Dr. Oz: ADHD in Adult Women
Dr. Oz talked about how to spot Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in yourself or someone you love. He had the top four surprising signs to help us spot it. He talked to psychiatrist Dr. Edward Hallowell, who has ADHD himself. He said most doctors don’t think about women having ADHD, especially adult women. Women who have it might think they lack discipline, they’re underachieving, or they’re not trying hard enough. They might think themselves ditzy or not smart. But none of that is true. They’re typically very smart and creative, they just have trouble focusing and organizing.
Dr. Oz: Quick Outbursts with ADHD
Dr Oz talked about ADHD in adult women and what the symptoms are, including being quick to emotion, being bad with money, and a general sense of unexplained underachievement. (Syaheir Azizan / Shutterstock.com)
The first question in the test of whether you have ADHD is when you have a fight with your family, do you:
- talk it out right then and there?
- regroup and talk about it later?
- have an angry outburst and quickly move on?
The answer is quick anger. Dr. Hallowell said emotion is “like a sneeze” for people with ADHD.
Dr. Oz: ADHD & Enthusiasm
Do your closest friends describe you as:
- a vault of secrets?
- a chatterbox that always interrupts people?
- the politician, knowing exactly what to say and when?
If it’s a chatterbox, then you might have ADHD. You’re very enthusiastic and might come off as rude to people who don’t know you, even though you’re actually very kind. You’re just what Dr. Hallowell called a “victim of your own enthusiasm.”
Dr. Oz: ADHD & Money
Dr. Oz also wondered when you buy something, do you:
- research all the options first?
- drop hints to your spouse?
- buy it immediately online?
For ADHD people, it’s the last one. They’re very impulsive and lack inhibitions. There’s a positive side to that, because they’re very creative. But they’re also not good with money.
Dr. Oz: ADHD & Cleanliness
People with ADHD often have piles of clutter in their home, but they know where everything is. It might not look orderly, but there is a system. A lot of people feel ashamed about this, but Dr. Hallowell said we shouldn’t be.
“It’s not a moral failing. It’s just a neurological difference,” Dr. Hallowell said.
Dr. Hallowell said if you have two or more symptoms like this and you have a feeling of unexplained underachievement, you might have ADHD. Once you get the right help, you’ll have less shame and have new focus in your life. It’s what Dr. Hallowell called a “good news diagnosis.”
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