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What Is Inattentive ADHD? Symptoms, Characteristics, Diagnostic Considerations

Formerly called ADD, inattentive ADHD is characterized by symptoms of disorganization, poor time management, faulty working memory, and a lack of focus — all signs commonly dismissed or misdiagnosed, particularly in girls and women. Here, learn about the distinctive characteristics that should guide clinicians’ diagnostic and treatment practices for inattentive ADHD.

2 Comments: What Is Inattentive ADHD? Symptoms, Characteristics, Diagnostic Considerations

  1. I completely agree with you, Smam60. Why does the psych industry insist on labeling all ADD sufferers as ADHD, when hyperactivity is not present? Expressing this mathematically we have: A + D + H + d – H = ADd, or old fashioned ADD. Why stigmatize ADD patients with a symptom that does not apply?

    If this ever leaks out to a prospective employer, the hapless job seeker will have his application end up in the shredder. The hiring company will thin that this mislabeled job hopeful will embarrass them in a critical customer-facing meeting.

    Looking at it from another perspective, why should ADHD victims get all of the publicity? I have the inattentive type of this embarrassing handicap, so my correct label would be ADID, right? And those blessed with the combined type can be labeled as ADCD. Make sense? So, why not keep things simple and just label all ADD patients as ADD and leave out the sub-type?

  2. Your article is interesting, but I am grabbing this opportunity to get something off my chest. I despise this new name that was given ADD. It makes no sense to me. If it’s ADHD without the hyperactivity, then leave the H out like we used to do (and which I still do because I refuse to use this new name). Also, as if deficit and disorder aren’t bad enough, we now get an extra negative – inattentive. Doesn’t attention deficit imply a we struggle with being attentive already? And, furthermore, we CAN pay attention extremely well when something interests us. We have the same hyper focus super powers as our hyperactive counterparts. I have read the wordy mumbo jumbo that describes why they changed this and it did nothing to convince me – in fact the opposite. It adds a layer of complexity that I feel is completely unnecessary.

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