1706619087
What is it like to suddenly realize that you have spent large parts of your life without understanding why certain things always go wrong, that other people constantly misunderstand you and that it is so difficult to do what you know? that you should do it?
Chief physician and researcher Lotta Borg Skoglund draws on brain research when she explains what it’s like to receive a late diagnosis and grow old with ADHD.
“I wanted to give older adults with ADHD a book that describes their lives and their struggles,” she says.
All her life, Lotta Borg Skoglund wanted to understand how things fit together. Since her tumultuous youth – with thoughts of who she “should be” – she has found her own way forward. Thanks to the great support of her nuclear family and parents, she is a versatile physician and researcher with her own clinic, as well as an author and lecturer with a focus on neuropsychiatric disabilities (NPF).
– I am generally a rather disorganized person who understands that I have to put the everyday chaos in order. Prefers to be constantly on the move and is put off by everyday boredom. But if there’s a crisis situation or something needs to be repaired, I’m the first to step in, she says.
The first time we are meeting for an interview is in 2020. I wonder if there is a risk of misdiagnosing older people with undiagnosed ADHD as dementia. “There is a risk,” she then replies.
Photo: Nature & Culture
Three years later we meet again. Now Lotta Borg Skoglund has written a book aimed directly at older people in society who have not previously received any information about ADHD. Those who grew up without today’s vocabulary and were often given epithets such as stupid, lazy, rude, rowdy or unreliable, even though the root causes were not investigated.
Confusing ADHD and dementia isn’t the only thing that can cause problems. Research on older adults with ADHD lags behind, and this group is remarkably underdiagnosed.
– I want people who have felt powerless in front of themselves all their lives because they were haunted by an inner feeling of fear and unrest, because they experienced failures in important relationships, because they were unable to hold down their job despite being competent , because they were unable to cope with studying even though they had reading minds, fell into addiction even though they knew it was harmful, and had problems with their finances and their health… that they They should gain knowledge about how their setbacks are related to the functioning of their brain, says Lotta Borg Skoglund.
“We have to be realistic and not pretend.”
This is what she promised her husband and five teenage children The years go by, but ADHD remains will be the last book she writes. But when she and her publisher invite the audience to a book meeting in connection with the publication, it occurs to her that two next titles are in the works. The crowd cheers. She reveals there will be more to come about how hormones and biology play a role in NPF diagnoses.
As she studied addiction issues, she began to see similarities between people with harmful use and addiction and people with an ADHD diagnosis. And in addiction treatment, she learned that the most compassionate thing is usually not to pity people, but to believe in them and give them tools to overcome their problems.
– We have to be realistic and not pretend. There is no one-size-fits-all way. No “quick fix” or “one size fits all,” she says.
And remember that ADHD is a serious diagnosis but has a good prognosis.
– People with untreated ADHD are at high risk of mental and physical illness because what is unique about the diagnosis is the difficulty in achieving good routines and balance.
What she means is that in practice, ADHD means difficulty developing and maintaining routines for good eating habits, exercise, and sleep. Finding a balance between stress and recovery, avoiding tobacco, drinking alcohol in moderation, and being able to handle digital media, emotions, relationships, and finances smoothly when self-regulation is the difficulty.
– Failure to establish routines around these lifestyle factors puts you at great risk of eventually developing diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, pain conditions, abuse and addictions, and that is precisely why we need to talk about them seriously, as they are the Quality of life impacts and shortens the life expectancy of people with an ADHD diagnosis by 8-13 years, she explains.
She adds that it’s not about shaming people, but about sharing existing knowledge about what to pay attention to with real care.
An eye opener
In recent years, a number of older people have come into direct contact with the term ADHD for the first time in their lives when examining their children or grandchildren. For some, the new knowledge becomes an eye-opener, giving the opportunity to look back and reflect on what you have known and experienced with different eyes. Some note similarities between their perceived problems and the diagnosed problems and difficulties of their children or grandchildren.
– Such insight can be liberating because you suddenly have a better understanding of why you are the way you are and what your dimensions are. But it can also bring great sadness to life, as it can explain a series of failures, breakups and problems that stem from a lack of impulse control, restlessness and difficulties with planning and structure – which in turn may have led to misunderstandings and conflicts, says Lotta Borg Skoglund.
With the book The years go by, but ADHD remainsShe focuses on those who come to their explanations late in life and who have fought to the death to be good and to belong, and whose real difficulties have often been obscured or misinterpreted by themselves, an uncomprehending environment and care. Where the difficulties of women and men are evaluated and interpreted differently depending on the society and zeitgeist in which they manifest themselves and where gender role expectations and cultural differences cast different shadows on behavior. Different conditions and family constellations played a role in the perception and handling of the person with ADHD.
Many have told her in the patient room how they were forced to select parts of themselves in order to cope. Women who were lost in time and space and at times completely obsessive, constantly turning around, and having difficulty keeping order were seen as a bigger problem than men in the same situation.
– Older women with ADHD often talk about how challenging it is to manage home, children, grandchildren, aging parents, relationships with a partner and friends, all while managing work. Too many have hit the wall when it has become too difficult to hold the different areas of life together.
ADHD is the same disorder and occurs at about the same rate in both sexes, but ADHD symptoms in women are also influenced by hormonal cycles and menopause. Very little research has focused on these unique challenges in women. There is even less research on older people and ADHD.
– When it comes to our oldest and weakest, unfortunately there are still far too few studies to be able to give clear advice and guidelines for this stage of life. Most often, a number of diseases and medications are involved in the picture, which can influence the perception of what are and are not ADHD symptoms.
Lotta Borg Skoglund wants to contribute knowledge on how to identify those who have not had an ADHD diagnosis since childhood.
– If the structure and routine of a working life disappears with retirement, a supportive and supporting partner leaves you or dies, you can be completely excluded from living independently. This can amplify and trigger previously hidden ADHD issues that suddenly become apparent. Care needs to improve here to recognize the signs that ADHD may be behind seemingly completely different problems and illnesses.
#Lotta #Borg #Skoglund #ADHD #adults #confused #dementia