Do you have genuine "hyperactivity" as an adult?

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Alzheimer's? I've never heard of that being compared to ADHD. My tests were all related to short and long term memory or my ability to pay attention and multitask. I did hours of computer tasks almost like video games, where they would flash a series of numbers or letters and I had to click for certain ones. I didn't know at the time but there was a computer camera watching my eyes to see if I was losing focus or staring at the wrong spot for too long. There were verbal memory questions where they'd list a string of information and I had to repeat it forward and backward. It was more complicated than it sounds and I'm sure I was being visually monitored the whole time for hyperactive stims, gestures, or movements.

There were also a lot of questions about my functional abilities throughout life and now, like whether I had a history of misplacing things, completing tasks, or having difficulty in interpersonal communication. Most people don't realise that relationships are very difficult for people with ADHD because it takes us longer to process emotions, or sometimes we can be reactive and impulsive as well. Our lives tend to be quite scattered whether literally or figuratively and it's hard for others to keep up without feeling resentment.

Here's a site that I really like, about ADHD. It's called ADDitude. I hope it can help you or Hero, or anyone else who has symptoms of ADHD.

https://www.additudemag.com/

I often come across as a low energy person (unless an interest is mentioned). Meanwhile, my brain is going along at a fast rate. I can become fidgety or restless if I'm bored (this can be an issue when visiting relatives and I have to sit down for a long time listening to people). I do have to put mental restraint in to stop myself getting up and walking about.

People who know what I'm like usually offer to walk around the block with me whilst they talk if I look restless. I also use drawing as a method of stopping myself zoning out whilst someone talks at me. Usually I end up drawing something related to what they're talking about but not always. It keeps me in the moment.

What typically baffles people is when I quickly react to something but appear unengaged. Such as when playing air hockey. I know I've had games where people have celebrated thinking they've won but then they saw the score and realised that I've scored double their score and they've expressed confusion because apparently it looked like I was barely moving.

I find quick react games easy, but I struggle with strategy. Usually though, I'm more likely to zone out rather than be energetic. Sugar can make me hyper. However, caffeine has the opposite effect and it feels like I've been tranquilised. I think one of the weirdest feelings is when I have something with a lot of caffeine and sugar. My mind goes hyper - lots of overlapping thoughts and a desire to do a bunch of things. However, my body feels absolutely exhausted. So I'm essentially just stuck lying there wanting to do things but I can't. I feel weighed down. Then I usually end up lying there as my mind spews nonsense and then I fall asleep and have dreams that are even more vivid than usual.

That's why I avoid energy drinks. I can't take them and be productive. ADD is something I've wondered about, I know someone on another forum told me to look into it.

When I went to see a psychiatrist in my mid-20s, I was was looking for ADHD treatment, but I thought what I had was the "non-H" type ("ADD"). After a brief interview, the psych didn't seem to have any doubt that I had ADHD, but he also said "I think you actually are hyperactive, you've just probably learned to make it less obvious". I think what gave me up was that I tend to talk like I'm about to be forcibly taken to an undisclosed location by CIA agents and THIS VERY SECOND is my last and only chance to tell you the very important fact that did you know bananas are radioactive? I think I also tend to keep aimlessly looking around more than other people normally would.

I'm physically restless but it's subtle enough to be "normal". It's more like the type of thing people find funny and amusing rather than unsettling. When I do interact with people, I tend to talk a lot and talk over them, but I understand that I'm doing it and I acknowledge and try to make up for it. The main way how I myself experience hyperactivity is in my head. One of the ways how it's a big problem for me is that the greater my current sleep debt is, the harder it is for me to fall asleep.