ADHD Without the “H”

by Deb Toering, LPC, NCC, BCPCC

Deb Toering is a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor (BCPCC) in private practice at Trinity Family Counseling Center. In addition to working with a wide range of client populations and presenting issues, Deb is also an engaging public speaker. She has spoken in front of various groups across a range of topics including marriage, bullying, ADHD/ADD, and teen leadership.

You’re feeling desperate. You have tried everything. It is a fight to get your 16-year-old daughter out of bed in the morning. She will makes excuses to stay home from school. She has no interest in most of her subjects except art and music and her teachers say she seems to be daydreaming most of the time.  She often says she has no homework but her teachers report frequent missing assignments and failing grades.

There is constant tension because she fails to follow through with anything you ask her to do. Why does it take hours for her to get homework done with constant nagging on your part? Her room is a disaster and she cannot seem to move her homework (when it gets done) from her backpack to the teacher’s desk. She could sleep 15 hours and still appear lethargic. This scenario sure looks like depression at first glance, and is often treated as such. A closer look may reveal Attention Deficit Disorder without the hyperactivity; also known as Inattentive ADD.

Some of the symptoms are:

• Shifting from task to task without finishing anything
• Makes careless mistakes
• Often loses things
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty with organization
• Doesn’t listen when spoken to
• Procrastination
• Easily distracted
• Avoids tasks that require sustained mental effort

If your child struggles with several of these symptoms, seek the help of an ADHD/ADD counselor. Left untreated, ADD can result in underachievement, failed relationships, depression and low self-esteem.