Does ADHD Get Worse With Age? What Adults Need to Know

The Short Answer: ADHD Itself Doesn't Get Worse, But Life Does

ADHD is a neurological condition that doesn't deteriorate with age. So when asking the question, "Does ADHD get worse with age?" It doesn't actually get worse, but certain factors can make your symptoms worse.  

Many changes in life can lead to adult ADHD symptoms getting worse. Responsibilities can feel like a heavy backpack, with ADHD as the bag itself and life's demands as the weight you keep adding to it.

Because ADHD doesn't get progressively worse over time, it is a treatable condition no matter what age you are. Let's take a closer look at why ADHD symptoms over time seem to get worse, and then we'll look at how ADHD treatment for adults works to help you manage your symptoms at every stage in life.

Why ADHD Feels Harder as You Get Older

So does ADHD change with age? The answer is yes, it can change dramatically over time. Still, it has more to do with life transitions than the condition itself.

Managing ADHD as an adult can be more challenging simply because life gets more challenging.  Your support system from childhood is gone, stress takes a toll, and responsibilities seem to keep piling up, all of which exacerbate ADHD symptoms.

Your Responsibilities Keep Multiplying

Adult life brings more responsibilities than childhood. Once you become an adult, you have a career to maintain, bills to pay, friendships to keep up with, maybe an intimate partner or kids to take care of, and all these additional tasks and responsibilities can overload your brain.

Some of your previous coping mechanisms from your young adult life are no longer working, and you may feel overwhelmed with everything. With ADHD, it can be challenging for your brain to prioritize different tasks, so basic household responsibilities or work-life balance can be more difficult than they are for everyone else.

Unlike in childhood, when you had teachers and parents to remind you to do things, you now have no external structure; you must create it yourself. With ADHD, organization can be difficult, so everyday tasks can become too much to handle, leading you to forget some things, skip others, and then worry constantly about everything else.

If you are struggling to keep up with everyday responsibilities, it doesn't mean you are failing. It just means you are facing difficult changes, and your brain is overworked.

The Support Systems From Childhood Disappear

Children with ADHD tend to have built-in support from parents and teachers. As a kid, you had a schedule and routine, and all your basic needs were met without much thought or worry on your part.

Once you move out and go to college or get your first place,  that's when the built-in structure falls out from under you. So now you need to create your own schedule, buy food, pay utilities, take care of a vehicle, or find transportation to work and other aspects of adult life that can really overwhelm someone with ADHD, especially when faced with them for the first time.

While transitioning to living on your own is difficult for everyone, those with ADHD find it especially challenging. To make matters worse, this particular transition tends to be when comorbid conditions like anxiety, depression, or substance use disorder (SUD) emerge.

Stress and Mental Health Take a Toll

The chronic stress that comes with managing ADHD symptoms for years eventually starts to take its toll. Stress can lead to other issues as well. Not to mention that so many people have co-occurring anxiety or depression along with ADHD, and stress can exacerbate these other conditions. Around 80% of people with ADHD have a co-occurring mental health condition, with SUD, anxiety, and depression being the most common.

Unreated co-occurring mental health conditions can amplify adult ADHD symptoms, leading to a cycle of ups and downs, emotional instability, and disorganization.

Many people experience burnout from years of masking ADHD symptoms by overcompensating or trying to manage without proper treatment. It can be exhausting to try to manage your mental health on your own.

How ADHD Symptoms Actually Change Over Time

ADHD symptoms over time do change and evolve. As you age, some symptoms may improve on their own while others tend to last. You can face new challenges at different points in your life, too.

Some Symptoms Naturally Improve

As you age, some of your ADHD symptoms may actually improve. Hyperactivity and impulsivity can improve with time. They may never go away altogether, but you may find that these two symptoms are not nearly as apparent as they were when you were a child or even a young adult.

With impulsivity, you may learn ways to cope with this symptom naturally. But it can show up in different ways, too, like impulsive online shopping or sending text messages without much thought.

Hyperactivity can move more inward and cause anxiety or nervousness, or racing thoughts. Still, it may simply settle into a less intense form of edginess or fidgetiness.

