Does ADHD Get Worse with Age? Signs, Causes, and What to Expect

ADHD isn’t just a childhood condition that fades away. It often continues to affect individuals well into their adult years.^[1] In fact, over 80% of ADHD cases persist into adulthood.^[2]

The good news? While ADHD doesn’t fade, it also doesn’t necessarily worsen with age. With the right strategies and support, adults can learn to manage their ADHD symptoms and thrive.

So, how does ADHD change as you age? This article explores what to expect, the challenges you may face, and how to take control of your ADHD so you can thrive personally and professionally. 

How Does ADHD Affect Adults?

ADHD in adults can look different from one individual to another. 

Some adults may struggle more with symptoms of inattention. For instance, they may have trouble focusing, staying organized, or planning activities. They may also find it harder to remember essential details or where they placed their belongings. 

In contrast, some may experience more challenges related to hyperactivity or impulsivity. They may often feel restless, talk excessively, and have difficulty waiting their turn. 

Due to these symptoms, ADHD can be disruptive and affect various areas of life, such as work and relationships.^[3]

Challenges of Adulting with ADHD

Adulthood comes with many responsibilities, which can be overwhelming for adult ADHDers. 

ADHD is often linked to poor focus, memory, planning, and motivation, which can interfere with a person’s ability to finish such tasks. Tasks like paying bills on time, keeping track of project deadlines, and completing chores can be much harder with ADHD symptoms.

Although these symptoms may seem daunting, you can manage them with the right tools and strategies.

Unique Stressors in Adulthood

The challenges and responsibilities of adulthood can make symptoms of ADHD more evident if they’re not managed well. 

Career and academic expectations can make ADHD traits more obvious. For instance, an ADHDer may need to work twice as hard as their peers to finish a project at work or achieve a good grade at school. 

Financial stressors can also accentuate some symptoms. Symptoms like impulsivity and poor focus can make budgeting, saving, and paying bills on time difficult. In fact, ADHDers tend to report more problems with impulse buying, exceeding credit card limits, and having a low savings rate.^[4]

Family and relationship commitments in adulthood can make ADHD symptoms more noticeable. Managing chores, caring for kids, and balancing other responsibilities can be challenging. With ADHD in the mix, these tasks may feel even more difficult without support systems in place. 

Because of these different stressors, symptoms of ADHD may seem to be worse in adulthood. 

Does ADHD Get Worse with Age, or Just Feel Different?

ADHD is unlikely to get worse with age. However, the increasing responsibilities and challenges of adulthood may make it seem that way. 

For example, juggling work, family, and personal responsibilities may amplify existing difficulties with focus or organization. But, in reality, the greater external demands are simply exposing or highlighting symptoms of ADHD. 

While symptoms may evolve in how they present over time, they don’t necessarily indicate that your condition is getting worse. Instead, they highlight areas where treatment and strategies can provide valuable support. 

Many adults may hesitate to seek help, believing ADHD is exclusive to childhood and no longer relevant. Breaking this misconception is crucial for understanding that ADHD is a lifelong condition that benefits from ongoing management and intervention.

The good news is that seeking professional help can enable you to manage your ADHD symptoms better. With this, you can navigate adulthood with greater ease and confidence!

Signs That ADHD May Be Changing with Age

As you go through different stages of life, symptoms of ADHD can fluctuate. Some might become more evident or disruptive, while others may wane or get milder as you age. 

Let’s explore how ADHD symptoms may change as a person gets older. 

Symptoms That Usually Get Worse

As a person ages, it’s natural for their cognitive function to decline. Some areas that may be impacted by the combined effects of cognitive decline and ADHD symptoms include:

• Working Memory: The ability to temporarily store and recall details or instructions needed to complete a task. For instance, remembering a password or following a recipe is harder. It can be affected by both ADHD and aging. It can be affected by both ADHD and aging. 
• Brain fog: A cloudy mental state where a person cannot focus or think clearly. 
• Brain processing speed: The ability to quickly collect, analyze, and respond to information may decline with age. Poor focus from ADHD may further affect this ability. 

Again, these declines don’t mean that your ADHD symptoms can get worse with age. Instead, the brain naturally won’t be as quick or sharp with advancing age, which, in turn, can affect ADHD symptoms. 

Symptoms That Usually Improve

Certain ADHD symptoms may improve during the transition from childhood to adulthood. These are mainly symptoms of impulsivity or hyperactivity, which tend to be milder for adults.^[5]

They can also be experienced differently. For instance, children with ADHD may move around a lot or are unable to keep still. This often manifests as inner restlessness or fidgeting, which is less disruptive in adults. 

Symptoms That Usually Stay the Same

Researchers have also found that most symptoms of ADHD remain relatively stable from early adulthood to the later stages of life.^[5]

Examples include time blindness, disorganization, poor planning, and lack of focus. 

Factors That Can Make ADHD Seem Worse

Different factors have varying impacts on a person’s ADHD. 

One example is the increased stress experienced in adulthood. This may result from increased family duties, work demands, or financial responsibilities. Being stressed out can make it difficult to focus and make decisions effectively. 

Elevated stress can also affect your quality and duration of sleep at night. Without enough sleep, you may experience difficulty in focusing, planning, and remembering details. So, stressful seasons in life can accentuate ADHD symptoms. 

A change in your mental well-being can also affect your ADHD symptoms. ADHD tends to co-occur with other mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety.^[6]

A combination of ADHD and other mental health conditions can exacerbate symptoms. For instance, symptoms of depression include slowed thinking and difficulty concentrating. So, having both depression and ADHD may amplify the challenges of living with ADHD. 

