Symptoms, risks & challenges
The teenage years are when we start to seek our independence and to carve-out our own lives, and this means that we question a lot of what we have been taught over the previous years.
Characteristic symptoms
The teenage years can see some of the common ADHD comorbidities play a more prominent role. For simplicity’s sake, symptoms from the commonly associated behaviour disorders, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder are not included below.
These are the common symptoms in teenagers with ADHD and are closely associated with under-performance at school, school drop-out, and exclusion:
Distractibility and lack of focus
Disorganisation and forgetfulness
Self-focused behavior
Hyperactivity and fidgeting
Heightened emotionality and rejection sensitive dysphoria
Impulsivity and poor decision making
Poor concentration and trouble finishing tasks
We may begin to reject our parents and others in authority. We start to experiment and take risks. And we may want to break free from the structures that have been placed around us to keep us safe when we were younger.
Risks
Those with ADHD are extremely vulnerable in their teenage years. Studies have found that they are at a much higher risk of the following than their non-ADHD peers:
drug use and addiction (nicotine, alcohol and cannabis, in particular)
unwanted pregnancy
experiencing family breakdown
criminality and gang membership
Poor mental health (especially anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal idealisation, suicide attempts)
sexually-transmitted diseases
lower test scores
problem gambling
higher rates of not completing secondary school and/or further education
excessive internet and social media use
serious car accidents
Knowing this, it can be tempting to wrap them in cotton wool, but teenagers need their freedom and standing in their way can lead to serious conflict and the breakdown of yours and their relationship. It’s about finding a balance.
You and the rest of their support network are so important to them during what is a really challenging time. Make sure they know that they can talk to you whenever they need to, and that it is okay to make mistakes. They are much safer that way.
We need family around us, good friends, people we can trust and talk to. We are dealing with a lot right now.
Specific challenges
Whether you are struggling with mental ill-health, intimate relationships, poor sleep, learning, thinking about further education or employment, or questioning whether you should consider or continue with medication, we have prepared resources for you!