Impulsivity and hyperactivity can improve or change, and it's a completely normal experience as you get older.

Other Symptoms Tend to Stick Around

Other ADHD symptoms, such as inattention, disorganization, and time management issues, typically persist from childhood into mature adulthood.  Adults with ADHD will struggle with focusing on boring tasks, work, and career tasks, prioritization, feeling disorganized, losing things, paying bills on time, and always feeling like they are in a race with the clock but never winning.

Procrastination exists into adulthood but may take different forms for different areas of life. It's all of these issues that play out in the background that tend to cause the most havoc in day-to-day living and relationships.

You may still have executive function challenges, such as planning or following through on tasks. Memory issues and brain fog usually remain and may even get worse as you get older. They can mimic neurological conditions or worsen them. Managing ADHD as an adult is possible with proper treatment and lifestyle changes.

New Challenges Can Emerge in Different Life Stages

So does ADHD get worse with age? Well, not exactly, but you can experience new challenges regarding your ADHD symptoms at different stages of your life. Let's go over the different ways you may experience ADHD in your 30s, 40s, & 50s.

ADHD in Your 20s and 30s

ADHD in your 20s and 30s often presents adulthood challenges for the first time. So living on your own and dealing with life, career, or relationships is already challenging, but coupling it with ADHD symptoms that interfere can be very stressful.

Learning to balance relationships, manage a household, and make it to work on time are all a little more challenging for someone with ADHD. You may lose a bill here and there, forget to get groceries after work, and have more frequent emotional outbursts with your partner because you feel emotions more deeply. This stage is particularly difficult for those with ADHD who receive a late diagnosis or don't keep up with their treatment, and it's sporadic.

ADHD in Your 40s and 50s

ADHD is a bit different in your 40s and 50s, too. Many people have established careers and families during this stage of life and have accumulated considerable stress, which can lead to burnout and exacerbate symptoms.

People in their 40s and 50s are often called the "sandwich generation" because they may have both aging parents and children to care for, which adds stress. Not to mention, years of dealing wth ADHD symptoms already and trying to cope.

Hormones can also make ADHD symptoms in older women worse, especially during perimenopause and menopause.

ADHD and aging can share similar traits. Regular aging can lead to certain brain changes that may overlap with adult ADHD symptoms and make them seem worse.

What Makes ADHD Seem Worse (Even When It Isn't)

Some life experiences and transitions can make ADHD symptoms seem worse. Poor physical health, sleep issues, inconsistent treatment, and going through major life transitions can all make you feel like your ADHD is out of control.

Going Through Major Life Changes

Major life changes like having kids, moving in with a loved one, getting a new career, or any other major disruption, even positive ones, can shake up your world. An ADHD brain relies heavily on routine and structure, so any major change is challenging.

An ADHD brain is already overworked, so when it has to adjust to new changes, it can take much more energy than normal, which leads to burnout and added stress. It may also lead to greater emotional frustration, which can cause additional problems in your life, especially in your interpersonal relationships.

Stopping or Inconsistent Treatment

Gaps in ADHD medication for adults and therapy can make symptoms more noticeable. People with ADHD tend to struggle with medication adherence, too. A recent study found that only 27% of patients met the 80% rule for medication adherence, meaning that they actually took their medication at least 80% of the time.

It is a common pattern of starting and stopping treatment for people with ADHD, but it doesn't serve to benefit you. People may start to feel better and think that they don't need medication or therapy anymore, and quit. But, because they are no longer on medication and treatment, symptoms start to come back.

It's important to mention that ADHD is a lifelong condition, and treatment is not a one-time fix. For the best results and fewer symptom interruptions, you need a long-term treatment plan.

Sleep Problems and Physical Health Issues

Sleep problems and ADHD share a bidirectional relationship, which means ADHD symptoms can cause a lack of sleep, and vice versa, creating a vicious cycle.  When you don't get enough sleep at night, you tend to have more emotional dysfunction, restlessness, and focus problems.

Poor sleep amplifies all of your other ADHD symptoms, too. People with ADHD tend to have a different circadian rhythm than others. It's a good idea to try to get on a consistent sleep schedule, even if it doesn't look like anyone else's, as long as it feels good for your body.