The Science Behind ADHD and Aging

ADHD symptoms are unlikely to get worse due to aging. 

However, you can expect some changes in the brain that may overlap with or accentuate ADHD-related struggles. 

Exploring ADHD and Cognitive Changes with Age

As people age, it’s only natural for them to experience cognitive changes linked to growing older. 

For example, older adults may have memory challenges. They may forget important dates, misplace their belongings, or think slower. Difficulty focusing, multitasking, or retaining information are other possible issues. 

This can impact their skills and abilities, including memory, planning, organization, and focus. With ADHD, these challenges become even more pronounced. As a result, their daily activities and overall independence can be impacted. 

Neurotransmitters and ADHD Over Time

Aging is closely tied to changes in the pathways of a chemical messenger in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine plays a significant role in focus, mood, and memory. 

As people get older, there is a decline in the number of dopamine receptors and the ability of dopamine to bind to these receptors. As a result, older adults may experience a decrease in their cognitive function, thinking speed, and working memory.^[7]

ADHD is also linked to disruption in dopamine function in the brain. This is what contributes to the lack of focus and motivation in ADHD. When combined, the effects of aging and ADHD on dopamine can intensify various challenges. So, focus, motivation, memory, and emotional regulation may be affected. 

How to Manage ADHD Symptoms at Any Age

It’s never too late to get your ADHD symptoms diagnosed and treated.

No matter your age or which stage of life you’re in, ADHD can be effectively managed with various strategies, medications, and therapy. 

Here are effective strategies to manage ADHD symptoms across different life stages:

• Seek professional help. A medical professional can diagnose your symptoms and recommend medications to treat ADHD. The most commonly used medications are stimulant medications. These help to balance the level of neurotransmitters in your brain. 
• Go for ADHD therapy. This is an effective non-drug method to manage ADHD and is often used in combination with medications. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one example. CBT helps you identify unhelpful thinking patterns. You’ll learn to replace them with healthier coping strategies.
• Use productivity and organizational tools. Planners, apps, alarms, and routines are tools that can help you better plan and organize your daily activities. 
• Make healthy lifestyle changes. Incorporating exercise into your routine and practicing a balanced diet can keep your mind and body in tip-top condition. It’s also best to practice good sleep hygiene. Try to have a fixed bedtime, avoid screens before bed, keep your bedroom dark and cool, and limit caffeine intake in the evening. These habits can also improve your sleep, positively affecting your mood and focus. 
• Seek community support. Surrounding yourself with a community that understands your challenges can make the journey of navigating ADHD less lonely. It also opens up opportunities to exchange support, advice, and tips with people who have walked in your shoes. 

While medication can address chemical imbalances in the brain, therapy and lifestyle changes ensure a comprehensive approach to managing ADHD traits. By applying multiple strategies like therapy or ADHD coaching, you can tackle the condition internally and externally for greater long-term success.

Getting Treated for ADHD: The Ship Hasn’t Sailed Yet

ADHD symptoms typically don’t worsen with age, though they often persist well into adulthood. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll struggle with them forever. 

With the right support, strategies, and treatment plan, you can see significant improvements and lead a fulfilling life at any age.

If you want to learn more about how ADHD symptoms can evolve and affect your daily life, check out ADDA+. This hub is packed with resources crafted by experts and helpful courses, webinars, and tools to help you thrive with ADHD! You’ll also gain community access where you can connect with others to exchange advice and encouragement throughout your journey. 

References

[1] Jiménez-Muñoz, L., Olatz Lopez-Fernandez, Inmaculada Peñuelas-Calvo, Delgado-Gómez, D., Miguélez-Fernández, C., López-González, S., González-Garrido, C., Baca-García, E., Carballo, J. J., & Porras-Segovia, A. (2024). Persistence of ADHD into adulthood and associated factors: a prospective study. Psiquiatría Biológica, 32(2), 100529–100529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psiq.2024.100529

[2] Goodman, D. W., Cortese, S., & Faraone, S. V. (2024). Why is ADHD so difficult to diagnose in older adults? Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737175.2024.2385932

[3] Rivas-Vazquez, R. A., Diaz, S. G., Visser, M. M., & Rivas-Vazquez, A. A. (2023). Adult ADHD: Underdiagnosis of a Treatable Condition. Journal of Health Service Psychology, 49(1), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42843-023-00077-w

[4] ‌Koerts, J., Bangma, D. F., Fuermaier, A. B. M., Mette, C., Tucha, L., & Tucha, O. (2021). Financial judgment determination in adults with ADHD. Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria: 1996), 128(7), 969–979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-021-02323-1

[5] Henning, C. T., Summerfeldt, L. J., & Parker, J. D. A. (2024). Longitudinal Associations Between Symptoms of ADHD and Life Success: From Emerging Adulthood to Early Middle Adulthood. Journal of attention disorders, 28(7), 1139–1151. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547241239148

[6] Riglin, L., Leppert, B., Dardani, C., Thapar, A. K., Rice, F., O’Donovan, M. C., Davey Smith, G., Stergiakouli, E., Tilling, K., & Thapar, A. (2021). ADHD and depression: investigating a causal explanation. Psychological medicine, 51(11), 1890–1897. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720000665

[7] Lee, J., & Kim, H.-J. (2022). Normal Aging Induces Changes in the Brain and Neurodegeneration Progress: Review of the Structural, Biochemical, Metabolic, Cellular, and Molecular Changes. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.931536