7 Types of ADHD in Adults

Most adults go through life feeling a little out of their zone. They may be habitually late, forget to do important things, or feel that their brains are running even when they are not. The reality is that they might have ADHD that was overlooked when they were children.

Studies show that about 13 million adults in America are estimated to have ADHD. Most of them experienced this condition as children, but it was not discovered at the time. Now, as adults, they struggle to adjust to the demands at work or have conflicts with their partners and ponder why things can be so tough at times.

However, understanding that ADHD symptoms vary at different ages, getting complete adult ADHD testing can help diagnose symptoms and find the right treatment. It's important to recognize that one can get the right help only if one knows which type of ADHD they have. Think about it like finding the right key for the right lock. Before learning the 7 types of ADHD in adults, let’s understand what it feels like.

What It Feels Like to Have Adult ADHD?

To outsiders, adults with ADHD might seem to be lazy, careless, or unmotivated. Inside, however, they are often struggling with so much. Some common signs of ADHD in adults include:

• Always being late, even if ones really try not to be

• Beginning a million activities, yet never finishing any

• Feeling overwhelmed by even the simplest things

• Struggles with relationships because of the above symptoms

• Finding it easy to concentrate on things that interest them, yet finding it difficult to concentrate when they don't

Types of ADHD in Adults

1. Classic ADHD: 

This is what most people immediately think of when they hear the phrase ADHD. Adults with Classic ADHD have difficulty sitting still. They feel restless, they make snap decisions, and they have trouble shifting tasks. Their minds are constantly racing.

People with Classic ADHD often say it feels as if they have 10 tabs open in the browser of their brain. They start to clean the kitchen, and remember that they need to reply to an email, and remember to put the book on the library shelf, and all of these things are never finished because they have switched to another task.

2. Inattentive ADHD:

Adults with Inattentive ADHD are often described as lazy. They aren't physically moving around like Classic ADHD. They might be quiet or spaced out. However, they often describe their thoughts as feeling like they are wading through thick fog. Their minds are slow, and they have difficulty getting moving. They struggle to make any decision or process information.

People with Inattentive ADHD often say it's frustrating to feel like other people received an instruction manual for their brain, and theirs was missing. They often misplace things, forget conversations, and are frustrated at people who think they aren't trying hard enough to focus.

3. Over-focused ADHD:

Adults with this type get stuck on negative thoughts. They have difficulty forgetting past mistakes and constantly replay past conversations in their heads. They cannot let go of things that went wrong and often end up arguing over minute details or getting frustrated when things change.

This creates a sense of being trapped in one’s head, unable to stop thinking about issues, regardless of whether or not thinking about them helps. The result of this type of issue with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can affect their relationships, as they often bring up old issues when they shouldn’t anymore.

4. Temporal Lobe ADHD

This kind of ADHD can lead to temporary changes in mood that occur without any warning. One moment, an individual may be in a good mood, and then in the next moment, become extremely angry or upset. This also typically results in problems with memory and learning.

Those who have a temporal lobe ADHD state that it feels like they are "walking on an emotional highwire" because they are unsure when they will change emotionally, making them question how their behavior will impact the people they interact with, both in their personal and professional lives.

5. Limbic ADHD:

Adults with limbic ADHD typically have a combination of attention and focus issues, along with feelings of sadness and low energy. Those who have limbic/depressive disorder also generally feel worthless and lack motivation. Individuals who suffer from limbic/major depressive disorder frequently isolate themselves from others to cope. They relate it to carrying an invisible weight that slows them down. The sadness is different from regular depression, as it comes along with all the other ADHD symptoms.

6. Ring of Fire ADHD:

Adults with Ring of Fire ADHD live with sensory overload. Everyday sensations, such as lights, sounds, textures, or the feel of clothing, often feel excruciating or overwhelming. These people tend to be irritable and angry, leading others to perceive them as moody and difficult to get along with. The sensory issues in this subtype are rooted in a nervous system that is constantly on high alert. As a result, they generally avoid being around many people, struggle with change, and require greater solitude than most to feel comfortable and centered.

7. Anxious ADHD:

This subtype combines inattention and impulsivity with anxiety. Adults experiencing this type oscillate between wanting to act and being paralyzed with worry about doing so. Under periods of stress, they may experience physical manifestations of their anxiety, including headaches, gastrointestinal pain, and muscle tension. 

Their primary experience of this experience involves being "frozen," as part of them feels they ought to do something, but anxiety prevents them from moving. To the outside world, they may appear perfectly successful, but they are internally burdened with feelings of worry and anxiety.

Studies show that people with ADHD often have significant sleep difficulties, and sometimes, insomnia treatment may be needed to reduce nighttime worries.

ADHD Assessment for Adults

Many adults with ADHD were never diagnosed as children, so they have grown up believing that they were just different, or perhaps not good enough.

Nevertheless, there is a diagnosis and treatment available for everyone who suffers from ADHD, and this treatment includes the process of testing. Children may need a specific kind of ADHD testing, yet the goal is identical to adult testing: to identify exactly how ADHD impacts life and determine what to do about it. 

Testing nowadays involves computerized programs that measure a patient's attentiveness and response times, thereby giving mental health professionals specific details. Typically, a diagnostic session comprises the following:

• A computerized test lasting between 30 minutes and an hour

• A comprehensive interview discussing the patient's history and current symptoms

• Occasionally, the measurement of electrical activity within the brain

• An evaluation of the daily life disruptions experienced by the patient due to ADHD

Online help is available

The availability of online testing for ADHD and related treatments from a psychiatric care platform like GABA Telepsychiatry allows people to get diagnosed by mental health professionals and to start receiving treatment. This can help individuals living in remote rural areas or those uncomfortable with in-person treatment. 

Through a computer or tablet video call, a board-certified online psychiatrist can provide a diagnosis of ADHD and initiate an appropriate treatment plan. It's important to get an online consultation with a licensed psychiatrist where you live, such as those in Charleston, only an online psychiatrist Charleston SC prescribed medication if required.

Treatment options

Treatment for ADHD usually varies by each specific subtype but usually combines medication and therapy, lifestyle changes, and learning skills, including coaching to improve organizational skills and time management, and receiving support at work or at school. The ultimate goal of treatment for each ADHD patient is to discover what makes their day-to-day lives better without changing who they are.

Remember that getting diagnosed by or receiving treatment from a mental health professional doesn't mean that you're broken or less capable. It just means that you're more self-aware and have become more skilled at training your cognitive system.