"Do I Have ADHD?" 25 Signs Why You Do NOT Have ADHD
"I used to have ADHD"
"Sorry guys my ADHD side is showing today, I can't sit still."
First and foremost, you most likely do not have ADHD and if you did then you cannot outgrow it. Only four percent of the American population has ADHD, which is about 8 million people.
Have you been feeling a bit off lately, not at all like your usual self? According to WebMD, you may have several mental illnesses.
I think you will agree with me when I say we should forget about what everyone else is saying and settle this once and for all.
By the end of this article, you will know whether you should go see a doctor or go back to living your ADHD free life. And please, be honest with yourself and try not to jump to conclusions.
1. You Don't Have an Anxiety Disorder
About 50 percent of all ADHD adults have an anxiety disorder. As of right now, nobody knows why. The good news is if you don't have an anxiety disorder, there's a 50 percent chance you don't have ADHD.
If you want to know whether you have an anxiety disorder, think about this: Do you bite your lips, fingers, or feel nervous on a regular basis? Are your hands always shaking beyond your control? If not, you don't have an anxiety disorder.
2. You Can Text and Drive Like a Pro Without Causing Any Accidents
If you're always texting and driving like a pro, you don't have ADHD. It takes too much focus for a person with ADHD to drive and text.
I'm not sure how it is for other ADHD people, but if I try to text and drive I'm going to end up in the hospital. I do it sometimes, but I can easily hurt myself or someone else if I'm not careful.
3. You Like Going to Parties and Other Large Gatherings
Does this sound like you? If so, then you probably don't have ADHD. Besides the anxiety disorder, many people with ADHD can't handle a large amount of noise.
Too much noise will overload someone with ADHD because they won't be able to process it all fast enough. So rest assured my dear party animal, you probably do not have ADHD!
4. You Don't Hyperfocus During Activities You Enjoy
While it is true anyone can hyperfocus, people with ADHD do it all the time. From what I remember, I've hyperfocused at least once today.
If you don't know what hyperfocus is, it's when you get so consumed by what you're doing you forget about everything else going on around you. You even forget feelings of hunger and fatigue.
Common things people like to hyperfocus on include playing video games, watching a movie, or working on something. You can hyperfocus on anything you enjoy doing.
5. You Never Get Lost
Do you hate those days where you waste 10 minutes of your time because you accidentally missed your turn during rush hour traffic? Wait, you don't? Then you don't have ADHD.
Anytime I go somewhere new, I almost always get lost. Unless I use my trusty i-phone. That's why routine is so important when you have ADHD.
6. You Don't Have a Routine
Speaking of routines, if you don't rely on one then you most likely don't have ADHD.
7. You Don't Constantly Blurt out Things You Will Regret Later
Today someone asked me what I think of when I see McDonald's. I blurted out, "fat people." Unfortunately, there were several larger people close by.
Impulsive remarks like that cause people with ADHD to alienate themselves from others. If that's not something you do regularly, then you should not worry about having ADHD.
8. You Complete Basic Task Quickly (or Should I Say at Normal Speed?)
When you have ADHD you tend to do the most routine task slower than others. I'm talking about things like showers and brushing your teeth.
Believe this or not, it takes me between five and ten minutes to brush my teeth.
My mind drifts off in the bathroom. I know I'm not the only one. If you are in and out of the bathroom in a jip, you don't have ADHD.
9. You Can't Remember the Last Time You Lost Something
Anyone with ADHD will be able to remember the last time they lost something because it probably happened either today or yesterday.
This is because people with ADHD will either be forgetful or disorganized, sometimes both. Commonly misplaced items include car keys, phones, paperwork, and wallets.
10. Nobody in Your Family Has ADHD
Thankfully ADHD is not something you can catch. It's entirely hereditary. If nobody in your family has ADHD, then it is impossible for you to have it.
If you are still worried, ask the older members of your family if you had any relatives who were noticeably impulsive or inattentive.
11. You Are Not Spontaneous
You don't like taking risks or you prefer staying in the house or planning activities in advance. If this sounds like you, then you probably don't have ADHD.
People with ADHD love thrills. They love excitement. And they aren't willing to wait for it in most cases. Once upon a time, I saw a mountain in the distance, and I decided to climb it that same day.
