Could I have Inattentive ADHD?
I am a 26 year old male who runs a business. Over the years I have secretly struggled with organisation, concentration and self confidence.
A friend recently made a joke while around their house (I was talking to them while walking around their kitchen/living space) that do I have ADHD. I laughed it off but really starting to think, is my behaviour not normal.
- When cooking southern fried chicken fillets (I keep eating the same thing because its easy lol) I keep forgetting to turn the temperature on the oven after about 10 minutes of setting a timer on Alexa.
- Completely failed school, don't know what happened during those years. Felt zoned out disinterested. I was always well behaved, I think i hide things well to look normal (I was never bouncing around the room).
- I struggle to relate to people and especially to find things to say in group conversations. I prefer 1 to 1. I try to avoid talking to much in group conversations as I just lose myself, my mind goes blank or I jump to other topics. In business meetings I often look at the client and I can see they are thinking 'what is he going on about'. I often don't get the work after a face to face meeting. Most of my work is conducted by the online sign up platform I put together for clients.
- I am always pacing/walking when talking. I do turn this down in business situations, because I would probably look mad.
- I share an office with other business owners, I am quite often off my chair walking around. Also I like to keep moving to other areas of the building eg. sitting in the lobby area.
- Lost a friendship group last year, as I found balancing work/social hard. Quite a few friends have said to me 'why do you just disappear for weeks on end then do loads of stuff in 1 week'. I am known for not getting back to calls or messages for weeks. But then I get a week where I'm fine.
- I struggle going on holiday with friends, I just lose interest and I find it too much. So this year I have been to Poland twice alone, and often do London trips alone, then think it would be nice to have companionship. However, when I do staying in a hotel with them and doing a whole day just annoys me.
- Clients love my work, however, do I sometimes make careless mistakes that makes me look stupid or careless. Its quite embarrassing to have to make up excuses for this.
- I find unless all my emails and day is organised for the next day in the evening including ensuring all my clothes are ready and everything is in place. My next day never goes well. I'm great when I stick to a routine, but the max that will work with is about 3 days until old habits kick in.
- I find swimming therapeutic and makes me more productive but sometimes over do it because I enjoy it so much alongside working and then going to the spa in the evening after work to calm myself down - I then crash out every so often.
- I don't relax much (just get bored, can't remember sitting down watching the TV). Every Saturday I have been to London this month, doing 50 metre swimming then walking around visiting various places until the 9pm train.
- Sometimes I really don't know where my life is going at 26. Never had a relationship and friendships dwindling. I want to achieve a lot in my life and I think normally I'm a positive/happy person (thats how most would perceive me). I just can't organise or navigate my life.
Its easy to self diagnose and I'm not trying to do that, I'm quite stubborn and have tried to cope and often use humour telling everyone I'm just super unorganised and stuff. Recently I have been getting more frustrated, and may have to give up my pride.
This week my energy levels are just 0 this week and have had to stay at home rather than go to the office, and I'm really starting to think I need to investigate further rather than keep ignoring this. I did go to the doctors a year or so ago (cant remember now) they thought it was long-covid and also did some other tests that came back fine as I was complaining about my energy levels. I'm starting to think could this me mental rather than physical. A parent suffered from Anxiety/Depression and does run in the family. Personally I don't think I'm depressed (I could be wrong) I function, go to work, go swimming, do my thing. I'm nothing like my parent who suffered from both of these.
A friend recently made a joke while around their house (I was talking to them while walking around their kitchen/living space) that do I have ADHD. I laughed it off but really starting to think, is my behaviour not normal.
- When cooking southern fried chicken fillets (I keep eating the same thing because its easy lol) I keep forgetting to turn the temperature on the oven after about 10 minutes of setting a timer on Alexa.
- Completely failed school, don't know what happened during those years. Felt zoned out disinterested. I was always well behaved, I think i hide things well to look normal (I was never bouncing around the room).
- I struggle to relate to people and especially to find things to say in group conversations. I prefer 1 to 1. I try to avoid talking to much in group conversations as I just lose myself, my mind goes blank or I jump to other topics. In business meetings I often look at the client and I can see they are thinking 'what is he going on about'. I often don't get the work after a face to face meeting. Most of my work is conducted by the online sign up platform I put together for clients.
- I am always pacing/walking when talking. I do turn this down in business situations, because I would probably look mad.
- I share an office with other business owners, I am quite often off my chair walking around. Also I like to keep moving to other areas of the building eg. sitting in the lobby area.
- Lost a friendship group last year, as I found balancing work/social hard. Quite a few friends have said to me 'why do you just disappear for weeks on end then do loads of stuff in 1 week'. I am known for not getting back to calls or messages for weeks. But then I get a week where I'm fine.
- I struggle going on holiday with friends, I just lose interest and I find it too much. So this year I have been to Poland twice alone, and often do London trips alone, then think it would be nice to have companionship. However, when I do staying in a hotel with them and doing a whole day just annoys me.
- Clients love my work, however, do I sometimes make careless mistakes that makes me look stupid or careless. Its quite embarrassing to have to make up excuses for this.
- I find unless all my emails and day is organised for the next day in the evening including ensuring all my clothes are ready and everything is in place. My next day never goes well. I'm great when I stick to a routine, but the max that will work with is about 3 days until old habits kick in.
- I find swimming therapeutic and makes me more productive but sometimes over do it because I enjoy it so much alongside working and then going to the spa in the evening after work to calm myself down - I then crash out every so often.
- I don't relax much (just get bored, can't remember sitting down watching the TV). Every Saturday I have been to London this month, doing 50 metre swimming then walking around visiting various places until the 9pm train.
- Sometimes I really don't know where my life is going at 26. Never had a relationship and friendships dwindling. I want to achieve a lot in my life and I think normally I'm a positive/happy person (thats how most would perceive me). I just can't organise or navigate my life.
Its easy to self diagnose and I'm not trying to do that, I'm quite stubborn and have tried to cope and often use humour telling everyone I'm just super unorganised and stuff. Recently I have been getting more frustrated, and may have to give up my pride.
This week my energy levels are just 0 this week and have had to stay at home rather than go to the office, and I'm really starting to think I need to investigate further rather than keep ignoring this. I did go to the doctors a year or so ago (cant remember now) they thought it was long-covid and also did some other tests that came back fine as I was complaining about my energy levels. I'm starting to think could this me mental rather than physical. A parent suffered from Anxiety/Depression and does run in the family. Personally I don't think I'm depressed (I could be wrong) I function, go to work, go swimming, do my thing. I'm nothing like my parent who suffered from both of these.
Sorry to revise my post Anxiety/Depression runs in the family. But no traces of ADHD.
It definitely sounds familiar to me (I was diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago). Try this and see what it says 
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
Original post by vapordave
It definitely sounds familiar to me (I was diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago). Try this and see what it says
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
Thanks for sharing that.
For me it feels a bit strange going to a GP 'Oh i've never mentioned it before after all these years but I think I have ADHD". Especially at 26, feels a bit strange.
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks for sharing that.
For me it feels a bit strange going to a GP 'Oh i've never mentioned it before after all these years but I think I have ADHD". Especially at 26, feels a bit strange.
For me it feels a bit strange going to a GP 'Oh i've never mentioned it before after all these years but I think I have ADHD". Especially at 26, feels a bit strange.
I get it. I still tell myself I'm just lazy/stupid and just need to pull myself up by the bootstraps! It's definitely worth seeing your GP, though
Waiting lists for NHS assessment are long so I'd suggest you try and get referred via Right to Choose, which is NHS funded. More information here: https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/
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