12 (Surprising) Lesser-Known Symptoms of ADHD
I yank open the shower door and yell at the top of my lungs at my son, “I. SAID. WASH. YOUR. HAAAAAAAIR!”
Yikes, I think.
Where did Medusa Mom come from?!? If anyone heard me like this, they’d think I’m an awful mom.
If you’ve ever had a zero to one hundred rage moment like this, you might be surprised to learn that sudden anger can be a symptom of adult ADHD.
And rage is only one of many lesser-known symptoms of ADHD. You won’t often find these in basic medical articles, but if you dig a bit deeper, they exist as part of the lived experience of many ADHDers.
In this post, we’ll cover 12 lesser-known symptoms of ADHD and give some examples of what they might look like in everyday life.
The Usual Suspects: ADHD’s Most Well-Known Symptoms
Before we dig deeper into the lesser-known symptoms of ADHD, let’s talk about the classic symptoms.
Inattention: The hallmark symptom of ADHD – People with ADHD struggle to pay attention to anything that doesn’t fascinate them or if something else caught their eye. This might look like missing entire chunks of a class lecture, or even a friend’s personal story because you’ve “tuned out”.
Hyperactivity: People with hyperactive-type ADHD feel like they’re always on the go. You might feel restless or fidgety when asked to sit still, talk excessively, experience fast, racing thoughts and have trouble settling down at night. Some ADHDer’s do not experience hyperactivity in a physical sense and are diagnosed as inattentive-type ADD.
Impulsivity: ADHD can cause people to act without thinking about the consequences of their actions. You might interrupt your friends or blurt out your thoughts during a conversation, make impulse buys (hey, it’s on SALE!), overeat, or engage in risky behaviors like drug and alcohol abuse or unprotected sex.
Free Download: ADHD in Women: A Checklist of Common Symptoms (PDF)
Beyond Inattention: 12 Lesser-Known Symptoms of ADHD Explained
If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, you probably nodded your head (and maybe rolled your eyes) at the classic symptoms mentioned above because you’ve heard them a million times. But ADHD symptoms manifest differently in every unique brain.
Maybe you’ve always wondered why you’re so emotionally sensitive – why criticism feels like a knife to your heart while others let it roll off their shoulders.
You question why you have trouble sleeping, become “obsessed” with certain topics, lose track of time constantly or have trouble maintaining your relationships.
You wonder what else may be wrong with you, or maybe you’re just losing your mind.
While ADHD often comes with comorbidities (like depression and anxiety), many of these symptoms are experienced as a part of ADHD.
The following 12 experiences are considered lesser-known symptoms of ADHD.
Disclaimer: The following article is research-based, and is not intended to be medical advice. Only a licensed healthcare provider can diagnose ADHD – so if you suspect you may have it, please consult with your physician.
These symptoms may also indicate comorbidities – disorders that coexist with but are separate from ADHD. It’s important to consult your doctor when your symptoms are causing you distress.
-1- Trouble Regulating Your Emotions
You’ve got 5 minutes to get out the door, to get your kids to school, and yourself to work on time.
One of your children can’t find their other shoe, while the other one casually mentions she didn’t finish her homework last night.
What’s most surprising about this situation, is that your kids are calm, while you want to plop down in the middle of the floor and cry.
Maybe you actually do.
If you’ve ever felt more emotionally sensitive than other people, you might be right!
Many ADHDers report emotional sensitivity and trouble regulating emotions.
This can look like:
Frequent mood swings throughout the day
Impulsively acting on your emotions (yelling, throwing things, saying things you regret later)
Crying easily and frequently
Shame about how you struggle to control your emotions
In Episode 124 of the Motherhood in ADHD Podcast, we discuss the topic of emotional dysregulation in depth. Click below to listen!
-2- Rejection Sensitivity
“You did well in your interview, but there was another candidate that was just a better fit for the position.”
Ouch.
This feedback might seem fairly tame – but for a person experiencing ADHD-related rejection sensitivity, any negative feedback can feel absolutely crushing.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is sometimes considered a disorder on its own, and others say it’s a link to trauma. Either way, many ADHDers report feeling exceptionally sensitive to criticism or rejection.
