Why ADHD Is Hard for Young Adults; 4 Unique ADHD Tips

Dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be difficult at any age, and it brings unique and especially irritating challenges when you're a young adult. Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been dealing with it since childhood if you're suddenly feeling frustrated by ADHD symptoms and the way they're interfering in how you want to live your life, know that it's natural to feel this way and that you don't have to be forever ruled by ADHD. Here's a look at how ADHD specifically affects young adults and some tips that are different than what you might have seen before. 

What ADHD Is Like When You're a Young Adult

If you've lived with ADHD since childhood, experiencing it now that you're a young adult can be disappointing and discouraging. There's a common belief that kids outgrow ADHD and that once you begin adulthood and your physical brain is closer to full maturity (that doesn't happen until around age 25, by the way), symptoms settle down. In reality, for about a third of people with childhood ADHD, the experience continues into adulthood.¹

If symptoms are new to you or have suddenly intensified now that you're a young adult, ADHD can be confusing and maddening. In many cases, kids and teens discover ways to succeed at home, school, in activities, and/or with friends despite symptoms because they have constant support and have figured out a way to manage. Perhaps you didn't really experience ADHD symptoms at all because of the strategies you used during your child and teen years, but now, with your changing life responsibilities, you feel like you're hitting a wall. 

Whether or not you've been previously diagnosed, ADHD in young adulthood is an entirely new experience because you're entering a new stage of your life. You might be living on your own for the first time, or you might be living with your family but now have added roles and responsibilities. If you're in college, school is drastically different than high school, and you're expected to manage more work with less structure and support. If you are working, you now need to figure out new routines, responsibilities, and demands. To make these changes even more challenging, it's common to experience lots of changes in relationships and support systems as people move in different directions. 

The unique demands of young adulthood affect the symptoms of ADHD. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms prominent at this stage of life include:^1,2,3

• Restlessness
• Impulsiveness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Disorganization
• Difficulties meeting requirements (either imposed by others like employers or instructors or the general tasks of adulting)
• Sense of being overwhelmed by daily tasks
• Irritability
• Frustration
• A building sense of stress and/or difficulties managing stress
• Emotional outbursts
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Low mood or even depression 

In young adulthood, ADHD can feel hopeless. However, it isn't a sign that you're doomed to these symptoms for life. This condition is something you experience--it isn't who you are, nor does it mean that there is something wrong with you. To be sure, it is challenging, but it most definitely isn't a sign of weakness or failure. 

4 Tips for Dealing with ADHD as a Young Adult

You can gain (or regain) the upper hand over ADHD. Even if it doesn't completely disappear from your life, the effects don't have to continue to interfere with your goals and independence. Here are some tips:

1. Track your symptoms and how they affect you. You're likely aware of your symptoms, but writing them down can help you face them and make a plan to minimize them. Actively notice and write down exactly what they are, when they strike, what's going on when they do, and how, specifically, they affect you.
2. Decide what symptom or situation is the most bothersome, and start by tackling that one. Trying to reduce the entire experience of ADHD at once is too vague and too overwhelming. Chisel away at it by making small life changes at a time. The effects will add up to be powerful and lasting. 
3. Make a specific action plan focused on your goals and values. Think about what you do want for yourself and your life rather than about what you don't. What small steps can you take every day to help you get there? Think about making things a little better each day rather than attempting sweeping, overwhelming changes. 
4. Nurture your whole self. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder doesn't define you, and it doesn't have to severely limit you. What can you do for yourself every day to build up all the wonderful things about yourself? Keep stress (and thus ADHD symptoms) in check by nourishing yourself with healthy foods and beverages, exercising ways that fit your unique style, developing healthy sleep habits, and pursuing your interests and passions, and seeking support. 

Young adulthood might be one of the hardest stages of life to deal with ADHD. It doesn't have to ruin your life, though. You are strong, capable, and can put ADHD in its place--far away from the center of your life. 

Sources

1. Huffstutler, N., "ADHD in Young Adults." Sandstone Care, Accessed July 3, 2021. 
2. Benisek, A., "ADHD in Young Adults." WebMD, March 17, 2021.
3. Benchmark Traditions, "ADHD Treatment for Young Adults: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment." Accessed July 3, 2021.