When there is an economic downturn there is plenty of pain to go around with different groups seemingly bearing the brunt of the pain.
But as with many things in life often there are overlooked segments of the population which are hit the hardest.
Thus is the case with those individuals with ADHD as wages decline, jobs become hard to come by, and extreme self control becomes the name of the economic survival game.
Four Reasons ADHD Adults Are More Vulnerable? Statistically adults with ADHD are much more likely to either lose their jobs or change jobs than those without the condition.
Part of the reason for this is their lack of impulse control.
Put simply, they will quit their job primarily because of anger and/or impulsivity without thinking about the consequences.
Once they have a chance to think it through and realize a bad decision was made it is usually too late.
Another issue may have to do with their job performance, which may suffer due to disorganization and forgetfulness making them prime targets when the inevitable cutbacks occur.
A third reason that adults with ADHD may be susceptible to losing their job is a higher than average absentee rate.
They typically miss about a week more of work each year.
They may also struggle with making it to work on time due to poor time management skills.
And finally they may themselves be losing the will to continue due to loss of interest.
The ADHD adult might be quick to tell you that they were bored and ready to move on to something more challenging anyway.
This attitude stems from the primary symptom of inattention.
It has been said that those with ADHD are great starters due to their creativity and ability to think outside the box but terrible finishers.
But What About Children with ADHD? Will They Be Impacted? At first one might conclude that children with ADHD might hit a few bumps in the road in school but they probably will come out pretty much as they would in a normal economic environment.
This couldn't be farther from the truth! There are a number of reasons for this with one being that children with ADHD have at least one parent with the condition half of the time.
This comes back to the idea that adults with ADHD are more prone to lose their jobs and have a harder time securing new employment during an economic downturn than their peers.
Secondly as state budgets shrink class sizes will tend to increase making it more difficult for these special children to get the help they need.
This opens the door for academic failure and behavioral problems which will have both short and long-term consequences.
In conclusion, both children and adults with ADHD will likely feel a disproportionate amount of financial pain when economic conditions turn sour.
One could easily make the case that whole families could be negatively impacted due to the genetic ADHD thread that runs through many families.
It is important to remember that those with ADHD look at the world differently due to brain chemical neurotransmitter imbalances along with developmental issues in the areas of the brain responsible for focus and impulse control.
It is not their fault they are different ultimately being blessed with creativity and imagination and saddled with inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity/restlessness, disorganization, and on occasion erratic behavior.
It is simply who they are making them a group that deserves extra compassion and consideration when economic times are tough.