The Consequences of ADHD

Whether in a child or an adult, ADHD can have serious consequences. Some studies show that children with ADHD have more emergency room visits than their non-ADHD peers. Adolescents with ADHD are more likely to engage in risky behavior, leading to substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancy.

Adolescents and young adults are more likely to drop out of school and less likely to enter and graduate from college, according to some studies. And adults with ADHD are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, be fired from jobs, and get divorced than non-ADHD adults.

Teens and adults with ADHD have 2 to 3 times more auto accidents and twice the number of severe accidents resulting in vehicle damage and bodily injury as those without ADHD, according to studies done by Barkley and others. "They have coordination deficits, less skill in maneuvering vehicles in traffic, slower reaction time, and inattention," says Barkley.

People with ADHD often have "a huge issue of self-esteem," says Galil. "They may have been underachievers and told 'you're so smart, why can't you do this? You're not trying hard enough.'"

Jergen says he always tried very hard, but he couldn't focus his mind on the task at hand. He likens it to having a song or jingle in your head for days at a time, but "add three or four or five more thoughts to the mix and amplify them. Spin them round and round and round in your head and make them go faster and faster and faster until they become like an all-consuming obsession. Everything centers on those thoughts. You can't focus on anything else. You can't escape them."

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