ADULT ADHD

Assessment and Treatments

About Adult ADHD

Modern life and it’s fast pace can certainly be a balancing act for any adult, but if you find yourself with concentration problems, constantly late, disorganised, forgetful, or overwhelmed, you may have undiagnosed adult ADHD.

ADHD isn’t just something that affects children. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects many adults, and its variety of frustrating symptoms such as impairments with concentration and memory, and disorganisation can get in the way of everything from relationships to careers.

How can adults develop ADHD?

Adults with ADHD are neurodivergent – they have always had ADHD – it may have gone unrecognised throughout childhood. This was especially common in the past, when others may have labelled you as a day-dreamer, a lazy kid, a troublemaker, forgetful, disorganised – or just as a bad student. It is estimated that up to 30-40% of people may be neurodivergent, with the rest of the population neurotypical. ADHD is a form of neurodivergence. It has a genetic component.

There is also the possibility that you may have been able to mask or compensate for the symptoms of ADHD when you were young. As demands increase – through primary into secondary school, and then into pursuing a career, raising a family, running a household, the greater the demands on you become. These demands are made on your abilities to organise, focus, and remain calm. Although this can be challenging for anyone, if you have ADHD it can feel almost impossible.

The good news is that, no matter how it feels, many challenges of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be overcome.

With education, support, and a little creativity, you can learn to manage the symptoms of adult ADHD—even turning some of your weaknesses into strengths. ADHD neurodiversity often requires people to work harder to manage their emotions, or to manage their attention. It’s never too late to turn the difficulties of adult ADHD around and start discovering strategies that can help you succeed.

Neurodiversity isn’t the same thing as disability. Neurodiversity means that you process information differently. People who have neurodivergent features may need to make accommodations at work or school.

Signs and symptoms of ADHD in adults

In adults, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often looks different than ADHD in children. Adults have learned strategies and use them, often masking symptoms. Challenges stem from differences in brain function, particularly in dopamine regulation and prefrontal cortex activity.

Many adults with ADHD develop coping strategies, but without support, these difficulties can impact their careers, relationships, and self-esteem.We know that symptoms are unique for each individual, but it you find you are experiencing many of the following, it may be time for a formal assessment and support.

COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS

The cognitive symptoms of adult ADHD primarily affect executive functioning, which includes skills like attention, memory, organisation, and impulse control. These challenges can impact daily life, work, and relationships. Here’s some key cognitive symptoms you might recognise:

  • Inattention & distractibility, frequently zoning out during meetings, lectures, or conversations

  • Struggling to retain and recall details from conversations or reading.

  • Messy workspaces or difficulty organising thoughts, paperwork, or schedules.

  • Struggling with time management (e.g., frequently underestimating or overestimating how long tasks take).

  • Psychotherapy and counselling services for children, adolescents and adults.

  • Chronic procrastination, especially for tasks requiring sustained effort.

  • Difficulty pausing before responding, leading to blurting out thoughts.

  • Losing track of time and neglecting other responsibilities.

  • Finding repetitive or mundane tasks particularly difficult to sustain.

  • Struggling to regulate thoughts, leading to rumination or overanalysing situations.

BEHAVIOURAL SYMPTOMS

While cognitive symptoms of adult ADHD affect thinking and executive function, behavioural symptoms show up in day-to-day actions, work, and relationships. These behaviours often stem from brain differences that can create difficulties with impulse control, emotional regulation, and self-management.

  • Speaking before thinking, interrupting conversations, or oversharing.

  • Jumping into new projects, hobbies, or relationships without thinking things through.

  • Struggling to pause before acting, leading to “I wish I hadn’t done that” moments.

  • Feeling restless or constantly needing to be doing something.

  • Struggling with relaxing or winding down, often feeling “on edge.”

  • Seeking constant stimulation (e.g., loud music, fast-paced work, multitasking).

  • Chronic lateness, whether for meetings, social events, or deadlines.