This might look like:
Obsessing over criticism (even mild or constructive criticism) for days or weeks
Over-identifying with negative feedback (i.e: I’m a loser, I’m worthless, I can’t do anything right)
Extreme emotional distress after receiving criticism or rejection
Jumping to negative conclusions when feedback is vague or ambiguous
-3- Intrusive Thoughts or Ruminations
You made a mistake at work.
You’ve apologized and made amends, and all's right with the world.
Except when you can’t stop obsessing over it.
People with ADHD report intrusive thoughts or ruminations – thoughts that play on repeat in your mind, like a broken record.
This may look like this:
The inability to stop thinking about a negative thought, even when you try to distract yourself
Worried, anxious thought loops about “what might happen”
Obsessing over a negative comment for days or weeks
Over-identifying with negative thoughts and becoming emotionally distressed
-4- Anger or Rage
You’ve been keeping it together all day (even though you’ve felt tired and overstimulated).
Your kid makes one smart remark, and you fly off the handle.
Yelling ensues.
Followed by regret and shame.
Anger and rage as an ADHD symptom can look like this:
Going from zero to one hundred in a split second
Having emotional “fits” or “meltdowns” frequently
Extreme emotional reactions to minor incidents
Shame and regret due to impulsive reactions to your emotions
-5- Trouble Getting to Sleep
Night after night, you lay there.
Tossing and turning, thoughts racing.
What are we eating for dinner for the rest of the week? Did I lock all the doors? What if I screw up my presentation tomorrow? What’s the name of that dang song that’s been stuck in my head for hours?
If you have ADHD, it’s likely you’ve experienced trouble sleeping at some point.
ADHD sleep trouble can look like this:
Racing thoughts at night that keep you awake
Feeling physically restless when you lay down to sleep
Late-night TV-binging or scrolling resulting in lost sleep
Waking up in the middle of the night feeling restless
Trouble waking up with your alarm(s)
-6- Time Blindness
You’re listening to music while working and you hear a song from your favorite movie.
What was the name of the main actor again?
What other movies were they in?
All of a sudden you’re down a Google rabbit hole, two hours have passed and you’ve accomplished zero work.
What happened?
The inability to perceive time is referred to as time blindness, and it’s a common characteristic of ADHD.
Time blindness can look like this:
Immersing yourself in an activity and suddenly realizing hours have passed
Frequently arriving late, no matter how hard you try to be on time
The inability to gauge how long it will take you to accomplish a task
Cramming too many tasks into a short time frame (because you underestimate how long they will take)
-7- Hyperfocus
Remember that Google rabbit hole?
Although ADHD is associated with trouble focusing, ADHDers often report finding themself “lost” in activities that fascinate them.
ADHD hyperfocus can look like this:
Becoming immersed in a fascinating activity or hobby and losing track of time
The ability to maintain laser-like focus when engaged in interesting projects (and struggling to focus on mundane ones)
The inability to break your focus when you truly need to stop for something else that is time-sensitive or valuable
Obsessing over a hobby or interest and telling anyone with ears all about it
-8- Relationship Issues
You’ve forgotten to start the dishwasher for the millionth time, and now your partner is pissed.
Honestly, you didn’t mean to be careless or inconsiderate, it’s just that taking care of the dishes never really crossed your mind, or maybe it did – and you forgot a millisecond later.
Relationship issues among ADHDers often stem from the “hallmark” symptoms of ADHD: inattention and impulsivity.
ADHD relationship issues can look like:
Forgetting to perform simple tasks that your partner asked you to do (even when they give you constant reminders)
Tuning out when your friend or partner is talking, causing them to feel unheard (even though you didn’t mean to stop listening!)
Financial issues due to your impulsive spending
Ongoing relationship problems due to conflict avoidance on your part (because you fear rejection)
Yelling hurtful comments during arguments that you wouldn’t have otherwise voiced with daggers attached
-9- Impulsive Spending
You know you’re going over your weekly budget, but you just need that jumbo air fryer.
