ADHD, also known as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a disorder affecting children. Symptoms of this childhood disorder are present in the affected children in varying levels, from mild to severe. Let us read further to know about some of the lesser-known symptoms of ADHD that you must know. If you are a parent or a teacher of a child and are concerned about your child with ADHD, then you would get some help from this article.
What Is ADHD?
ADHD or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects as many as 1 out of 10 children in the US. There are many misconceptions related to ADHD, but there are some signs and symptoms that are lesser-known about ADHD, and one must know about them. The major symptom of ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder occurs due to deficits in executive functioning. The affected children might find it difficult to plan, prioritize, organize, and focus.
The exact causes of Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are not understood completely. However, researchers believe that a combination of factors, along with genetics, might play a crucial role. Specific studies suggest that ADHD might be because of an imbalance in the neurotransmitters in the affected child’s brain.
Symptoms of ADHD, if left untreated in childhood or adulthood, can result in various emotional, behavioral, academic, and social problems. The diagnosis of this disorder could be difficult, as symptoms of ADHD usually overlap with those of other psychiatric and physical disorders, like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.
5 Lesser-Known Symptoms Of ADHD That You Must Know:
Hyperactivity and inattention are some of the common symptoms of ADHD. However, there are some lesser-known symptoms of ADHD that you must know.
Emotional Reactivity And Sensitivity:
Emotional reactivity and sensitivity is a symptom of ADHD, which can be partially rooted in trouble with impulse control, and this is a large part of ADHD for a few people. It has been speculated by clinicians and peers with ADHD that people with this disorder might be more emotionally sensitive than the general population.
To cope up with this symptom of ADHD, one should help train themselves on taking sensitive moments to pause and use a “Cool down jar”. You can buy them online or can prepare one of these at home by using a mason jar and some clear glue and glitters. You can just look at these “cool down jars’ after having a hard time. This helps you slow down and feel calm during the emotional or sensitive moments.
Time Blindness:
There is something called “time blindness”. This could be one of the lesser-known symptoms of ADHD that you must know. If you find yourself continuously late, irrespective of how often you remind yourself, or write sticky notes, then you might be experiencing the symptom of “time blindness”.
We must inform you that, you might not necessarily blind to the passage of time, but, you might have problems prioritizing it, or measuring how much time one particular task might take, or forget to properly plan tasks that could cause delays.
To cope with this symptom of ADHD, try to set alarms and reminders, and make use of digital calendars that sync across devices. Apart from this, try to set your clock slightly ahead in your wall, car, or your wristwatch.
Hyper-focus:
Hyper-focus is a lesser known symptom of ADHD. This is also known as flow and is a less frequently discussed symptoms. Most people think of someone with ADHD is someone who is hyperactive, super distracted, or have difficulty in focusing. But, people with ADHD even get hyper-focused on activities or tasks they like to do.
Tics And Fidgeting:
The hyperactivity symptom of ADHD experience as children can outgrow in adulthood. But, this particular symptom can still appear in adults in more subtle ways like skin picking, pen clicking, foot tapping, leg swinging, or lip chewing.(1)
However, there are some research that has suggested that these seemingly nervous tics increase several neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain, which are the neurotransmitters that help with attention and focus ( though further research on this subject is required).(2)
Working Memory Deficit:
If you tend to forget little things, like small requests by your partner or friend, small chores like taking out the trash, and so on; you might be having some trouble with working memory. This working memory is something similar to the “ram” if we were computers. This memory stores short-term information, but not the long term ones.
But, some people with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD have intense difficulty with this kind of working memory, either forgetting various things quickly or only remembering them at inopportune times.
You can try to keep the things that you want to remember, written on a notebook and having a look at those written notes before bed and after bed. You can also add those notes to your phone and try to keep a check on them from time to time.
Final Words:
Though there is a popular belief that ADHD is just about being unfocused or losing concentration; there are many other symptoms that we talked about above, and that must not be ignored. We can learn the best possible ways to cope up and support ourselves and our loved ones suffering from this condition, and this can be done by raising awareness and educating ourselves and our loved people in this regard.
It is always important to note that if you suspect being suffering from ADHD, then do not delay visiting a doctor and getting yourself diagnosed at the soonest possible time. This way you can get the appropriate treatment, know about the best ways to cope up with the condition.
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