How Does Adhd Affect Young Adulthood

Many individuals experience difficulty in paying attention or controlling impulses in their lives sporadically, but other individuals experience these problems on a daily basis and these problems are so severe that they disrupt every aspect of their lives. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, typically referred to as ADHD, is a hereditary, neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood and has the potential to extend into adulthood. Being an externalizing disorder, individuals who have ADHD generally face struggles in controlling impulses, paying attention, being overly active, and maintaining social relationships in multiple life settings (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Young adulthood is the considered the ages between nineteen and forty; this period is increasingly important for individual growth, emphasizing identify formation, and is the time when individuals are considered ready to engage in sexual activity and intimate relations. Research has demonstrated that ADHD in young adults has a significant impact on a person’s sexual activity and subsequently their experiences with intimate relationships
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In addition, young adulthood is a crucial period in the beginnings of sexuality and intimate relationships. Individuals in young adulthood begin to establish their sexual orientation, experiment with sex, integrate love and sex, establish intimate relationships and make commitments, and evolve a “sexual philosophy” (Yarber, Sayad, & Strong, 2010, p. 188-191). Because young adulthood is such a crucial time for sexual and relational development, the deficits created by ADHD have the potential to significantly impact an individuals daily functioning and successful life