ADHD in Adults: My Story, Struggles, and Why Smartphones Aren’t Helping

We live in a world where everyone wants your attention — social media, apps, endless notifications, emails. The digital noise is constant. And for people with ADHD, that noise doesn’t just feel distracting — it can be overwhelming.

ADHD in adults is often invisible. Some of us had it all along, undetected in childhood. Others find that smartphones and the modern attention economy have magnified symptoms we didn’t know we had. Most research and awareness campaigns focus on ADHD in children, which makes sense — it’s common and easier to notice early. But what about people like me, in our twenties, trying to navigate careers, relationships, and daily life while living with ADHD?

What ADHD Really Is

ADHD — Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder — is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects the brain’s ability to regulate attention, organize tasks, and control impulses.

The three main types are:

1. Inattentive – Daydreaming, zoning out, careless mistakes, trouble listening, easily distracted.
2. Hyperactive/Impulsive – Restlessness, fidgeting, acting without thinking, difficulty sitting still.
3. Combined – A mix of both, with at least six symptoms from each category.

ADHD isn’t a quirk. It’s real. It affects the entire way you live — from how you work, to how you think, to how you feel.

A Quick History and the Role of Dopamine

ADHD (formerly called ADD) first appeared in medical literature in 1904, though it likely existed long before that. Genetics play a big role — my grandfather had ADHD, so I have a strong chance of inheriting it. And just to be clear: ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence.

A key player here is dopamine, the brain chemical that motivates us and helps us focus. With ADHD, dopamine levels are often low. That means when you need to focus on an important task, your brain might divert attention to anything else — the pen cap, a random sound, a flash of movement — instead of the work in front of you.

Low dopamine also explains why ADHD brains can be more prone to addiction — caffeine, nicotine, certain drugs — anything that gives a quick dopamine hit can momentarily improve focus. But it can also create dependency.

Everyday Struggles (and a Few Superpowers)

Life with ADHD isn’t just about distraction. It’s an unpredictable mix of challenges and hidden strengths.

• Hyperfocus – Give us something we love, and we can work on it for hours without blinking. For me, that’s reading people’s behavior in person — I lose track of time doing it.
• Deadlines as Motivation – Without urgency, tasks drift. But put a scary deadline on the calendar, and suddenly I’m a time-management machine.
• Organizing… Our Way – My workspace might look “wrong” to someone else, but my brain knows exactly why the laptop is on the big table and the “emergency” stuff is on the smaller one.
• Short-Term Memory Hiccups – I can remember a conversation from years ago, but forget your name five minutes after meeting you.
• Restless Energy – Nail-biting, leg-shaking, multitasking — I’ve done all of it, sometimes all at once.

My Story

As a kid, I was smart, curious, and full of potential — but I struggled to make friends and often zoned out in class. I fell into the “Inattentive” category, which only got harder to manage as I grew up.

Switching schools didn’t help. Coming from a tier-2 Indian city, talking to my parents about ADHD wasn’t an option — it would have been met with disbelief or shame. So I kept it to myself.

I failed exams, missed opportunities, and even lost my dream program. I failed interviews, not because I didn’t prepare, but because I couldn’t focus under pressure. And all the while, my two addictions made it worse.

The Strengths We Don’t Talk About Enough

ADHD brains can be incredibly creative. We brainstorm like crazy, think in patterns others might miss, and can deep-dive into passions with unmatched intensity. Studies suggest we’re more likely to start our own businesses.

But the trick is to learn how to swim in our own ocean — not to climb the trees someone else says we should. I made the mistake of trying to “fit in” during my MBA by forcing myself into public-speaking roles that left me distracted and drained. It was like making a fish learn to climb a tree.

Managing ADHD as an Adult

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but here are strategies that help:

• Diet & Lifestyle – Reduce sugar, try meditation.
• Build Habits (Slowly) – It’s hard for ADHD brains, but once a habit sticks, it’s powerful.
• Therapy – Behavioral psychotherapy to improve time management, organization, and reduce distractions.
• Medication – Stimulants that increase dopamine can help focus, but slow-release options are safer.
• Technology – TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) uses targeted magnetic fields to adjust brain activity — still experimental, but promising.

And yes — limit smartphone time. Studies recommend adults cap phone use at 60–120 minutes a day to protect focus. Scrolling through rapid-fire content like Reels or Shorts constantly resets your brain’s attention span to seconds instead of minutes.

My Final Take

ADHD is real. It can be a challenge and a gift. The same brain that forgets your name might also invent something groundbreaking. The same person who can’t sit still might build a business empire.

For me, it’s been both a curse and a superpower. But I’ve learned that understanding my brain — instead of fighting it — is the first step toward using it well.

If you’re reading this and your brain feels a little like mine — buzzing, bouncing, brilliant in its own way — you’re not broken. You’re just wired differently. And that’s okay.