What effect does ADHD have on adult life?

ADHD may affect many parts of adult life, including work, education and relationships. Here are some examples of possible difficulties experienced by adults with ADHD, although these may vary from individual to individual.

At work

• Disorganisation – finding it hard to plan or organise their work
• Inattention – finding it difficult to concentrate on work and making careless mistakes
• Unable to prioritise – finding it difficult to decide which jobs need doing first
• Distractibility – being easily distracted by what is going on in the workplace or by their own racing thoughts
• Issues with authority – finding it difficult to do as they are asked or arguing with their boss
• Anxiety – feeling anxious or worrying about work
• Forgetfulness – forgetting to carry out tasks

In an education environment

(e.g. college, university or training sessions)

• Finding it difficult to handle large workloads
• Disorganisation – finding it hard to plan or organise their work
• Inattention – finding it difficult to concentrate on lectures or training sessions for long periods of time
• Finding it hard to follow instructions given by the lecturer/teacher
• Making careless mistakes

Relationships

• Getting easily irritated by what others are doing or saying
• Inattention – finding it difficult to listen to, or focus on, conversations
• Impulsive talking – talking too much, interrupting what others are saying and blurting things out
• Forgetfulness – forgetting to do things for others
• Losing their temper with their partner or loved ones too quickly