Commonly Overlooked Symptoms of Hyperactivity

Hyperactivity is one of the three symptoms assessed by clinicians when they are determining if someone has ADHD or not (Mutti-Driscoll, 2024). When you hear the word hyperactivity, do you associate it with yourself? What kind of a person comes to mind? Does a particular type of person spring to mind? I think of the young, hyperactive white boy bouncing off the classroom walls, and this was undoubtedly how ADHD was portrayed to me in the 1990s. This is part of why I never suspected that I, a "good girl" who could easily sit still, could be hyperactive.

Like many women in my generation (Otsuka, 2023), I was shocked when I received the diagnosis of ADHD combined type at age 37. The diagnosis of ADHD combined type meant that I had symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. In fact, I scored in the 98th percentile for hyperactivity compared to women my age. So, how does hyperactivity show up for me, and in others missed for the ADHD combined type diagnosis? There are four ways that hyperactivity commonly shows up that can be missed.

1). Fidgeting. I fidgeted a lot, as many folks with ADHD do. I played with my hair, bit my nails, and frequently touched my nose. I also always had to be drinking something, carrying a glass from place to place.

2). Mental hyperactivity. I had A LOT of thoughts. I wish these thoughts were of the daydreaming variety, as some experience, but my thoughts were more likely to be of the rumination variety. I would scour over previous social interactions, mentally create self-improvement projects, and perseverate in my areas of interest, including people, mental health, singing, and theatre at the time. I was obsessed with doing well in school and wondered why I seemed so different from others.

3). A constant need to be doing something. If you looked very closely, you could see that I was always on the go, seeking stimulation, a focus, something to do. I wanted to be out the door when I got up, seeing a friend, going somewhere, studying something. As an adult, I now flitter around the house getting chores done, rarely sitting still unless it's with a VERY good book, something super absorbing, or unless I have previously exhausted myself.

4). Verbal hyperactivity. Some people show their hyperactive stripes with verbal hyperactivity. I'm not a big talker, but some folks with ADHD are! I can be much more talkative when I get going on an area of interest, though. Do you know anyone who is quite talkative or can really get going when talking about a subject of particular interest?

I hope that knowing about these overlooked signs of hyperactivity will help you identify the signs better in the future. Can you relate to these overlooked signs of hyperactivity, or can you see any of these traits in others around you? As this blog post shows, hyperactivity is a very misunderstood trait of ADHDers! For a more positive spin on hyperactivity, you can think of it as being energetic (Hallowell, 2023) or being super passionate! That has a better ring to it, don’t you think? :-)