ADHD Without Hyperactivity

Individuals diagnosed with ADHD without hyperactivity, or inattentive

ADHD, are people who tend to drift and float on the edges of an

environment. People who suffer from this problem do not have

problems with hyperactivity, but instead have trouble with

hypoactivity. Hypoactivity is the state of being extremely

underactive, and it can be just as disabling as ADHY with hyperactivity.

Children and adults with inattentive ADD have difficulty moving from an

impulse to an action, and they are very overstimulated by many

environments they encounter. Also, people who suffer from this

type of ADD can only do one thing at a time, and they will get

overwhelmed if asked to do more.

With this particular type of ADD, one can get confused about how

intelligent they are. Our society often equates intelligence with

how quickly we can process things, but with ADD it often has to do with

distractibility. Conflicting internal and external stimuli,

issues with integrating ideas and a general fogginess tends to mask

intelligence with inattentive ADD. On the opposite spectrum, just

because a child or adult does well academically, it doesn't mean they

do not have inattentive ADD. It just means they may not have a

cognitive inefficiency problem, they spend more time than others on

academics and work and they may have a family that is totally behind

them.

In ADD without hyperactivity, the main thing you will notice is

disorganization. A messy room, messy handwriting, a messy desk,

etc. may be signs that an individuals is struggling with inattentive

ADD. These problems must be chronic and severe to be considered.

Also, people with inattentive ADD tend to have problems socially.

Because they have trouble making small talk and knowing the rules of

social interaction, individuals suffering from this tend to

withdraw. Others may see them as awkward and painfully shy, not

knowing how to act around them.

Another problem that people with inattentive ADD may experience is

getting burnt out easily. Being subject to overstimulating

environments can be stressful and tiring to them, and by the end of the

day they may be burnt. Inattentive ADDers often need a period of

time to themselves each day to regroup and recharge.

An unfortunate fact about this type of ADD is that it is

underdiagnosed. Because hypoactivity can be symptoms of so many

other things, it is not the first thing that comes to mind by teachers,

parents, even mental health professionals. Often times,

depression and anxiety will be the first diagnosis given to an

individual with inattentive ADD. An even more complicating factor is

that inattentive ADDers tend to have anxiety and depression as a result

of having ADD all their life. The road to unraveling an ADD

diagnosis an becoming healthier and more productive is long and

complex.