A rambunctious little boy was once considered the poster child for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but with massive strides in research over the last 30 years, we now know, there is no poster child for ADHD.

And, counter to what we once thought, the majority of children do not outgrow their ADHD. In fact, recent studies seem to indicate that it actually gets worse with age. It just looks very different in adults.

In addition, girls and women are affected by ADHD at a rate similar to males, however they are 3 times more likely to be undiagnosed and/or receive a misdiagnosis of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder.

Many women in their 40s’, 50s’ and 60s’ with undiagnosed ADHD may even seek an evaluation for dementia due to problems with memory and cognition. They may also seek, or be told to seek, hearing evaluations. These evaluations uncover few, if any, abnormalities and women are left to shame and blame themselves for their struggles to complete seemingly simple daily tasks such as household chores, paying bills, staying organized, remembering important information, maintaining a budget, getting to work on time, and just adulting in general.

Most people with undiagnosed ADHD operate on the assumption that they are a bad woman, mother, daughter, sister, friend, wife/partner, etc. Many people brush off ADHD as a non-serious issue of paying attention that everyone deals with from time to time. In reality, untreated ADHD ruins lives. It reduces life expectancy by 12-20 years and is VASTLY more complex than just difficulties with attention.

In this talk you will learn why there has been so much discussion about ADHD in the last few years, where the misgivings and doubt about the legitimacy of the diagnosis and its treatment came from, the symptoms/impairments of ADHD in adults, and what to do about it if you suspect you or a loved one may be affected.

Kelly A. Pickens, APNP, FNP-BC, ADC-C, ADHD-CCSP is a Family Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in a variety of clinical settings. She holds two certifications in the evaluation and management of ADHD. After the surprise discovery of her own diagnosis of ADHD at the age of 48, Kelly has devoted herself to learning everything about it, caring for those affected, and spreading awareness in an effort to combat misinformation and bias, and improve empathy for those who struggle with ADHD.