you trust most, the bottom line is that even at the lowest end of the scale (the 4%) we are looking at hundreds of millions of adults going through their day to day routine while struggling with the challenges that ADD and ADHD present.

Worse than that though has to be that the overwhelming majority of those hundreds of millions of adults (and millions more when you factor in children) are forced to go through these challenges while they are undiagnosed.

That means that they are having to face these challenges without any help whatsoever, without anyone understanding exactly what they’re going through, and with most simply not recognizing the fact that the challenges they are dealing with stems from biochemical and mental conditions and not from behavioral choices that they are making independently.

It’s a very ugly situation for all involved.

Regardless of whether or not you know someone dealing with ADD or ADHD, whether you yourself are dealing with ADD or ADHD, or whether you just want to better understand the challenges that are plaguing millions and millions of people on a global scale – in a true epidemic proportion – makes little difference as you read this quick guide.

You’ll find a lot of answers to common questions, a lot of guidance for those that need it most, and a number of ways that you can start to help those that are struggling with this challenge.
We hope that you find all of the insider information included below to be valuable, useful, and (maybe most importantly) actionable.

The truth about ADHD in adults

As outlined above, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of millions of people – men, women, and children – all over the world that are plagued by ADD and ADHD on a day to day basis, many of them completely undiagnosed.

This is a far greater number than medical researchers or scientists ever expected or anticipated when this mental disorder was first “realized” 40 or so years ago, and it now easily represents one of the largest – if not THE largest – mental health challenge present in our world today.
It’s an epidemic that is negatively impacting the lives of millions worldwide. Even worse than that though, is the fact that we still know so little about what causes this condition, what exacerbates this condition, and what we can do to manage, mitigate, and (hopefully) completely eliminate this condition.

But there is hope.

Many millions of people worldwide have found a variety of different solutions that help them to treat any and all issues that they have to contend with living with ADHD/ADD every day of their lives.

Some of these adults choose to move forward with medical interventions and prescription drugs (options that we will better outline in just a moment), while others take a more all natural and holistic approach to the solution.

Many of these solutions across the board have proven to be wildly effective, and though some still pose some risks and have the potential for negative side effects, they have at least laid down a rock solid foundation for scientists, researchers, and medical experts to build off of moving forward.

We have made significant progress towards finding a cure to ADD/ADHD, and though we have yet to “crack the code” and realize exactly what that cure is, we are much closer today than ever before.

The big breakthrough could happen any day now.

Look for these symptoms to determine whether or not an adult may be living with ADHD
Until we find that cure that finally (once and for all) eliminates all cases of ADHD/ADD in adults and children completely, a proper diagnosis prior to treatment is going to make or break someone’s ability to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle.

Too terribly many people link pretty normal and “traditional” behavioral choices with ADD and ADHD, while at the same time there are a lot of people that ignore ADD and ADHD symptoms and classify them as normal behavior.

It’s as much of a double-edged sword kind of condition as it gets. You’re going to want to be on the lookout for symptoms like:

• A restless personality
• A difficulty concentrating for longer periods of time
• Challenges effectively communicating your emotions or controlling your emotions
• Temper flareups that almost instantly dissipate
• Daydreaming tendencies
• Fidgeting when asked to sit still for longer periods of time

… And so on and so forth.

This is why there is significant value in a proper ADHD/ADD diagnosis, and why you’ll want to speak to a trusted medical professional (a psychologist or psychiatrist would be a great place to start) and begin moving through any and all ADD/ADHD adults testing protocols that might be able to provide you with a concrete diagnosis.

Then (and only then) will you be able to move through the treatment protocols and processes that will hopefully eliminate the symptoms of ADHD that you’ve been challenged with.

How effective is modern medicine at treating ADHD?

Modern medicine – especially in the form of prescription drugs like Ritalin and Adderall – has proven to be wildly effective at treating ADD and ADHD, though there is some trade-off in using these kinds of solutions.

Ritalin and Adderall in particular (and other prescription drugs like them) take advantage of advanced chemistry and chemical interventions to change up the biochemical makeup in your body when they are ingested – causing a cascade of reactions to happen on a cellular level.
These reactions help to eliminate the “blockages” that ADD and ADHD put in your mind, hindering you from being able to think clearly, concentrate, and better control your mood and emotions – but they also have the potential to cause a variety of negative side effects along the way.

Some of these side effects are more manageable than others. But some of them are potentially dangerous or even (possibly) deadly.

This is why you have to be absolutely 100% certain that you are moving forward with these medical interventions and prescription drugs under the express direction of a trusted medical profession – an expert that understands you, your medical history, and has clearly explained to you the risks associated with these drugs.

Are there any alternative solutions for adults with ADD/ADHD?

There are a variety of alternative solutions for those that want to treat ADD or ADHD, including (but certainly not limited only to)

• Regular massages and meditation – guided or self-guided meditation
• Yoga and Pilates on a regular basis (at least four or five times a week for 30 minutes at a stretch)
• Regular exercising and a healthy diet
• Quality sleep for at least eight hours or more
• Herbal remedies and supplements that have proven to be effective at managing ADD and ADHD

… And that just begins to scratch the surface!

The great news is that there are already dozens and dozens of all-natural approaches that you’ll be able to try to alleviate and even eliminate your ADD and ADHD symptoms – with dozens and dozens more flooding the market on a day to day basis.

Many of them (almost all of them, in fact) will have a number of other beneficial advantages across the full health spectrum for those that decide to leverage them, so there’s really nothing to lose. Better than that though is the fact that none of these will have negative side effects that put your short or long term health in jeopardy.

Sure, there are some that question whether or not alternative solutions to ADD and ADHD medications are as effective as the chemical concoctions cooked up in a laboratory somewhere, and it is a valid question for sure.

It really all comes down to the solutions that you are most comfortable moving forward with, the risks that you are willing to take to get your life on track, and how serious you are about defeating this mental condition once and for all.

Closing thoughts

We hope that you have found the information that we have provided above to be useful, helpful, and actionable. There are significant challenges that all adults (as well as children) living with ADD and ADHD face on a day-to-day basis, but there are also a significant amount of solutions out there to help these individuals combat and defeat this condition once and for all.

Hopefully it isn’t all that long in the future that we are all able to celebrate the day that scientists, researchers, and mental health experts of all walks of life around the world come together with a cure for ADD and ADHD.