Missed in Childhood, Misunderstood in Adulthood: The Case for ADHD Testing

Maybe you’ve struggled to stay organized, manage time, or follow through on tasks for as long as you can remember. You might have been labeled lazy, scattered, emotional, or impulsive. 

But what if those challenges stem from undiagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

ADHD is often thought of as a childhood condition, but many adults go undiagnosed until later in life. In fact, half of the 15.5 million adults with ADHD weren’t even diagnosed until adulthood. That means years, even decades, of misunderstanding yourself.

The good news is that testing can help you get the answers you need, and we offer assessments at our ADHD testing center at Body & Mind Consulting in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Why ADHD often goes unnoticed in childhood

When many people think about ADHD, they imagine the hyperactive symptoms. However, ADHD is more than just hyperactivity. ADHD has three main ways that it presents:

• Predominantly hyperactive symptoms
• Predominantly inattentive symptoms
• Combined symptoms

Inattentive ADHD symptoms can be subtle. If you didn’t act out in class or bounce off the walls, your struggles might have flown under the radar. Maybe you were the daydreamer, the procrastinator, or the overly chatty kid, traits that are often chalked up to personality rather than a neurological condition.

Many adults with ADHD look back and see the signs of ADHD clearly in hindsight. But back then, no one thought to ask the right questions.

What ADHD looks like in adults

ADHD doesn’t disappear with age; it just shows up differently. As an adult, your symptoms might include:

• Impulsive decision-making
• Emotional dysregulation 
• Struggles with focus or memory
• Feeling disorganized 
• Losing items (e.g., keys, pens, purse, etc.) 
• Procrastination
• Poor time management
• Poor task initiation (having trouble starting projects) 

These symptoms can interfere with your work, relationships, and social life. For example, you may struggle to focus at work and turn projects in on time. And without a diagnosis, you might blame yourself.

Not sure if ADHD could be part of your story? This short ADHD screener isn’t a diagnosis, but it is a helpful first step. By reflecting on your experiences, it can guide you toward the answers, support, and clarity you may have missed in childhood.

Getting tested can bring clarity 

An ADHD assessment gives you a clearer picture of how your brain works. Testing can validate your experiences, help you let go of shame, and open the door to strategies, tools, and treatment options that are just right for you.

At Body & Mind Consulting, we offer comprehensive ADHD evaluations for adults. Our compassionate team understands the unique ways ADHD shows up and the impact of going undiagnosed for years.

You deserve to understand yourself and your brain

If you’ve always felt like you’re working twice as hard just to keep up, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. ADHD testing can be the first step toward finally feeling seen.

To learn more, give us a call at 615-310-1491 or request an appointment online today.