does adhd get worse with age

Does ADHD Get Worse With Age?

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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a syndrome of brain development and cognitive function impairments causing more or less difficulty in performing particular tasks. It often results in inattentiveness, restlessness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, typically noticeable before a child turns six years old. These symptoms can continue up to adulthood.

In fact, a study showed that about 20% to 30% don’t experience improved symptoms, while about 50% had partial remission. That said, most adults with ADHD experience more intense or severe symptoms. They include multi-tasking and time management problems, restlessness during downtime, and avoiding activities that require sustained attention.

Sometimes, the symptoms are too severe that they fail to maintain good relationships, retain jobs, and accomplish even the simplest daily tasks. This leads to the question, “Does ADHD get worse with age?” Let’s answer that and look into the factors that make ADHD worse. We’ll also talk about the several ways to manage ADHD symptoms, including the highly talked about Brain Retrain Program.

Does ADHD Get Worse With Age?

Experts say that ADHD or its symptoms don’t worsen with age. They only appear so because some adults with ADHD still haven’t improved their self-control and attention skills. This lack of improvement is usually because they weren’t diagnosed and treated early. What’s more, most of the factors that make ADHD symptoms more problematic are present during adulthood.

The Role of Late Diagnosis and Treatment

Unfortunately, some individuals only get diagnosed with ADHD when they’re adults because their parents, teachers, and caregivers couldn’t recognize the symptoms or early warning signs of ADHD. After all, every child at some point becomes hyperactive and inattentive.

Without a diagnosis, there is no treatment. Thus, these individuals reach adulthood without knowing how to manage their symptoms properly.

In other words, no matter how hard they try to focus on accomplishing something, they almost always fail. Most would feel they’re not good at anything or are a complete failure. That’s why they are at high risk of developing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

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Factors Making ADHD Symptoms More Problematic

Late diagnosis and treatment is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to answering, “Can ADHD get worse over time or as someone gets older?” Some of the reasons the symptoms become a pain more problematic, making the condition seem worse, are as follows:

Lack of or Too Much Support

We all need to have a good support system in every stage of our lives, even more so for those with impairments. Children with ADHD require extra support from their parents, caregivers, and teachers when managing social interactions and accomplishing school tasks.

This need can emerge during their pre-school years or in middle or high school. In some cases, it only surfaces when the person reaches the adolescent stage, wherein they need to move away from home and attend college.

When persons with ADHD don’t receive little or too much support or none at all, they won’t develop self-management skills. This highly impacts how their ADHD symptoms manifest.

Constant and/or Harsh Punishment or Criticism for Failures

Due to the functional and developmental impairments of the brain, people living with ADHD will often fail to meet particular expectations typical for their age. Those around them usually get frustrated because of the repeated reminders and effort, especially since they see that those with ADHD can focus on specific tasks, such as playing video games.

Because of this, they often think that the person with ADHD just refuses to listen, learn, and give the attention and effort needed for other tasks considered by adults (or even individuals of similar age) around them more important. As such, those with ADHD experience harsh punishment and/or criticism from their parents, caregivers, teachers, siblings, and/or peers. They’re often called stubborn, lazy, stupid, and other demeaning words.

For instance, a child with ADHD gets punished for not submitting his art class project, or an ADHD adolescent gets told she will fail in life because she can’t perform even a simple task in one of her college electives.

This experience, in a way, traumatizes the person with ADHD, which he can carry on to adulthood while seeking a job, performing their duties at work, interacting with people, and more. Nonetheless, you also can’t blame the people around them. Usually, they don’t have a complete understanding (or none at all) of the situational and intra-individual variability of ADHD symptoms.

Other Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Issues

When asking, “Can ADHD get worse over time?” you’ll find that a lot of other factors come into play. Individuals with ADHD have other behavioral, emotional, and mental health conditions that intensify or interfere with the symptoms. These conditions often start manifesting during adolescence and worsen in adulthood if left untreated. Hence, they become less focused and unmotivated to accomplish anything, leading to the assumption of ADHD getting worse with age.

That said, more than half of people living with ADHD will also have one or more of the following:

  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression
  • Eating disorders

Others that might also be present but not as common as the above are:

  • Burnout
  • Complicated grief
  • Mind-wandering
  • OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
  • PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
  • Substance use disorder

Stress

Undoubtedly, we’ll mostly be in stressful situations when we become adults. These situations include the pressure and challenges of a job, the bills we need to pay, the relationships we need to maintain, the maturity we need to portray, just to name a few. These multiple challenges more often lead to anxiety, which, as noted earlier, can intensify ADHD symptoms.

Bodily Changes Due to Aging

Whether or not one has ADHD, normal bodily changes happen as we age, and some of them occur in the brain. These changes can be associated with neurochemical process decline and neuroanatomical degeneration.

For instance, the section of the brain responsible for cognitive or executive functioning declines, and about 6.6% of dopamine transporter decreases every 10 years. A study also found that about 10% of myelin nerve fiber decline per decade of life and around 45% once we reach the age of 80, with females usually experiencing an estimated 16% greater-than-average decrease.

Keeping in mind that individuals with ADHD already have impairments, these normal changes alone can intensify the symptoms. After all, a population-based study found that about 6.2% of 47- to 54-year-old participants reported significant or worse symptoms. Many struggled with physical health issues and had trouble gaining full-time employment, a low-quality overall well-being and social life, and financial and relationship problems.

