Signs and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder

If you are concerned about the behavior and ability to maintain attention or concentration exhibited by yourself or someone you love, you may want to check out the signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. A common disorder, usually presenting in childhood, Attention Deficit Disorder manifests itself in two distinct types: Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD.

Although both variants of Attention Deficit Disorder are commonly grouped together and share many signs and symptoms with one another, there are dramatic differences between the way someone with Attention Deficit Disorder presents and the way someone with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder presents to the world. People with Attention Deficit Disorder tend to be quiet and withdrawn, are typically shy, and do not generally call undue attention to themselves. People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are more likely to be brash and far more forward, always on the move, and are likely to cause a commotion wherever they go.

So how does one recognize Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? What follows are some signs and symptoms of the two variations of ADD that may help you to determine whether you or your loved one should be evaluated for diagnosis and treatment of one of these life disrupting disorders.

Signs and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Because people with Attention Deficit Disorder tend to be far more withdrawn and less demanding of attention than their Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder counterparts, it is much harder to catch and diagnose the disorder, and many sufferers are well into their adulthood before the diagnosis is made. This can be a very painful experience for people with ADD, as they find it hard to fit in with their non-ADD peers, and can often be mis-categorized as slow or learning disabled, and may even find themselves diagnosed with various mental illnesses. It is helpful to know the signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder to avoid diagnosis error for you or someone you love.

So what are these signs and symptoms? They typically follow along the lines of inattention and distractibility. Some of the most common indicators of ADD include trouble maintaining attention to details, making what appear to be careless mistakes in work product or schoolwork, trouble sustaining attention to tasks or conversations, high levels of distractibility, trouble following directions, forgetfulness, boredom, poor organizational skills, trouble following through with projects or seeing a project to its end, and high incidence of misplacing or losing things.

Signs and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

In terms of diagnosis, people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder generally have their condition caught earlier than people with Attention Deficit Disorder. Because people with ADHD have a hard time staying still for very long or censoring disruptive thoughts or behaviors, their problems do not tend to go unnoticed for very long. That is not to say that they have an easier time than people with ADD, however. People with ADHD find it very hard to form bonds with others, and tend to alienate others with their aggressive, sometimes bullying behavior and constant movement.

The signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder seem to be in direct opposition to the signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder, despite the commonality of the two disorders' attention and concentration problems. The signs and symptoms of ADHD include restlessness, hyperactivity, a tendency toward squirming and fidgeting when expected to keep still, trouble staying in one place, problems engaging in quiet activities, proclivity for interrupting conversations, trouble censoring inappropriate thoughts or behaviors, and excessive verbalization.

If either of these sets of signs or symptoms seems to describe you or someone you love, you may want to consider contacting your primary care physician to discuss screening and treatment of possible ADD or ADHD. Both disorders are treatable, and finding a way to manage these painful, often socially debilitating conditions will decrease the pain and anxiety that result from living with Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.