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What Is ADHD?

might constantly get up from their seat, or bolt across a room. People with ADHD sometimes describe themselves as always “on the go.” Teens and adults with ADHD might feel restless, impatient, or have a hard time waiting to say what’s on their minds. “It is as if a person with ADHD is driving through thick fog, on a dark road, trying to get to where they know they are supposed to be. The problem is, you lost the directions and have no GPS to guide you — and, in the background, the radio is playing loud songs that are changing,” one ADHD sufferer wrote on a website for those with ADHD. Another says ADHD feels “like I am drowning in a maelstrom of stuff that needs to get done, but that I never finish. It’s like a never-ending feeling of futility.”

Signs and Symptoms We’ve said that people with ADHD display inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. But what does that mean in a practical sense? People who are inattentive often

• make careless mistakes at work or school, • don’t listen when someone is speaking, • have a hard time following instructions, • are disorganized, • are easily distracted, • are always losing things, and • are forgetful.

Hyperactivity is another aspect of ADHD. Fidgeting, constant running, being unable to play, and nonstop talking are all signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

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