Other physical health issues can make your ADHD symptoms seem worse. Some medications may make your ADHD symptoms worse. Certain lifestyle factors can also make your symptoms more difficult. For example, if you eat a diet high in processed foods and sugar, your symptoms will get worse. Instead, if you try to have a healthier diet, your symptoms may not flare up as much.

The Real Risks of Untreated ADHD as You Age

Untreated ADHD in adults can cause problems in all areas of your life, from your career to your relationships and even your self-esteem levels. It can wreak havoc. In fact, undiagnosed ADHD in adults can lead to:

• Money management issues
• Relationship problems
• Lack of self-care
• More criminal behavior
• Substance abuse
• More hospitalizations
• Sleep disorders
• Higher rates of depression
• Greater emotional difficulties
• Higher rates of obesity
• More injuries
• Risks of legal issues
• More accidents

All of these risks can be reduced by seeking proper treatment and support for your ADHD.

How to Manage ADHD Better at Any Age

It's never too late to get help. The first thing you want to do is get an adult ADHD diagnosis. Once diagnosed, you can start a treatment plan and make lifestyle changes to help keep your symptoms manageable.

Getting Properly Diagnosed (Even If You're Starting Late)

No matter what age you are, it is never too late to get your ADHD treated. Any adult, regardless of how old they are, should seek an evaluation to see if they have ADHD. Once you get a proper adult ADHD diagnosis, then you can get started on the path to living your best life.

It can be scary to reach out for help as an adult, and you may think that the doctors will just dismiss you, but that's not true. With a virtual evaluation provided by ADHD Advisor, you can get an ADHD evaluation and treatment if necessary, all over the phone or computer.

You don't have to worry about feeling judged because licensed clinicians will meet with you via telehealth, and you don't even have to leave your home. ADHD care has never been more accessible than it is today.

Finding the Right Treatment Approach

Let's go over what an ADHD treatment plan might look like.

Medication Options for Adults

There are both stimulant and non-stimulant medication options for people with ADHD. Stimulants are typically the first choice, but because some people do not respond well to them, nonstimulants are now a great second choice. Medication can be adjusted and optimized over time, so what you start out on may not be what you settle into, and that's a normal part of treatment. Everyone is different and responds differently to medications.

Even if you have been on medication before and it didn't seem to work that well, there are more options now than ever before because providers know that there is no one-size-fits-all ADHD medication.

What worked for you in your 20s might not work for you in your 40s. Your life changes, and so can your symptoms. It's important to work with a knowledge provider, someone who has worked with adults with ADHD and knows what untreated ADHD in adults looks like.

Therapy and Coaching That Actually Helps

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works well to help people with ADHD develop new coping skills and learn to manage emotions better. That's the beauty of therapy: it helps to address the ADHD symptoms and the emotional impact of living with ADHD. ADHD coaching is designed to help you build practical skills such as time management, routine-setting, and improved organization.

Building Systems That Work With Your Brain

External structures are like a memory card for your brain. These tools help you live day-to-day with less stress and keep your brain more focused. You can try body doubling, where you perform tasks with someone, and you can do it online with an ADHD coach for more accountability.

You can set timers, use visual reminders like Post-It notes, and keep a day planner to break down the day's tasks into smaller ones and reward yourself for completing each task.

The need for external systems is not a weakness; in fact, it helps to strengthen your brain so that it doesn't have to work in overdrive all the time. It takes a little experimenting to find what you like. Some people prefer to have it all digitally on their devices, and others prefer old-school handwritten notes and planners. Find what works best for you!

Lifestyle Changes That Make a Real Difference

Some important lifestyle changes really make a difference. For one, work on your sleep hygiene and get into a routine that works for you. Then you can do some exercise, even walking for a few minutes a day, which can help minimize ADHD symptoms.

Finally, you can focus on eating better foods to support the proper nutrition your brain needs to function better, including foods high in zinc, magnesium, and omega-3s.

These lifestyle changes won't replace therapy or medication. Still, they will certainly help as a part of a holistic treatment plan.