8 Surprising (and Unusual) ADHD Symptoms
Most people know the common symptoms of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
Things like fidgeting, restlessness, excessive talking, and forgetfulness are all classic signs.
What many people don’t know is that ADHD is really so much more than that.
I’m going to give you the low down on some “not as talked about” ADHD symptoms.
ADHD Symptom 1: Inability to pick up on social cues
When people hear about difficulty with social cues, they generally think of autism. While it is true that autism and social issues usually go hand in hand, it is also a common trait for those with ADHD.
Social issues that stem from ADHD often look like;
- Interrupting
- Initiating conversations at inappropriate times
- Talking excessively or oversharing
- Zoning out mid-sentence or story
- Difficulty reading facial expressions or understanding tone
- Emotional disconnect
- Dominating conversations
I have a good example of what dominating a conversation looks like for me.
I have a very bad habit of relating people’s stories to my own. What do I mean?
In order for me to feel “connected” and make sure I am understanding the conversation, I will pull a story from my own memory that relates to what they are telling me.
However, I then tend to interrupt, tell my relatable story, and completely miss when they get frustrated because I interrupted.
Things like this happen very often for those with ADHD and sometimes we catch it when we do it and sometimes we don’t.
The best way to curb this is just by practicing.
Make sure you are mindful and actively listening, make eye contact (I know, that’s hard sometimes), and work on allowing others to finish speaking before you start.
Symptom 2: Drug/alcohol abuse
Drug and/or alcohol abuse is pretty common for any mental disorder.
Statistics show that teens and adults with ADHD are 15% more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol at some point in their lives.
This may not sound that high, however, the typical rate for non-ADHD individuals is 5%.
This means that a person with ADHD is 3 TIMES more likely to become addicted to some sort of substance than their neurological peers.
Symptom 3: Self-Harm
A more recent link has been found between ADHD and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).
In fact, a study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2018 showed out of 52 patients, 67.30% engaged in non-suicidal self-injury.
71.40% of those were female.
It is now common practice to receive a depression screening when getting an ADHD diagnosis. They also look for signs of NSSI behaviors so they can try to intervene.
Symptom 4: Financial Issues
Many young adults with ADHD struggle with money management and higher-than-average debt.
Financial issues are also linked to impulsivity, difficulty with organization, and procrastination issues.
The need for “dopamine rushes” often leads to unplanned and impulsive purchases which in turn leads to budgeting issues.
Symptom 5: Specific Learning Disabilities
While ADHD is not considered a learning disability on its own, it has been shown that 30 to 50% of children/adults with ADHD have a comorbid specific learning disability.
Common learning disabilities associated with ADHD are:
- Dyslexia
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyspraxia
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Language Processing Disorder
- Non-Verbal Learning Disorder
- Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit
It is also common for one to be misdiagnosed for the other.
Symptom 6: Food Aversion/Sensory Issues
Food aversions and sensory issues are extremely common with ADHD.
This will look very different from person to person but generally, the issue is with certain textures of food.
For example, I really struggle with things that are slimy. I can’t eat mushrooms, oysters, or jello without gagging.
Sensory issues can also present in non-food aspects of life.
Examples of other sensory issues would be tags on clothing, seam lines, sherpa-textured items, lotion, or cardboard.
While it may sound funny when someone says they have issues with something, it can be very overstimulating and cause severe distress.
Symptom 7: Hyperfocusing
Ahhh. Hyperfocus. One of the most fun and annoying symptoms of ADHD.
When someone with ADHD goes into “hyperfocus mode” they will research and talk about their current focus to no end.
They will also revolve everything around it often forgetting to eat, use the restroom, and sleep. It becomes all-consuming and can last from a day to months.
The reason for this is that with ADHD comes dopamine deficiency. When someone with ADHD finds something that boosts their dopamine they will start to “hyperfocus” so they can keep getting all those dopamine hits.
Symptom 8: Nail Biting, Skin Picking, and Hair Pulling
All three of these problems are known as body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs.) BFRBs, in themselves, are separate diagnoses from ADHD. However, they are very common symptoms among those with ADHD.
It is believed to stem from the impulsive side of ADHD and needing a way to self-soothe or a way to “escape” from feelings or sensory input.
Not everyone will even notice they do these things while others may know but don’t know how to stop.
Medication and therapy can address all of these issues.
The Wrap Up…
There you have it! Eight surprising (and unusual) signs of ADHD.
Some of these you may have known and some you may not have. There is really so much more to ADHD than what most people realize.
Even this list of symptoms just touches the iceberg of it in its entirety.
As always, I can’t wait to hear any questions comments, or concerns!
