Hi Marge,

There can be a lot of different negative outcomes. and there are also some differences depending on the type of ADHD you have. Some factors may help mediate the problems you might have. If you have a good friend who accepts you, higher intelligence, positive coping skills, etc.

But some of the negative outcomes frequently seen in adults who grew up undiagnosed are: substance abuse problems, financial difficulties, relationship problems, low self-esteem, frequent job changes and earlier sexual involvement. They are more likely to have legal problems and been in jail, twice as likely to be fired, six times more likely to have a suspended driver's license, 9 times more likely to have an unplanned pregnancy, greater incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, and more auto accidents. 80% of adults with undiagnosed ADHD have at least one other psychiatric disorder (such as anxiety or depression) and 53% have two or more psychiatric disorders in addition to ADHD. They also have a greater incidence of developing antisocial personality disorder (particularly if they had conduct disorder as a child), borderline personality disorder, and eating disorders.

The latest research shows that pretty much every major area in life is impaired to some degree: educational, occupational, social, family life, financial, psychological, driving, etc. The areas most likely to be impaired were educational activities, family responsibilities and occupational functioning. The more severe the ADHD symptoms in childhood and the more symptoms one had predicted more impairment.

Someone with a milder case of ADHD without hyperactivity or impulsiveness, higher intelligence, a good support system, no related behavioral problems, a job that is more conducive to their personality and skills (being your own boss, having a more flexible schedule, having a secretary to take care of details) and an understanding spouse who accepts them in spite of their deficits, will still have some impairment but not to the same degree as someone who does not have these advantages.

Generally, the sooner one is diagnosed and properly treated, the better the outcome. The damage to self-esteem and life functioning will be lessened. Not only does the undiagnosed indivdual suffer but the repercussions affect his family as well and society as a whole. 50-75% of those in jail have untreated ADHD . Who knows how many of those might have been spared that outcome if early diagnosis and treatment had been recognized and utilized.

Elaine

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Elaine: Thanks for the information. The person with ADD/ADHD is a young, adult male (adolescent.) He's in the negative situations (you mentioned,) as we speak. It's so hard for him to sink lower when he thought for a minute, that he was making some headway. I'm wondering if a student, struggling for years with ADHD and related LDs, might lose IQ points from yrs of social emotional and educational abuse and neglect? If that person spent those yrs in depression and education was disabling......................... do you think IQ would drop? Maybe by virtue of all the failure and depression, it was just indifference in going through the testing? I wondered how an ADHD brain would look; if damage would be easy to determine? Then to put a cherry on top; add NLD into the mix......and APD.

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Hi Elaine: As I was browsing I read more, of what I'm trying to learn about, in your response to pmhlb. SPECT imaging is on the horizon for us. I'll tell about it when it happens.

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The general consensus is that your IQ does not change by more than a few points. However, I strongly believe that although your actual IQ may not change much, there are factors that could affect your score and test taking. If you are upset, physically not feeling well, depressed, anxious, have a learning disability or ADHD, etc, it could very well affect how well you are able to perform on the test. And if you have an attitude of indifference, you are not likely to try very hard. They have found that individuals with ADHD generally have an IQ that is anywhere from 4 to 15 points higher than the testing score would indicate. My doctor told me that if I were to retake my IQ test now that I am treated with medication, it would likely come out higher.

I had an IQ test taken in first grade and another test in third grade. My IQ came out 24 points higher on the later test! Our doctor said his IQ had also increased considerably. In first grade I was extremely shy and anxious and thought I was stupid. In third grade I had a teacher who constantly told me I was very smart. (Of course I don't know if she knew my IQ or if I had already taken the second test) I think that had some influence. I've taken some of the shorter IQ tests online and have come out with a score pretty close to my second IQ.

We have a neighbor whose IQ is over 180 and because of his high IQ, he has been asked to participate in certain research studies. He also has a very noticeable case of ADHD. He was treated somewhat when he was younger but not for very long. He is not treated now. He is very good with engine and auto mechanics and has his own business. He doesn't have many interests outside of cars, motors, racing, etc and participating in triathelons (probably not how it is spelled). Most people who meet him, unless they are interested in the same things that he is, would probably come away with the impression that he is of average intelligence or a little above average. He is very disorganized, forgetful and can appear confrused at times. His social skills are more limited and he doesn't do small talk very well. He tends to hyperfocus on his interests. So looks and impressions can be very deceiving.

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Marge,

Regarding the SPECT scans, there is a book that you might find very interesting. It is written by a doctor in California who does a lot of work with the SPECT scans and uses them a lot in his practice. The book is called, "Change Your Brain, Change Your LIfe" by Dr. Daniel Amen. He talks about a lot of different brain issues such as anxiety, ADHD, OCD, violence, the effect of alcohol and drug abuse, Alzheimer's, etc and there are a lot of pictures of brain scans comparing individuals with different diagnoses and various types of substance abuse. I have one of his posters that shows the healthy brain and the brain scans of those with various types of substance abuse. Some schools have ordered many of these posters to help show students the effects of substance abuse on their brains. (Some of the effects are reversible when the individual abstains from the substances but others are notl) You can also visit his website at www.amenclinic.com He has another website but I can't remember the exact website name. But I'm pretty sure there is a link to it at the site address I gave you.

