Suggested diagnostic criteria for attention deficit disorder in adults
by Parker · 21 things on Twos
- A chronic disturbance in which at least fifteen of the following are present:
- A sense of underachievement, of not meeting one's goals
- Difficulty getting organized
- Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started
- Many projects going simultaneously; trouble with following through
- Tendency to say what comes to mind without necessarily considering the timing or appropriateness of the remark
- A frequent search for high stimulation
- An intolerance of boredom
- Easy distractibility, trouble focusing attention, tendency to tune out or drift away in the middle of a page or a conversation, often coupled with an ability to hyperfocus at times
- Often creative, intuitive, highly intelligent
- Trouble in going through established channels, following proper procedure
- Impatient; low tolerance for frustration
- Impulsive, either verbally or in action, as in impulsive spending of money, changing plans, enacting new schemes or career plans, and the like
- Tendency to worry needlessly, endlessly; tendency to scan the horizon looking for something to worry about, alternating with inattention to or disregard for actual dangers
- Sense of insecurity
- Mood swings, mood lability, especially when disengaged from a person or a project
- Restlessness
- Tendency toward addictive behavior
- Chronic problems with self-esteem
- Inaccurate self-observation
- Family history of ADD or manic-depressive illness or depression or substance abuse or other disorders of impulse control or mood