Inattentive ADHD (once called ADD) is a presentation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that often manifests as limited attention span, distractibility, forgetfulness, or procrastination. Because the lack of visible hyperactivity makes it difficult to recognize, women and girls have been underdiagnosed for years, but boys and men have this subtype as well.
According to the current DSM-5 Criteria for ADHD, you may fulfill the criteria for ADHD: Primarily Inattentive Presentation if you show six or more of the following symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16 years, or five or more for adolescents age 17 years and older and adults.
Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
Is often easily distracted
Is often forgetful in daily activities.
In adulthood, people with inattentive ADHD make careless mistakes because they have difficulty sustaining focus, following detailed instructions, and organizing tasks and activities. They are easily distracted by external stimuli, and often lose things. They may leave projects unfinished and appear not to listen when you speak. They often forget routine chores (such as paying bills on time or returning phone calls). Internet memes often refer to this cluster of symptoms as being poor at “adulting.” Unfortunately, that continues to contribute to the stigma and misunderstanding of ADHD.
We are looking for personal stories from people who have been diagnosed and treated for this often overlooked sub-type of ADHD. The Inattentive ADHD Coalition, a project of the former director of ADD Resources.org Cynthia Hammer, would like to share your experiences to inform and encourage a wider understanding of Primarily Inattentive ADHD. Undiagnosed and untreated, ADHD can cause serious damage to the unaware. Just a comment can be amassed with others into an informative article, but if you can share a longer story about your experiences, we would feature that alone.
Please leave a comment below and/or let us know if you are willing to write a
longer article (or be interviewed.)
Thank you so much,
Joan Jager, ADD freeSources.net
You may also email me at joan@PrimarilyInattentiveADHD.org