me looking at the ADHD criteria/experiences: “nah i don’t lose stuff that often or forget stuff that much”
also me when i actually am active and not stuck in my bed all day: *digs through my whole room and the whole house just to find something that was in the most simplest place ever* *has a great sense that i’m forgetting something whenever i go anywhere* *forgets where i put something two minutes ago* *retraces steps ten thousand times a day to remember where multiple somethings are* *doesn’t remember the very simple and clear instructions someone just gave me for the fifth time the minute i walk away to do them*
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is an incredibly common neurodevelopmental disorder that most affects young children, most often biologically male children. It is characterized by issues with attention and/or hyperactivity, as well as impulsive tendencies and problems with emotions. ADHD can take two major paths, each one vastly different than the other, which can make diagnosing ADHD tricky. The first option is the inattentive type, and the other is the hyperactive type.
INATTENTIVE TYPE - the inattentive type can often lack the high energy, loud, rapid movements that many people look for when thinking of an ADHD diagnosis. This type was formerly known as ADD (attention deficit disorder), but mental health professionals soon dropped that name when they realized that there were not enough differences between ADD and ADHD to make a definitive diagnosis of one or the other. The inattentive type usually deals with more of the issues with, you guessed it, attention. People in this category can still stim, tic, and things of that nature. They will simply be much more mellow and calm than one on the hyperactive side. They are often quieter and more reserved, and the inattention issues here lie in a still inattention. It’s more phasing out and sitting still than it is getting up, moving around, and other more active forms of inattention. These people may have a hard time listening while you are speaking to them, avoid situations that would require a great deal of mental effort, have a hard time remembering even simple things, and get distracted by outside sources quite easily. People on this side of the spectrum are often messy and have a hard time staying organized, and they often lose important objects and items that they need to complete certain tasks. Inattentive types also tend to focus on the big picture and fail to see smaller details. Too often are these people labeled as selfish or insensitive for their inability to remain focused on a conversation, which is not true in the least.
HYPERACTIVE TYPE- the hyperactive type of ADHD is more of the standard “idea” of this disorder. It’s characterized by a great deal of movement, whether it be fidgeting, pacing, tapping, or any other rapid, repetitive movement. People of the hyperactive type might stand up and walk around in situations where such behavior is frowned upon, climb on things they are not supposed to, or interrupt someone who is talking to get their point in. Hyperactivity can cause an excessive amount of talking, as well as an inability to be patient. This is all, of course, coupled with the same general inattention found in the previous type. This type in particular has been met with great stigma. Oftentimes the symptoms are ignored during childhood or are met with punishment under the false assumption that the child is just exhibiting bad behavior. This is why most children and people with ADHD often go without a diagnosis.
In the end, this is all a spectrum. Your diagnosis is not based off of whether you fit into one category or not. Many people are a mixture of both equally, while some are heavily inattentive with a dash of hyperactive, and some are the opposite. Some people are entirely inattentive, and some people are entirely hyperactive. The main reason that this distinction is important is for those that are not a good mix of the two. The symptoms are incredibly different, and though they can exist simultaneously, there are many people that are only one of the two. By putting a blanket statement of the stereotypical ADHD child being hyperactive and loud is harmful to both hyperactive and inattentive children. Hyperactive children have been labeled as reckless and rebellious, and allowing their disorder to become the stereotype it is now is one of the most negative pressures you could put on them. Alternatively, for inattentive children, this stereotype can block them from gaining a diagnosis and getting the help they need and deserve. With the whole world telling people that ADHD is only for kids that tend to be quite hyperactive, those children without the hyperactive traits (and their parents) will not consider ADHD to be the source of their problems.
If you have any questions about the differences between inattentive and hyperactive types, or any questions about anything at all, you can either shoot me an ask or send me a private message!
How does primarily hyperactive type ADHD generally present in adults? Most of the resources I've found online either focus on inattentive and combined types, or only talk about the symptoms in children.
Generally it seems like restlessness, fidgeting and excessive talking are some of the most common symptoms adults deal with. They may also have a lot more energy than most people or have trouble laying down to go to sleep. They also would deal with a lot of the impulsive symptoms that kids do, just in different ways due to adult situations and maturing. -C
I’ve recently been learning more/ trying to fix my ADD and I’m trying to find blogs or other like online communities that I can relate to, and this blog is really really good and helpful, but I was wondering if you knew about anything more specifically pertaining to ADD instead of ADHD?
Hello nonnie!
Yes, in fact, I do know a bit about ADD! Now, I technically was diagnosed with ADD, as I was diagnosed before the merge of ADD and ADHD. Nowadays ADD and ADHD have been put together under the umbrella term of ADHD, which in turn has 3 different types: inattentive, hyperactive, and combined types. What was once called ADD is now referred to as ADHD inattentive type, which is what I refer to myself as online to avoid any backlash. I tend to call myself ADD in real life though, since my mom prefers that term, haha.
I’ll link my post outlining the difference between the types here. Also, any posts made from my own experience are based on the experience of someone with ADD. I’m unsure of what kinds of information you’re looking for about it, but I will gladly answer any questions you have! I would go into detail here, but as is clearly evident by all of my previous posts, I tend to go overboard when it comes to talking about AD(H)D, haha!
Feel free to contact me with issues concerning ADD! Thank you for asking, anon! (also, thank you so much, I’m so glad you’ve found this blog helpful!!)
