Its A Great Day For Ritalin!

A little ADD information, in case you thought it 'went away' as an adult, or 'it was just a childhood thing'.


The ADD adult might have trouble with staying on task, staying organized and procrastinating, just as the Attention Deficit Disorder child does. The Attention Deficit Disorder adult might have trouble maintaining relationships and controlling their mood, just like an ADD or ADHD child.

Common ADD / ADHD characteristics :

An internal sense of anxiety
Impulsive spending habits
Frequent distractions during sex
Frequently misplace the car keys, your purse or wallet or other day-to-day items
Lack of attention to detail
Family history of ADD, learning problems, mood disorders or substance abuse problems
Trouble following the proper channels or chain of commands
An attitude of "read the directions when all else fails"
Frequent traffic violations
Impulsive job changes
Trouble maintaining an organized work and/or home environment
Chronically late or always in a hurry
Frequently overwhelmed by tasks of daily living
Poor financial management and frequent late bills
Procrastination
Spending excessive time at work due to inefficiencies
Inconsistent work performance
Sense of underachievement
Frequent mood swings
Trouble sustaining friendships or intimate relationships
A need to seek high stimulation activities
Tendency toward exaggerated outbursts
Transposing numbers, letters, words
Tendency toward being argumentative
Addictive personality toward food, alcohol, drugs, work and/or gambling
Tendency to worry needlessly and endlessly
Having quick or exaggerated responses to real or imagined slights


Individuals with the disorder can get lost doing unimportant activities, heedless of more important jobs that need to be done. At times, they may have difficulty with their short term memory. They may not fulfill their obligations until the last moment or complete a task only when they feel an external pressure to do so. Symptoms are particularly burdensome to those whose work involves deadlines and/or organizing and recalling complex information.


The disorder can be frustrating to family members and co-workers, who may mistakenly see the problem as one of laziness or irresponsibility.People suffering from ADD often feel unfairly nagged by those around them and sometimes become defiant when confronted with their performance problems. Their underachievement often leads to reduced self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Some undertake psychotherapy to deal with interpersonal conflicts that are caused by the disorder or to gain control over their seeming negligence.


The disorder is associated with dysfunction the frontal part of the brain. Most adults with ADD suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder as children, although frequently the diagnosis was not made at the time. ADD has a strong hereditary component, so ADD in a child is an important indicator that one or both parents may suffer from ADD and vice versa.


Mild or non-specific deficits of executive functions, such as planning and organizing, are common in the general population, particularly among older people. Executive functions may also be affected by injury to the brain, fatigue, alcoholism, Alzheimer's, and other medical disorders. In addition, various psychological disorders, including learning disabilities, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, may impair executive dysfunctions.