Needless to say, I received a free helicopter ride a few hours later. But rest assured, it was worth it.
12. You're Not Creative
When is the last time you wrote, drew, or painted something?
People with ADHD create on a regular basis. Nobody knows why. Some say it's because people with ADHD aren't held back by the normal thinking processes. Or maybe it's the impulsiveness.
I've always liked creating things. Whether it was cooking or digging a hole, I was down for it. When I was eight, I wrote my first book.
13. You Learned How to Tie Your Shoes at a Normal Age
You remember when you learned to tie your shoes? Most children learn at the age of 5. For some, they can't get it until they turn six. Everyone gets it at some point.
But guess what? I have ADHD and I didn't learn how to tie my shoes until I was 10. When you have ADHD you learn how to do a lot of things later than non-ADHD people.
14. You Hardly Got Into Any Trouble at School
While you were in school you didn't get into that much trouble. At least, not more than the next person, right? Speaking of which, you may remember that one kid who was always in trouble.
Chances are that kid had ADHD, because kids with ADHD, especially boys, are prone to trouble. I spent most of my 6th-grade year in detention.
15. You Don't Easily Forget Things
People with ADHD easily forget things. Sometimes it is a little thing, like taking out the trash. Other times it is a doctor's appointment.
The only time someone with ADHD won't forget something is if they use a to-do list. Or if they may have someone who can remind them of what they need to do on a daily basis.
16. You Are Never Distracted or Sidetracked
Everybody gets distracted at some point. However, ADHD makes it happen often. And with ADHD you won't just get distracted for a moment. You will get completely sidetracked.
If you don't find yourself getting sidetracked on a daily basis, whether it be at work or in your daily life, you don't have ADHD.
17. You Don't Relish the Opportunity to Meet New People
You prefer to keep the friends you have, you don't actively seek new friends, and you have the same friends you had a year ago.
But someone with ADHD? They are constantly seeking new friends because they enjoy meeting new people.
18. You Will Not Be Bothered When Reading This List of ADHD Traits
- Difficulty paying attention.
- Don't listen when spoken to directly.
- Almost never follow instructions correctly.
- Always lose stuff.
- Fidget a lot.
- You're a motor mouth.
- Have a bad habit of interrupting the conversations of others.
19. People Know You for Getting Things Done Ahead of Time
If you had ADHD, you would be famous for the opposite. Believe me when I say that, when you have ADHD, you are lucky to get stuff done on time. Most of us get stuff done late.
20. You Don't Experience Random Fatigue
Because people with ADHD use a lot of energy to pay attention, they often find themselves fatigued without knowing why. (At least until they get diagnosed with ADHD)
Think about how much energy it takes for you to do a pushup. That's how much energy it takes someone with ADHD to pay attention when they don't want to.
21. You Almost Never Get Depressed
When is the last time you faced depression? When you have ADHD, you are more likely to get depressed. Not to say people with ADHD can't live happy lives.
Depression is a common symptom of ADHD because we are more sensitive to small things. It is hard for us to process emotions and deal with things like rejection. Our inability to be emotionally competent leads to depression.
22. Your Day Starts When You Wake Up
Let's say you and I both wake up at 7 a.m. By the time 8 a.m. comes around, your day will be in full swing. Meanwhile, mine is just starting.
It usually takes people with ADHD longer to start their day. It may be because their medicine has not kicked in yet, or maybe because their brain wakes up slower.
23. You Usually Go to Bed on Time
People with ADHD never go to bed on time. Ever.
I'm sure I speak for many with ADHD when I say I have never been to bed on time. Not even as a child. If I go to bed at 9 p.m. so I can be asleep by 10 p.m. I will still stay up late.
24. You Don't Smoke Cigarettes
A recent study says about 40 percent of people with ADHD smoke, which makes sense. Many people with ADHD have anxiety, smoking would help them cope.
It only goes to show, you are more likely to be healthy if you don't smoke. No cancer, no lung disease, and no ADHD. Don't smoke!
25. You Don't Daydream Often, but When You Do It's Boring
If you could pay to see an ADHD dream, you would.
People with ADHD are much more likely to daydream than normal people due to their increased creativity and tendency to get bored or distracted. Our daydreams are better than any movie you have ever seen.