Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - Combined presentation

ADHD - Combined presentation

ADHD - Combined presentation is the most common type of ADHD. Nearly 4.4% of the general population has ADHD, and of those, 70% have the combined presentation. ADHD is highly treatable in people of all ages. The diagnosis of ADHD - Combined presentation usually exists throughout a person’s life with symptoms usually beginning in childhood. Often, the symptoms may not have been acknowledged in early life.

Many individuals with ADHD are not diagnosed until adulthood. At times, the condition can be overlooked without an assessment tool like MindMetrix. Although ADHD symptoms persist over time, they may look different as people move through life.

A person can have ADHD without having hyperactivity. A lot of people do! Even though hyperactivity is part of the name, not all people have it, and not all people experience hyperactivity the same way.

What it looks like

There are four major components of ADHD - Combined type. Let’s start with inattention and distractibility, which can create challenges with “executive functioning,” a term psychologists use to describe someone’s ability to plan, prioritize, and carry out actions: People who are inattentive may report that they frequently lose items such as their cell phone or credit cards, and that they arrive late to meetings or forget to pick up their children from soccer practice.

While most people have these problems occasionally, people with ADHD tend to have them daily. Behaviors stemming from inattention and distractibility can make life really hard for people in their careers as well as in their interactions with friends and family.

Inattention can also look like

• Trouble staying focused on a task
• Being easily distracted
• Trouble staying organized or keeping on track with deadlines
• Missing details or making frequent mistakes on tasks or projects while moving fast
• Not following through or paying close attention to instructions
• Forgetting to do routine tasks such as paying bills or making/attending appointments
• Delaying or avoiding tasks that require long periods of mental focus or detailed, systematic work such as filling out forms
• Appearing as though they're not listening when someone is speaking to them

The two other key symptoms of ADHD - Combined type, hyperactivity and impulsivity, can also cause distress. Hyperactivity usually looks different in an adult compared to a child. For example, when many think of the word “hyperactivity,” they may have an image of a child darting around excitedly, who cannot sit still. However, most adults may sit relatively quietly and wait for an appointment or a lunch date. At the same time, hyperactive adults may exhibit their internal hyperactivity by jiggling their legs, talking very rapidly, interrupting others while they are talking, or rapidly switching from one topic to another.

Sometimes, hyperactivity feels more like racing thoughts, and not being able to shut one's brain off from thinking about a thought or a worry. Some individuals with ADHD say that they feel as if driven by a motor that they can’t turn off. The hyperactivity is still present in adults, but it has changed form.

The last element, impulsivity, refers to acting before thinking. In people with ADHD, this can mean blurting out answers, having difficulty waiting in line, or interrupting others during conversation. Impulsivity is not limited to these classic ADHD symptoms: it may also lead a person to actions which can be problematic such as overspending, excessive drinking, or engaging in an argument when it would have been better to walk away. In contrast, people who do not have ADHD may think of an inappropriate response to someone’s comment, but the difference is that they will not verbalize the thought.

The impulsive person with ADHD who is not receiving treatment may find themselves blurting out embarrassing or unfiltered comments, and then find themselves regretting what they said. Sometimes, these “raw” comments may draw a crowd and be quite captivating socially, but at other times, they can cause problems at work, particularly in today’s workspace. Other impulsive behaviors associated with ADHD include bingeing food and temper outbursts. ADHD treatment usually helps a person activate an inner censor that allows them more control over what they say, how they say it, and in general, how they act.

Unique challenges

Many people with the combined form of ADHD may have blamed themselves for their behaviors, thinking that they “should have” known better or should have been better able to control their actions. They may have regrets about inadvertently insulting a colleague or not showing up on time to a family event. Yet knowing something is not the same as being able to readily change one’s behavior, and this is why treatment is so important.

The right treatment can give a degree of control in one’s life that they might not have had access to in the past: people with ADHD who have their symptoms managed are no longer victims of their own impulses. Instead, they may become leaders directing everyone else.

Untreated ADHD - Combined presentation

Many believe that the ADHD brain has a deficiency in dopamine; a type of neurotransmitter that sends chemical messages that control pleasure, planning, motivation and a lot more. All humans need dopamine to be the optimal version of ourselves, and when we have less of it, we often find other ways to get dopamine. Not all ways of increasing dopamine are safe or helpful for us, for example substance abuse can cause an increase in dopamine.

It’s worth pointing out that when left untreated, ‘ADHD - Combined type’ can increase a person’s likelihood of experiencing traffic accidents & violations, sexually transmitted diseases, problems with keeping their job, drug dependence, criminal behavior, injury, and even premature death due to some of the actions they may take.

Luckily, there are many ways to increase dopamine without putting ourselves in danger or at risk, such as engaging in pleasurable activities, connecting with others, having a balanced diet/lifestyle, and more.

Outlook

While living with ADHD can present unique obstacles, treatment can dramatically improve one’s quality of life. The majority of people who are properly diagnosed and treated with the newest medications observe transformative results. In fact, people who have received treatment for their ADHD often say that it is one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. With treatment, people with ADHD tend to be able to harness their strengths of being fearless and action oriented, making them excellent entrepreneurs and natural leaders.

In good company

Many prominent people reportedly have ADHD, such as Olympic star Simone Biles, singer Justin Timberlake, entrepreneur Richard Branson, athlete Michael Jordan, and many others. Individuals with ADHD are definitely not alone in this experience!

The current thinking on what causes ADHD

Why do some people have ADHD while others do not? No one knows for sure what causes ADHD, but most experts believe that it is brain-based and largely driven by genetics. ADHD tends to run in families, and if an individual is diagnosed with ADHD, it is likely that someone else they are closely related to has it as well. Brain scientists have determined that ADHD brains have size and connectivity differences compared to non-ADHD brains.

There is still some disagreement amongst scientists as to whether environmental factors can contribute to ADHD. For instance, mothers who smoke are more likely to have children with ADHD; but, many children with ADHD are born to mothers who have never used tobacco.