Besides, it’s on sale, and you’ll NEVER be able to get it for this price, so you need to act now.
The Amazon “buy now” slider bar gets you in trouble every time!
Impulsive spending is a natural side-effect of ADHD impulsivity, but it’s so common among ADHDers, it deserves a place on this list.
Impulsive spending might look like:
Feeling the irresistible urge to purchase a desired item (even though you’re over budget)
Confusing “want” with “need” when it comes to making purchases
Temporary euphoria after buying an expensive item, followed by shame and regret
A stockpile of “impulse buys” that you never actually use
Rationalizing “treating yourself” when you know it’s not within your budget
-10- Learning Difficulties
You’re bad at math.
At least – you were when you were going to school.
But was it the math itself that was the issue, or your struggle to pay attention to a boring subject?
ADHD is not a learning disability, but learning difficulties can stem from ADHD symptoms like inattention and hyperactivity.
ADHD learning difficulties can look like:
Not paying attention in class and cramming last-minute for every exam
Feeling restless and uncomfortable in a class you don’t find interesting
Falling asleep in class after you mastered the concepts
Performing poorly on tests because of difficulty focusing
Receiving poor grades despite high intelligence – due to disorganization, inattention, forgetfulness, and careless mistakes
-11- Depression
Your whole life, you’ve been told you can’t do anything right.
Your relationships have suffered due to your inattention, forgetfulness, and impulsivity.
It’s hard to get ahead at work when you’re disorganized, and your boss is always on you for careless mistakes.
All this makes life hard to bear sometimes, and you frequently feel sad and depressed.
Depression can naturally come from having to cope with the effects of ADHD symptoms, especially in people who have yet to seek treatment or ask for support.
Depression in ADHD may look like this:
Frequently feelings of sadness and worthlessness
Overeating or using drugs and alcohol to numb sad feelings
The frequent urge to take naps or sleep longer than needed
Low self-esteem
Low-motivation
Note: If you’re depressed more days than you’re not, experience suicidal ideations or have thoughts of harming yourself, please seek help immediately. Make an appointment with a licensed therapist or general practitioner or call the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
-12- Anxiety
You read over your work report 10 times because you know you struggle to pay attention to detail.
Your partner is mad at you again because you forgot to load the dishwasher.
Your kids are late to school again and you received a call from the principal.
Having ADHD can cause a constant undercurrent of anxiety – especially if you don’t have access to treatment or support, or if your loved ones don’t understand your ADHD.
Anxiety with ADHD can look like this:
Always feeling “on-edge” because you’re afraid you’ll make another mistake
Worrying that people think you’re dumb or inconsiderate due to symptoms like inattention and disorganization
Feeling anxious about your messy house, but not knowing how to get or stay organized
Anxiety about work, school performance or your ability to parent effectively
How to Cope with the Lesser Known Symptoms of ADHD
Dealing with the classic symptoms of ADHD is already difficult.
So how do you learn to cope with the lesser-known symptoms of ADHD that nobody talks about?
Here are a few helpful tips:
Talk to Your Social Circle About Your ADHD
Your trusted inner circle (friends, coworkers, family and partner) need to be aware of how ADHD affects your mental health and behavior, and how you work best.
Openly talking (when you feel safe) about these lesser-known symptoms will help people understand how you experience life, so they’ll be more willing to offer support and treat you with compassion.
When you’re not ready to openly discuss your ADHD, you can say things like “I work best with clearly defined deadlines” or “I have to write down everything in order to keep track of the details.” State what you need, however you don’t have to justify everything.
Practice Self-Compassion
Having ADHD is hard. It's even harder when you choose to be hard on yourself!
Remind yourself that ADHD is not your fault, and offer yourself grace when you experience any of the above symptoms.
Seek Professional Help
There are many ways to treat ADHD, and not all of them involve taking medication (although medication is fine, too!).
Schedule an appointment with a therapist, ADHD specialist or ADHD coach to get the education, care and support you need.
Nervous about speaking to your doctor about possible ADHD? Download this handy Checklist of ADHD Symptoms in Women, personalize it, and bring it with you to your appointment!