Past History
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1. History of ADD symptoms in childhood, such as distractibility,
short attention span, impulsivity, or restlessness. ADD doesn't start
at age 30.
2. History of not living up to potential in school or
work (report cards with comments such as "not living up to potential")
3. History of frequent behavior problems in school (mostly
for males)
4. History of bed wetting past 5 years old.
5. Family history of ADD, learning problems, mood disorders,
or substance abuse problems.
Short Attention Span/Distractibility
6. Short attention span, unless very interested in something.
7. Easily distracted, tendency to drift away (although
at times can be hyper focused )
8. Lacks attention to detail, due to distractibility
9. Trouble listening carefully to directions
10. Frequently misplaces things
11. Skips around while reading, or goes to the end first,
trouble staying on task.
12. Difficulty learning new games, because it is hard
to stay on track during directions
13. Easily distracted during sex, causing frequent breaks
or turn off's during lovemaking
14. Poor listening skills
15. Tendency to be easily bored (spaces out)
Restlessness
16. Restlessness, constant motion, legs moving, fidgetiness.
17. Has to be moving in order to think
18. Trouble sitting still; such as trouble sitting in
one place for too long, sitting at a desk job for long periods, sitting
through a movie
19. An internal sense of anxiety or nervousness
Impulsivity
20. Impulsive, in words and/or actions (e.g. spending)
21. Says just what comes to mind without considering
its impact (tactless)
22. Trouble going through established channels, trouble
following proper procedure, at attitude of "read the directions
when all else fails"
23. Impatient, low frustration tolerance
24. A prisoner of the moment (living every moment as
if you only had 4 seconds left to live)
25. Frequent traffic violations
26. Frequent impulsive job changes
27. Tendency to embarrass others
28. Lying or stealing on impulse
Poor organization
29. Poor organization and planning, trouble maintaining
an organized work/living area
30. Chronically late or chronically in a hurry
31. Often have piles of stuff
32. Easily overwhelmed by tasks of daily living
33. Poor financial management (e.g., late bills, checkbook
a mess, spending unnecessary money on late fees)
34. Some adults with ADD are very successful, but often
only if they are surrounded with people who organize them.
Problems Getting Started
and Following Through
35. Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started
36. Not finishing projects, poor follow through
37. Enthusiastic beginnings but poor endings
38. Spends excessive time at work because of inefficiencies
39. Inconsistent work performance
Negative Internal Feelings
40. Chronic sense of underachievement, feeling you should
be much further along in your life than you are
41. Chronic problems with poor self-esteem
42. Sense of impending doom
43. Negativity
44. Frequent feeling of demoralization or that things
won't work out for you
Relational Difficulties
45. Trouble sustaining friendships or intimate relationships,
promiscuity
46. Trouble with intimacy
47. Tendency to be immature
48. Self-centered; immature interests
49. Failure to see others' needs or activities as important
50. Lack of talking in a relationship
51. Verbally abusive to others
52. Proneness to hysterical outbursts
53. Avoids group activities
54. Trouble with authority
Short Fuse
55. Quick responses to slights that are real or imagined
56. Rage outbursts, short fuse
Search For High Stimulation
57. Frequent search for high stimulation (e.g. bungee
jumping, gambling, race track, high stress jobs, ER doctors, doing many
things at once)
58. Tendency to seek conflict, be argumentative, or to
start disagreements for the fun of it.
Tendency To Get Stuck (i.e.,
thoughts or behaviors)
59. Tendency to worry needlessly and endlessly
60. Tendency toward addictions (food, alcohol, drugs,
work)
Switches Things Around
61. Switches around numbers, letters, or words
62. Turn words around in conversations
Writing/Fine Motor Coordination
Difficulties
63. Poor writing skills (hard to get information from
brain to pen)
64. Poor handwriting, often prints
65. Coordination difficulties
The Harder I try The Worse
It Gets
66. Performance becomes worse under pressure
67. Test anxiety, or during tests your mind tends to
go blank
68. The harder you try, the worse it gets
69. Work or schoolwork deteriorates under pressure
70. Tendency to turn off or become stuck when asked questions
in social situations
71. Falls asleep or becomes tired while reading
Sleep/Wake Difficulties
72. Difficulties falling asleep, may be due to too many thoughts
at night
73. Difficulty coming awake (may need coffee or other activity before
feeling fully awake)
Low Energy
74. Periods of low energy, especially early in the morning and in
the afternoon
75. Frequently feeling tired
Sensitive To Noise or Touch
76. Startles easily
77. Sensitive to touch, clothes, noise, and light
