12 Quirks of People with ADHD

People with ADHD tend to display similar oddly specific quirks, whether in their body language, habits, or the way they communicate. It’s difficult to navigate any type of neurological disorder, both for the person who has the disorder and for those around them. However, the more we understand why a person is doing the things they are doing, or when we realize that a certain quirk is typical of ADHD, we can have patience for our loved ones and ourselves.

Some of these behaviors are shared by neurotypical people, but much of the following list is specific to people with ADHD and those with AuDHD. These quirks do not serve as a diagnosis for any disorder. They should be used simply as a guide to understanding the behavior of people with ADHD.

ADHD quirks can be frustrating and burdensome, but they can also be humorous and endearing. People with ADHD do not mean to complicate things for themselves and others, they simply operate uniquely. May you feel seen and affirmed if any of the following sounds or feels familiar to you.

12 Quirks of People with ADHD

Kings and Queens of the First Draft

People with ADHD hate having to reread or proofread things. It is agonizing for them to maintain the focus and enthusiasm for written projects and completing them is an achievement. Having to go over what they have struggled to complete feels like a form of torture, and so they wind up submitting first drafts, or in some cases, the roughest of rough drafts.

Being Talented, but Not Creative

This is no indictment of someone with ADHD’s abilities, but many people with ADHD struggle to come up with new or inventive ideas. In some cases, this might be a result of perfection paralysis, where someone with ADHD gets stuck wanting to produce something flawless but never satisfyingly executing their vision.

ADHD children prefer to copy pictures from a book rather than invent unique characters. ADHD adults likewise prefer to build on other’s ideas, rather than come up with their own. The beginning stages of a creative project are often overwhelming for someone with ADHD, often because they simply have too many ideas and don’t know where to begin.

Struggling to Find Things Hidden in Plain Sight

It’s not just elderly people who spend hours looking for something without realizing they are holding it or wearing it; this is a common quirk of people with ADHD too. With brains that work a million miles a minute, it’s not surprising that simple things go wrong from time to time.

People with ADHD frequently lose things that are not truly lost. They might place the lid of a jar on the counter and struggle to find it, misplace their laundry soon after bringing it inside, or look for the car keys that they are holding. This is not a sign of forgetfulness as much as it’s a product of being hyper-focused on their thoughts rather than details in their environment.

Awkward Body Language

Most people with ADHD don’t know what to do with their hands. They might suddenly become aware of how they walk, or how they are seated, and try in vain to appear more “normal,” with the result being that they look self-conscious and awkward. People with ADHD tend to overthink the most minor, natural things, and this can make them clumsy, awkward, or fidgety around others.

Slow Comprehension

Once again, this is not a comment on people with ADHD intelligence, but most people with ADHD have slow comprehension because of how their brain processes information. They might need to reread a certain passage of text several times to understand it, and even then, might need it to be phrased differently, or be shown visually.

This means that people with ADHD are generally slow readers and might struggle even in conversation if their brains are particularly chaotic.

Passionate Communicators but Horrible Storytellers

People with ADHD struggle with the concept of linear pacing, meaning when they are relaying information or telling a story, details will come out jumbled and chaotic. Even when they are good at communicating in other ways, people with ADHD will hardly ever be able to tell a plain story without getting sidetracked and divulging a lot of tangential information. This makes for enthusiastic and chaotic storytelling.

Being Susceptible to Feeling the “Cringe”

People with ADHD are almost always aware of themselves and their shortcomings and struggles. However, they also seem to be keenly aware of other people’s struggles in public. For example, they might feel deep discomfort for a coworker who stumbles over their words when giving a presentation. When watching a movie, you will often see them visibly flinch when a storyline is cringeworthy, or when a character is making a spectacle of themselves.

Neurotypical people might not even be aware that a situation is awkward, but people with ADHD will often be silently cringing.

Struggling with Eye Contact

People with ADHD tend to overthink when listening to someone talk. They are often aware of which eye they are looking at and worry that the speaker will be distracted if they switch the eye they are focusing on. Some people with ADHD forgo making eye contact with speakers, choosing instead to look past their shoulder or let their eyes rest on something random.

This might come across as rude or dismissive to neurotypical people but not making eye contact is generally how people with ADHD manage to keep their concentration.

Feeling Calmed by Chaos

One of the truly unique aspects of ADHD is that it causes normally chaotic situations to be calming for someone with ADHD. Where others would feel overstimulated by consuming multiple forms of media at the same time, people with ADHD are in their element reading in front of the TV, maybe with the radio on in the background.

Caffeinated drinks tend to calm them, and most prefer convoluted plotlines in films. This is a useful quirk, too, because people with ADHD are often calm in a crisis, due to being able to absorb information differently.

Dislike for Jewelry and Certain Fabrics

Most people with ADHD and neurodiverse people have a strong dislike for certain physical sensations. The feeling of jewelry on their neck or wrist, or the tickle of a tag in their clothing is often enough to change their mood. The first thing most people with ADHD will do when they get home is to remove all their accessories and change into comfortable clothing because that is the only way they can relax.

Time Blindness

It’s not unusual for someone with ADHD to “blank out” while they are doing something, only to come around at some point and wonder where the time went. This happens frequently when they are driving; their subconscious mind allows them to drive safely, but they might arrive home and wonder how they got there.

It is a function of many neurodiverse brains that enables them to switch off when doing something mundane or predictable, all the while performing a task perfectly. It can be dangerous but is most often mildly confusing or even amusing.

Interrupting Others When They’re Talking.

People with ADHD do not mean to be rude, but many will often interrupt others when they are talking. Sometimes this is simply because of building excitement. They have become absorbed in conversation and interject because they are overstimulated.

However, most often people with ADHD interrupt people because they will forget the information if they don’t get it out immediately. Their interruptions are often pertinent to the conversation, but they can be disarming.

Finding ADHD Treatment in Silverdale, Washington

Navigating ADHD can be frustrating, but it helps to speak with someone who understands the disorder. If you are struggling, or if you feel alone and helpless in dealing with ADHD, either in yourself or a loved one, consider meeting with me or another Christian counselor in Silverdale, Washington.

Your counselor will give you the space to vent and express yourself and will work with you to develop a plan for coping and even thriving with ADHD. If this is you, contact us today at Silverdale Christian Counseling in Washington. We can connect you to a counselor in our office who can help you.