ADHD In Men
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Introduction
Since ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in males than females, it is true that boys with ADHD grow into men who have ADHD.
12.9% of all adult men are diagnosed with ADHD.
Famous Men with ADHD
Channing Tatum image by Gage Skidmore, Adam Levine image by Justin Higuchi, Michael Phelps image by Marco Paköeningrat, and Albert Einstein statue image by Ron Cogswell, all from flickr.com
These include Channing Tatum (actor), Adam Levine (musician and frontman of Maroon 5) and Michael Phelps (Olympic swimmer). The physicist Albert Einstein was also believed to have had ADHD.
Relationship Issues
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Men with ADHD who are in a relationship “may bring unique challenges” to their relationships. The sticking points of these relationships are “career shame, emotional dysregulation, and anger.”
Work Issues
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Further to career shame, adults who have ADHD are more likely to have problems at work than those who don’t have ADHD. These can include having trouble with getting along with colleagues on the job; discontinuing their role “out of hostility toward(s) the workplace or out of boredom); disciplinary action and “getting fired.”
For working men with ADHD, their “low self-esteem and ADHD symptoms” can make it difficult for them to hold onto their jobs even though they excel at them.
One client told Melissa Orlov, “I wasn’t afraid of work as much as being judged for the results, because I never knew if I was doing a good or bad job.”
Many men with ADHD work for longer hours than their non-ADHD colleagues do. This enables them to manage the workload and stay organised; however, this can also put a strain on relationships of ADHD men and their partners.
One man with whom Orlov worked lost 3 consecutive high-level positions “because he couldn’t manage the paperwork required for jobs.” He was so ashamed after his third job loss that he left the house to pretend to go to work so that he wouldn’t disappoint his wife again.
Adults with ADHD can find job searches overwhelming because they “require planning and sustained effort, and enduring repeated rejections.” Planning and sustained effort or attention are not strengths in people with ADHD. Another man told Orlov that he became too stubborn to search for jobs because he feared searching for them.
Some good tips for working men with ADHD include setting small achievable goals, hiring a job coach and getting treatment for anger management issues if they have them.
Anger Issues
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Besides seeking help for anger management, men with ADHD are advised to do the following:
- Be aware of warning signs and give themselves a “timeout.”
- Give themselves a break by going out for some fresh air and exercise.
- It is fine for them to express their anger in a healthy, non-confrontational way.
- Learn to recognise the ADHD episodes that trigger their anger.
- Ask themselves: “Will the object of my anger even matter 10 years from now?”
- Practise self-care techniques such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy well-balanced meals and exercising regularly.
- Brainstorm positive solutions to the problem.
- Learn to think before they speak.
With regards to emotional dysregulation, men with ADHD are more likely to have anger management issues than women with ADHD. Their ADHD symptoms are more likely to be external and affect other people and they can also externalise their frustrations.
Hyperactivity, Rambunctiousness and Disruption
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According to Carl Greiner from UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Centre), men with ADHD are more likely to be hyperactive and rambunctious than women with the condition.
Lenard Adler, MD (Director of the Adult ADHD Program at the NYU School of Medicine) states that behavioural disruption is more common in boys in childhood. Robert Tudisco, an adult with ADHD, says his diagnosis with the condition was a major turning point in his life. It helped him understand a lot about how he grew up as well as the struggles he had as a child. When he was at college, Tudisco embraced running as a way of things working out very well.
Summary
Men with ADHD are often diagnosed with it when they were children. Although they can have issues with work-related challenges, emotional dysregulation and anger management, these issues can be managed with job coaching, practical ways of dealing with anger and embracing a hobby.
If you think you might have ADHD, you can take our free ADHD test to see exactly which traits you have.
Blog Author
April Slocombe