  • Engaging in “productive procrastination”, where less important tasks are done to avoid more important ones.

  • Completing tasks last-minute under pressure, relying on urgency for motivation.

  • Finding it hard to sit still (e.g., tapping feet, fidgeting, pacing, doodling).

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

ADHD is often thought of as an attention or impulse control challenge, but emotional symptoms can be just as significant. Emotional regulation difficulties in ADHD arise from differences in executive function and dopamine regulation, making it harder to manage emotions, shift moods, and respond appropriately to situations.

  • Feeling intense emotions quickly, whether it’s anger, frustration, joy, or sadness.

  • Struggling to self-soothe or calm down once upset.

  • Difficulty putting emotions into words, leading to frustration or withdrawal.

  • Avoiding situations where failure or rejection might happen (e.g., not applying for jobs, hesitating to speak up).

  • Interpreting neutral or ambiguous situations as personal rejection (e.g., “They didn’t text back – do they hate me?”).

  • Feeling energised and motivated one moment, then suddenly exhausted or unmotivated.

  • Cycling between feeling hyperfocused and productive to feeling stuck or paralysed by inaction.

  • Getting frustrated easily by slow processes, waiting in line, or dealing with bureaucracy.

  • Impatience with oneself and self-criticism for not “just getting things done.”

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING

For adults diagnosed in later life, understanding what ADHD is may lead to a deeper understanding of the self, and awareness of helpful strategies to reduce stress.

We recommend you begin by booking in for our standard series (6 appointments) with one of our team. Many of us have a special interest in the diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD. In the first appointment we will discuss your specific challenges, needs and also your budget and desire for testing and formal assessment reports. We appreciate that cognitive testing and report writing can be expensive, and diagnosis does not depend on it in all cases.

We will discuss your unique history, learn what testing has been done already, and be able to guide you. Evaluation involves gathering information from multiple sources, and diagnosis cannot be made from a brief meeting or just by talking to someone.

Given you are reading this page, it’s fairly likely you are neurodivergent in some way – it’s our job to work out what that means and how much testing will be required to rule out other alternate diagnoses. It can be challenging to determine whether a symptom belongs to ADHD, to a different disorder or to both disorders at the same time! More than two-thirds of people with ADHD are diagnosed with at least one other psychiatric disorder in their lifetime.

Note! Please see your GP for a thorough check up to rule out any medical conditions that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD.

TESTING

There is no single test for adult ADHD. After you meet with our team, we will be able to suggest what testing will be best for your unique self.

We offer a comprehensive and holistic testing package for ADHD, because we know how important an accurate diagnosis is. However, our testing is tailored to you – and your individual needs – after our initial assessment.

Our holistic testing may include clinical observations, information gathering from family or friends, and testing in regards to academic, social, behavioural and emotional functioning. A developmental history review and specific tests of attention, in addition to psychometric testing to identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses can be undertaken.

People commonly ask us how long does testing will take.  Frustrating as it is to hear, it varies. Some clients present with complex histories that require more assessment than others.  Until we meet you, the truth is that we don’t know for sure.  We don’t know yet whether we need to assess co-morbid conditions (autism, anxiety, depression), and we don’t have access to your medical and developmental history.  The diagnosis of ADHD isn’t about whether you have they symptoms – it also involves ruling out a number of other causes for symptoms – and these alternative explanations are unique to you.

We would always expect diagnosis to be upwards of three sessions.  We will provide a clear estimate after meeting you for initial assessment.

Our Location

Suite 206, 10 Century Circuit, Norwest Central, Baulkham Hills, NSW 2155

Appointment Times

Monday – Thursday 8:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday 8:00AM – 7:00PM
Saturday 9:00AM – 3:00PM

Fees & Insurance

You do not need a GP referral to book an appointment at Mindworx Psychology.

Medicare Rebates are available if you have a valid referral from a GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician.

Your Private Health Fund may offer cover for Psychology Services – you can check this directly with your fund.