As mentioned, women tend to experience a more significant decline in myelin fiber, which is related to estrogen level decline and menstrual cycle cessation. In fact, females with no childhood ADHD history experience ADHD-like symptoms, such as declining organizational skills and focus, once they reach middle age. Therefore, a woman with ADHD will have more severe symptoms, leading to the assumption of ADHD getting worse with age.

Zero to Incomplete Treatment

Earlier, we discussed the role of lack of diagnosis and treatment. However, some children and even teenagers get diagnosed with ADHD but don’t receive treatment. Similarly, some of them received (and are receiving) insufficient treatment. Specifically, they are only provided with emotional and mental health support, not behavioral and/or ADHD-specific treatments.

It goes without saying that there might be sufficient depression and anxiety management, but the most common ADHD symptoms remain. Therefore, with a lack of behavioral improvement despite the treatment, those with ADHD and their loved ones often conclude that the answer to “Can ADHD get worse as you get older?” is a resounding yes.

does adhd get worse with age for adults

Does ADHD Get Better With Age Through Treatment?

By answering the question “Does ADHD get worse with age?” we can say that ADHD can, in some ways, get better with age through proper and continuous symptom management. Let’s talk about the several treatment options for children and adults with ADHD. 

Treatment Options

Like treating autism, the treatment options for ADHD are divided into traditional and modern approaches. Below, we’ll include some of the most common treatments prescribed and recommended by health practitioners.

Medications

Stimulants can balance and boost neurotransmitter levels to help with inattentiveness and hyperactivity symptoms. That said, the long-acting stimulants commonly prescribed for individuals with ADHD are:

  • Amphetamines: Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), Dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, and Lisdexamfetamine

  • Methylphenidates: Dexmethylphenidate and Methylphenidate

Other medications prescribed, especially for those with other underlying health conditions and experiencing severe stimulant drug side-effects include:

  • Antidepressants

  • Atomoxetine

  • Clonidine

  • Guanfacine

eTNS

A modern, FDA-approved, small medical device known as Monarch External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) System has been designed to treat ADHD-diagnosed children ages seven to 12. However, those taking prescription ADHD meds can’t use it, so this device requires a prescription.

Used while sleeping, the device generates a low-level electrical stimulation that moves through the wires to reach the small patch placed on your child’s forehead. It then sends signals to the brain areas responsible for behavior, attention, and emotions.

Therapy and Support

Therapy might not directly treat the core symptoms of ADHD but can help sufferers cope with the challenges they face. This is especially true if they have other mental health conditions, like the ones we mentioned earlier. Psychotherapy and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) are two highly recommended ones.

Psychohetrapy helps control risky and impulsive behaviors, while CBT raises concentration and attention deficits. These therapy types help improve time management and organizational skills and boost self-confidence and self-esteem.

One of the factors we discussed that leads to a yes answer to the question “Can ADHD get worse as you get older?” is little to no support. As such, you’ll also find that professionals recommend attending psychotherapy for families and couples.

Doing so will ensure the people closest to the person living with ADHD have a good and clear understanding of the condition and its symptoms. There are also ADHD coaches available for one-on-one sessions with caregivers, parents, and other support persons.

Similarly, those who received late diagnoses and/or treatments can attend support groups to meet other individuals with ADHD. These support groups have counselors who can provide them with guidance. They may also seek the professional assistance of life or ADHD coaches to help them improve particular skills for better daily functioning.

Brain Retraining

Retraining the brain is among the highly-recommended non-invasive and drug-free treatment options for neurobehavioral disorders, such as ADHD. The primary goal is to normalize brain function to help improve the person’s overall well-being. Specifically, it will direct the brain to auto-mode to concentrate, focus, and read and comprehend better.

You’ll find that there are brain retraining techniques for adults and children conducted in a practitioner’s office or facility. However, there is also a Brain Retrain Course for Parents and Caregivers available to help retrain your child’s brain at home.

does adhd get worse with age for kids

Does ADHD Get Better With Age Through Lifestyle Changes?

Apart from the factors that make ADHD symptoms more problematic or worse, particular lifestyle practices also make ADHD worse. An unhealthy lifestyle and living in an unhealthy environment can affect one’s memory, focus, decision-making, and more, whether you have ADHD or not.

Choosing healthier food most of the time, exercising regularly, having a quality sleep, keeping the home and office clutter-free, and the likes can help prevent severe ADHD symptoms. Adults can also attend meditation and yoga classes.

It’s best for parents and guardians of children with ADHD to maintain a peaceful home and healthy relationship with the child. Showing affection, choosing the right disciplinary measures, using encouraging words, and helping them develop a routine are advisable.

You will also want to pick a school with a supportive program for children with disabilities. The good thing is that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requiring schools to have such a program, is now in effect.

Can ADHD Get Worse With Age?

So, can ADHD get worse with age? By now, it’s clear that ADHD doesn’t get worse with age. Instead, adults experience more frequent and severe ADHD symptoms because of everyday life stressors, late diagnosis, and/or insufficient to zero treatment.

Addressing your child’s ADHD sooner rather than later will mostly lead to better outcomes. That’s because they can understand the root cause of their problems and deal with the challenges more effectively. That said, both childhood and ADHD are manageable using a combination of two or more treatment options, such as therapy, Brain Retrain, and medications.

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