Does ADD go away as children grow up?

Question and Answer

We used to believe the problem was eliminated with the onset of puberty. That's what I was taught in graduate school. Now it is thought that ADD may be a lifelong condition. Some adults with ADD learn to be less disorganized and impulsive as they get older. They channel their energy into sports activities or professions in which they function very well. Others have trouble settling on a career or holding a job. Follow-through remains a problem as they flit from one task to another. They are particularly unsuited for desk jobs, accounting positions, or other assignments that demand attention to detail, long hours of sitting and the ability to juggle many balls at once.

Another consequence of ADD in adolescence and adulthood is the thirst for high-risk activity. Even as children they are accident-prone, and their parents get well acquainted with the local emergency room. As they get older, rock climbing, bungee jumping, car racing, motorcycle riding, white-water rafting and related activities are among their favorite activities. Adults with ADD are sometimes called "adrenaline junkies" because they are hooked on the "high" produced by the adrenaline rush associated with dangerous behavior. Others are more susceptible to drug use, alcoholism, and other addictive behaviors. Approximately 40 percent will have been arrested by eighteen years of age.1

Some of those who have ADD are at higher risk for marital conflict, too. It can be very irritating to a compulsive, highly ordered husband or wife to be married to a "messie" someone whose life is chaotic and one who forgets to pay the bills, fix the car, or keep records for income-tax reports. Such a couple usually need professional counseling to help them learn to work together and capitalize on each other's strengths.