On the down side, the scans can be very expensive and insurance doesn't usually cover them. They are not a scientifically precise diagnostic tool at this point in time but they can be helpful. And it is very fascinating. For diagnostic purposes, a good doctor can properly diagnose someone for a lot less money. But even there, the catch is: How do you find an excellent doctor or psychiatrist? Many can diagnose simple disorders but don't do as well with complex problems or multiple diagnoses. Since there are no definitive lab tests for many disorders, doctors can have different opinions and come up with different diagnoses. And some conditions are misdiagnosed and therefore treated incorrectly. I have known of many situations where that has been the case. We have been very fortunate to find a doctor who has excellent diagnostic skills and experience dealing with complex and multipe disorders. Besides my own family, I have recommended him to at least a dozen other people who have gone on to see him and every single one of them has come back amazed. Some of those individuals had serious issues that many other doctors and psychiatrists had either failed to diagnose or were unable to find appropriate treatment.

Should you happen to live in Florida, that is the course I would take. He has had patients come from all over the world to see him when nobody else was able to help them or their mental issues were considered hopeless or beyond any additional help. By the way, he also has a website at www.biologicalunhappiness.com

I wish you the best in your attempts to find help for this young man.

Elaine

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That's a thought provoking reply. Our guy had testing (school testing doesn't count as they are ALL average) and his IQ was kind of guesstimated. LDs did make it difficult but the guesstimate was high. He's gone through so much failure and punishment over the four years since, that he's pretty much given up hope. The LDs, depression, impulsiveness, (seeming) helplessness in making changes, went in the door with him for another round of testing. He was NOT up for it. He didin't seem like the same person who took the one in 2004; and I have to face it, he wasn't! He's been trampled. As a child he was so interested in everything, so self directed; he used his brain well. I'm trying to guess what will still be in there, ready to come back out when the imaging is over and hemispheres are "realigned." I know a gentleman exactly like the one you mentioned. He had/has every type of motor, steam driven etc. that you can imagine. He's his own boss and is always so deep into his thoughts and projects. He made much of his money by owning an auto scrap yard. That freed him up to follow his brain. I often wondered, if you had to scoop him up and sit him down in a job somewhere, where would you put him? He could probably come up with a life changing invention. If it is ADHD, again I wonder; what were his school years like? Could they have opened more doors for him? I'd love to hear the stories you refer to in your bio; with ref. to wanting to spare others from some of the pitfalls. Thanks again:

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I read your post with interest. I gather from your post this concerns someone who is still realitively young. Possible he is in his 20"s or early 30"s. It would be imperative to have him in counselling before he is to involved in the negative side of ADHD. It has been seen that many of us who are ADHD have learning disabilities as well as very High IQ's . You mat say how can that be; but ADHD has some very wonderful qualities especially if given the support we need to be successful. I was not diagnosed until I was in my 40's and spent years knowing that I was very smart but thought I was very different from others. I tend to see things outside the box and will go to A-z in seconds. It to slow to go A, B, C . Many very successful people are ADHD. One of the most inovated is Jet Blue owner. IQ is not the only indicator of intelligence it is a indicator that a person can do certain things; but it really doesn't give us an advantage that those who have learned to negogiate life making personal relationships. People skills are just as important in the work place to be successful. If he is already in to the drugs, sex and gambling you have your hands full because untreated ADHD can lead to risky impulsive behaviour and may be a sign of the poor self esteem that many of us can have. It would be imperative to see a ADHD specialist and truthfully the PETA scan etc aren't that important if he is struggling with his ADHD and LD's they won't do anything that will really help him. One of the recent ADHD has a blog that shows his self discovery and his story is very similiar to many of us. This blog may give a real good idea what is like to be ADHD

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Very well said ADD RN, Quote:

ADD RN said: IIt would be imperative to see a ADHD specialist and truthfully the PETA scan etc aren't that important if he is struggling with his ADHD and LD's they won't do anything that will really help him. One of the recent ADHD has a blog that shows his self discovery and his story is very similiar to many of us. This blog may give a real good idea what is like to be ADHD

Those of us who have lived with ADD or AD/HD all our lives understand what he is going through, yet it is hard for us to explain to the person around us who do not have ADD or AD/HD what we are going through. We have gone through our life being called lazy, stupid, retarded as well as many other things by people who do not understand us and that our brain is working a thousand times faster than an non-ADDer's brain. The plain and simple fact is we do not fit in and tend to be a loners because of it. He should go to a therapist that specializes in ADD and AD/HD as soon as you can get him there. As ADD-RN has stated that statistics show children and young adults with ADD who don't recieve help are twice as likely to get involved with drugs and criminal behavior acts.

P.S. There are also different career test that can be a usefull tool to help people with ADD find out what they would be best suited for and enjoy doing.

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I couldn't have said it better than the wanderer did..

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WroDEcG7tJc

Th above link is a talk by Dr. Russell Barkley, who is actually studying this very topic. He explains the results of his own research into outcome of people with ADHD. The study has been going on for years and has followed people with ADHD as they have been growing up. The most recent follow up showed people at the age of 27, and some of the discoveries are very astounding.

I hope this is the sort of thing your looking for, but if not, I hope you find it helpful anyway.

Below is another lecture he gave on the same day.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=q3d1SwUXMc0

Word of warning though, these are very long videos.

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