Does anybody have any experience with an ADHD diagnosis as an adult? Did treatment work?
My sister was recently diagnosed at age 60. I’m not sure anything has really changed but just knowing has given her a sense of peace. She blamed herself for many things for so many years but now realizes they were not done with intention.
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My SIL was diagnosed in her 50’s. She tried meds, but she didn’t like them. She has done a lot of reading to find ways to cope. Frankly - I’ll say it here but won’t poke my nose in her business IRL - she should probably get some professional assistance to develop coping mechanisms. My neighbor was diagnosed as an adult, and he is very upfront about his needs - he will stop someone mid-sentence to explain that he can only handle one thing at a time. He learned his coping skills from a therapist who specializes in helping adults with ADHD.
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I was diagnosed at 19. Medicine helped quite a bit. It took a couple of years to mature before I went to college. Ultimately, I got a masters degree and I’m gainfully employed. I got off medication a few years ago and so far so good.
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DH is going for an evaluation to see if he has it. My son’s psychiatrist thinks DH does. I’m hoping there are meds that will improve his focus.
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As with children, a combination of medication (if tolerated well) and therapy/strategies to minimize or cope with the symptoms can be effective for many adults. People diagnosed as adults generally did not develop the disorder later in life; there would have been some early signs in most cases. They may have a mild case or had symptoms they were able to manage due to a variety of factors (parent structure, intelligence etc.). Medication seems to help more with sustained focus on tasks and impulse control and less with organization and other executive functions.
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I got diagnosed as an adult (right around the time C25 did, actually, about 12 or so years ago). I find medication helps (and actually using ADHD medication works better for me than any of the various anti-depressants I had been prescribed over the preceding 30 years of seeking help). It ain’t perfect, I still have to use a lot of positive-behavior-reinforcement things I’d worked out before medication, but it’s easier for me to stick to them with the medication.
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I think I was diagnosed when I was in my early 30s and struggling to manage a full-time job and two small children. I don’t really remember because my brain has worked this way for as long as I can remember.
Over the years, I have developed my own coping skills and I have never taken medication for it. Sometimes I think I might like to (my S26 was diagnosed at age 12 and takes Focalin) but most of the time, I like my chaotic brain.
Luckily, I work in a creative profession, and my ADHD helps me brainstorm and problem solve. I see connections and patterns easily, I can hold many ideas in my head at once and switch between them easily. Do I have 20 browser tabs open and 10 half-finished emails at the end of the day? Yep. Do I have to put all my bills on autopay because due dates slip my mind? Sure do. Could the wad of post-it notes with my scribbled ideas and notes be organized into an excel spreadsheet? I guess, but I would hate it.
I’ve been quite lucky to be able to embrace my strengths and develop enough coping skills to compensate for my deficiencies. I often call ADHD a superpower… and I truly believe it can be. OK, off my soapbox!
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Two of my sisters were dx in their 40s. Both take meds, and it helps. I’m sure I am as well to some extent*, but since I’m retired it doesn’t seem necessary to get a diagnosis.
*Procrastination, easily distracted, need to fidget, a lot of issues with executive function and more. It’s a wonder I got as far in my career as I did.
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Biofeedback. Many in my extended family including me. Learned coping strategies. Tried different meds over the year’s. Don’t take anything and haven’t for year’s. Patient’s like that I take time with them and hyperfocusing in Surgery is great.
Everyone is different. Putting things off a bit. I use my Google calendar for everything with reminders etc. It works for me.
You would probably never know that I have it.
I read many books and the classic one’s on ADHD. I really wish that I knew when I was younger. School was a struggle and it didn’t have to be.
But I also think out of the box in a good way. See thing’s really fast as my wife has to go through every option we usually settle on what I said hours ago. Lol. This happens a lot…
I do interrupt when talking but mostly to my wife. Sometimes with others. It tough waiting for someone get to the conclusion that I already know is coming. Lol.
Why do you ask?
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S was dx in college. As they say, pills are not skills. The dx helped him realize that no amount of intent or willpower would help him get organized; that he’s not a bad person. His issues are almost entirely confined to executive function deficits.
He was helped by time, and a support group. The group was instrumental in helping him find workaround and be kinder to himself. He tried meds for a while but hated the way they felt and the side effects like sleeplessness. We learned to not ask of him things that were outside his skills — time based, appointment based are hard for him, still. But he’s not doing it on purpose, and he isn’t lazy or thoughtless. His brain just sees time as a flat circle.
Organizational tools didn’t help, but he did learn a few habits like always putting certain objects in the same place. That took probably a year!
If something doesn’t work, try something else. Everyone’s journey is a bit different because everyone’s issues are.
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I have 2 close friends who were dx’d in adulthood. One in her 20s and the other in her 30s.
Laverne describes being on meds as if everyday is her previous “best day ever” where she’s able to accomplish goals with minimal distraction and manage interruptions but get herself back on task. She is stridently anti-unnecessary medications (in general) so delayed trying meds for a very long time but her experience radically changed her feelings. I think she has/had strong executive function and organization skills and for her the meds are like finding the last puzzle piece.
Shirley also takes ADHD meds and describes them as ranging from helpful to necessary but less sompletely corrective, if that makes sense. When studying or trying to focus on learning something new, the meds provide very necessary support. Shirley works very hard but even with meds struggles with challenges at home and work.
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I am asking because a family member is being evaluated for ADHD. He did well in HS, struggled in college (graduated), but has not been able to “adult”. I think he will get that diagnosis and was wondering what it would mean in terms of treatment and changes in his life.
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My mom was diagnosed in her mid 60s. She was on provigil for years with great success. The price skyrocketed when athletes starting using it for focus - it went up to like $700 a month. She simply stopped taking it, unbeknownst to me.
Fast forward - she’s having some really serious short term memory issues. Went for testing, MRI etc. Nothing found. I asked if she mentioned the adhd - she forgot she even had it. Never mentioned the medication because she forgot she was ever on it. She never transferred her medical records when she moved. 
I’m going with her this week to the specialist, who said on the phone that the adult adhd not treated can cause serious memory issues.
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I don’t have anything to add, but I wanted to thank everyone for sharing, especially those who have shared firsthand accounts. It’s really helpful for people who work or live (especially those who parent) people with ADHD, particularly since verbalizing what’s going on in their heads isn’t always the easiest for some of them.
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Their reaction may be equal parts dismay and relief. It’s important to reaffirm that this is simply an explanation of why certain things are more difficult than normal, not a pointed finger assigning a character flaw.
My kid is excellent with surprises, change of plans, interruptions, and uncertainty—- all things that his partner is very poor at so they make a fabulous pair. It can all be okay, just keep trying things until something works for the weak spots (and don’t we alll have weak spots?) .
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Honestly, I am happy for him, that he will be getting a diagnosis and hopefully treatment, so that he can adult and not consider himself a failure. I think not being able to do stuff has made him depressed in the past, and him getting a reason and support should help his mental health also.
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Yes, our daughter inherited my ADHD. We were able to catch it early and keep her on track. Parental involvement bordering on micro-management helped her a lot. Her first semester in college was a 3.75. That’s WAY better than I did my first semester. 
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