When people hear “ADHD”, they often picture a restless child who cannot sit still in class. But ADHD does not simply vanish once childhood ends. A significant number of adults living with it were never diagnosed earlier in life. They may have spent years struggling with concentration, planning, or impulsivity without ever understanding why. In this article we explain how ADHD can present in adulthood, how the diagnostic process works, and which treatment options are available.
Why adult ADHD often goes unrecognised
In children, ADHD tends to show up as visible hyperactivity or disruptive classroom behaviour. In adults, the picture looks different. Outward hyperactivity often shifts into an inner restlessness: a mind that never quite switches off, difficulty relaxing, or a constant feeling of being “switched on”. Over the years, many adults develop ways to mask or compensate for their symptoms, for example by working overtime to meet deadlines, or by appearing highly organised even though it takes enormous effort to maintain.
As a result, adult ADHD is frequently mistaken for stress, burnout, or low mood. It often only becomes clear that something more is going on when someone hits a wall at work, in a relationship, or when raising their own children brings old patterns back to the surface.
Common signs in adults
ADHD symptoms vary considerably from person to person, but a number of signs come up repeatedly:
- Concentration difficulties: trouble staying focused on a task, getting distracted easily, or the opposite, becoming so absorbed in something interesting that time slips away (hyperfocus).
- Difficulty with planning and organisation: putting things off, only just meeting deadlines, a chaotic administration, or a head full of loose to-do items.
- Impulsivity: saying or doing things without thinking it through first, impulsive spending, or difficulty waiting your turn.
- Emotional regulation: getting irritated or overwhelmed by emotions more quickly than you would like.
- Inner restlessness: a fidgety feeling, or difficulty sitting still and unwinding.
- Forgetfulness: forgetting appointments, losing items, or feeling like information simply does not stick.
Not everyone who is occasionally forgetful or impulsive has ADHD. What matters is whether these difficulties have been present since childhood or adolescence, show up across multiple areas of life (work, relationships, home), and noticeably get in the way of daily functioning.
How does the diagnostic process work?
A suspicion of ADHD is never confirmed in a single conversation. At Mavera GGZ, the process starts with a thorough intake in which we map out the symptoms, personal history, and the impact on daily functioning. We often use standardised questionnaires that help to objectively assess the nature and severity of the difficulties.
Because ADHD symptoms can overlap with anxiety, low mood, or the effects of long-term stress, careful assessment is essential. Where relevant, a psychiatrist is involved in the diagnostic process, particularly if medication is being considered as a treatment option. At the end of the process, a preliminary DSM-5 classification is given, which forms the basis for a tailored treatment plan. We deliberately call this “preliminary”: it is a working hypothesis that guides treatment, not a fixed label.
A referral from your GP is required for specialist mental health care in the Netherlands. Our care is available in Dutch, Turkish, English, Ukrainian, Polish, Uyghur and Arabic, so you can go through the diagnostic process in the language you feel most comfortable in.
What treatment options are available?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to ADHD. At Mavera GGZ, we work with you to determine which combination of interventions fits best:
- Psycho-education: understanding what ADHD is and how it affects your day-to-day functioning is often a relief in itself, and the first step towards change.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): focused on building structure, developing planning skills, and breaking patterns of procrastination, with practical techniques you can apply right away.
- Farmacotherapie (medication): for some people, medication prescribed and monitored by our psychiatrist can be a valuable addition to treatment. This is always a decision made together with the psychiatrist; it is never a mandatory part of treatment.
- Depending on any additional difficulties, other methods such as ACT or schema therapy may also be used, for example if there is also excessive worry, low self-esteem, or stuck patterns.
A personalised approach
No two people with ADHD are the same. Some benefit most from practical structure, while others first want to understand why this went unrecognised for so long. That is why at Mavera GGZ we always build the treatment plan together with you, with room to adjust course if something is not working as hoped.
If you suspect ADHD may be playing a role in your difficulties, start by discussing this with your GP to arrange a referral. If you have questions about what we offer, feel free to contact us on 010 - 254 38 96 or at info@maveraggz.nl. Mavera GGZ is located at Rozenlaan 115 in Rotterdam.
If you are in crisis or facing an acute emergency, always call 112 (in the Netherlands) or go to A&E. Mavera GGZ does not provide crisis care.
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