Is It Aging, or Is it ADHD?
The Atlantic
February 25, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Middle-aged Americans are increasingly questioning whether their declining cognitive abilities are a result of aging or undiagnosed ADHD. As more people enter midlife, they’re grappling with symptoms like forgetfulness, attention struggles, and disorganization, which can overlap with both age-related changes and ADHD. Recent studies suggest that around 3% of adults over 50 may have ADHD, but many remain undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness and training among healthcare providers.
The rise in ADHD diagnoses among children has raised awareness about the condition, leading some adults to wonder if their symptoms could be linked to it. However, diagnosing ADHD in adults is complicated by factors like midlife stressors, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, and other cognitive issues that mimic ADHD symptoms. For example, mild neurocognitive disorder (MND) shares similarities with ADHD, including forgetfulness and losing items, but differs in how memory problems manifest.
Experts highlight that adult ADHD is often underrecognized because it’s not widely taught in medical schools or addressed in clinical guidelines focused on childhood cases. This lack of training means many providers don’t consider ADHD when evaluating midlife cognitive struggles. Additionally, the symptoms of ADHD can evolve over time—hyperactivity in youth may later manifest as internal restlessness or difficulty concentrating.
This growing awareness of ADHD in adults has significant implications for public health and policy. The overlap between aging-related cognitive decline and ADHD highlights the need for better diagnostic tools and treatment options for
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Originally published on The Atlantic on 2/25/2026