GoodRx Guide
ADHD: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Comprehensive information for you or a loved one — including treatment options and discounts on popular medications.
What is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects someone’s ability to focus and control their impulses. People with ADHD have behavior patterns that interfere with their daily lives.
These behaviors may look like:
Inattention: Trouble paying attention, staying on task, staying organized
Hyperactivity: Feeling restless, moving around a lot, talking too much
Impulsivity: Interrupting others, having trouble waiting their turn, acting without thinking
About 8% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD. People start to experience ADHD symptoms in childhood. But some may not get diagnosed until they reach adulthood.
What causes ADHD?
It’s not clear why some people develop ADHD. ADHD has been linked to:
Genetics: Researchers have also found multiple genes that may influence whether or not someone develops ADHD. These gene changes can be inherited from parents. That’s why many children with ADHD have a parent or sibling who has it too.
Environmental exposures: Certain exposures may also increase the risk of developing ADHD. Children who were exposed to alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis during fetal development (in pregnancy) are more likely to develop ADHD. Children who experienced lead poisoning are also more likely to develop ADHD.
Medical conditions and stress: Children who were born prematurely or with low birth weight are more likely to develop ADHD. Experiencing traumatic and stressful events during childhood can also increase the risk of developing ADHD.
Experts have not found convincing evidence that ADHD is caused by:
Eating too much sugar
Allergies
Immunizations
Food additives
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
ADHD symptoms can vary from person to person, depending on which type of ADHD they have.
Predominantly inattentive
People with predominantly inattentive ADHD may:
Have trouble paying attention or focusing
Get distracted easily
Forget or lose things
Have trouble organizing tasks
Make careless mistakes
People with inattentive ADHD may seem like they’re daydreaming or forgetful. Their behaviors aren’t usually disruptive. This type of ADHD may not get diagnosed until late childhood or even teen years.
Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive
People with predominantly hyperactive or impulsive ADHD may:
Move around a lot
Have trouble staying seated or in one place
Seem restless or fidgety
Have trouble taking turns
Interrupt others
Talk a lot or have trouble staying quiet
People with this type of ADHD tend to be more disruptive, which is very noticeable in school settings. So, this type of ADHD usually gets diagnosed in early childhood.
Combined
People with combined type ADHD have symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive subtypes. They may struggle with both attention and controlling their impulses or behavior.
How is ADHD diagnosed?
There aren’t any blood tests or imaging studies that can diagnose ADHD. Instead, ADHD is diagnosed with:
An interview with a medical professional to discuss your symptoms and how they’re impacting your life.
Symptom questionnaires to look for signs of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
ADHD symptoms can affect many parts of a person’s life. To get a better understanding of your symptoms, your healthcare team may ask for input from other people:
For kids, this may mean gathering information from teachers and coaches.
For adults, this could mean gathering information from partners and colleagues.
Your healthcare team will also make sure your symptoms aren’t caused by a medical condition or other mental health condition, like a mood disorder.
For children, the healthcare team may also recommend psychoeducational testing. This type of testing checks for conditions like autism spectrum disorder or learning disabilities.
ADHD medications
There’s no cure for ADHD. But prescription medications can help people manage their ADHD symptoms. There are two major types of ADHD medications.
1. Stimulants
Stimulants increase dopamine levels in your brain. This improves attention and lowers impulsivity and hyperactivity. Common stimulant medications that can help treat ADHD include:
2. Non-stimulants
Non-stimulant medications work in different ways to help with ADHD symptoms. They don’t always work as well as stimulant medications. They can be helpful if you can’t take stimulant medications or when stimulant medications aren’t helping enough.
Non-stimulant medications that can help treat ADHD include:
ADHD treatments
Medications are an important part of ADHD treatment. But other therapies are also an important part of ADHD management. Behavioral modification strategies can help children and adults successfully navigate work, school, and social interactions.
These strategies may include:
Family behavior training
Classroom interventions, like sitting near the front of the class
Workplace accommodations
Experts have found that these therapies work best when combined with medication.
Living with ADHD
People with ADHD can be successful in school, work, and relationships with the right support. Support includes things like medication and behavioral strategies. It also includes things like:
Staying active which can help reduce restlessness
Sticking with a schedule
Developing strategies to you stay focused and on task
Working with support groups
If someone you love has ADHD, you can support them by:
Learning more about ADHD and its symptoms
Remaining calm, patient, and understanding
Breaking down instructions into simple steps
Using calendars and planners to help them stay organized
Minimizing distractions at home
Frequently asked questions
Yes, ADHD can be considered a disability if your symptoms are severe enough to interfere with school or work performance. ADHD is covered under both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Yes, ADHD symptoms can be different in men and women. Boys are more likely to show outward symptoms, like hyperactivity and impulsivity. Girls are more likely to have internalizing symptoms, such as inattention.
In adulthood, ADHD can look a little different, too. One review found that women more often have difficulties with social functioning and time management, while men have more trouble completing complex tasks at work or school.
ADHD paralysis happens when someone with ADHD feels overwhelmed or “paralyzed” by their emotions, information, or their environment. In these situations, they may become stuck or frozen when they have to complete a task or make a decision. Breaking tasks down into smaller pieces can help you overcome ADHD paralysis.
ADHD and autism are both neurodevelopmental disorders that share some common traits. They are separate conditions, but many people have both.
One review found that 74% of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had at least one other medical condition, and at least one in three also had ADHD. It’s not clear why these conditions often exist together.
In the past, people used ADD (attention-deficit disorder) to describe someone who primarily had problems with focus and attention. People who were also hyperactive were said to have ADD with hyperactivity.
In 1987, the term ADD (with or without hyperactivity) was replaced with ADHD in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM)-III-R. The three ADHD subtypes described above were added in 1994 with the release of the DSM-IV.
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