What Is Inattentive ADHD? ADHD Traits, Causes, and Support
- Kaitlyn Boudreault
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Life can feel like a juggling act with the constant need to find balance between work, school, relationships, to-do lists, and personal responsibilities.
For those with inattentive ADHD, there exists a daily struggle to function while completing these tasks, including zoning out mid-conversation, forgetting deadlines, losing track of items, and daydreaming during times when you need to stay focused.
Does this sound like you? These challenges are not due to a lack of trying. Inattentive ADHD is a common challenge, especially for girls and women.
The experiences may be different than the stereotype of ADHD, which tends to be hyperactive, but the traits are disruptive, and an ADHD coach or neurodiversity-affirming therapist could be of support.
In this guide, we’ll explore inattentive ADHD in further detail, including its traits, causes, and common co-occurring challenges, along with some strategies and support.
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental condition and a form of neurodivergence. It impacts how you think, feel, and interact with the world around you.
Key brain areas involved in executive functioning, including attention, emotional regulation, time management, working memory, and impulse control, are affected in those with ADHD.
While ADHD is often portrayed as hyperactivity and the individual who can’t sit still, there are three presentations for this condition:
Inattentive
Hyperactive-Impulsive
Combined (features of both)
ADHD is a highly heritable condition, and symptoms usually appear in childhood but persist into adulthood. Approximately 336 million people worldwide have ADHD.
But due to stereotypes about ADHD and the gaps in diagnostic practices, it’s underdiagnosed in women and girls, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals.
What Is Inattentive Type ADHD?
Inattentive type ADHD, which was formerly called ADD, is marked by several key symptoms, including difficulty sustaining attention, disorganization, forgetfulness, and mental fatigue.
Unlike those with the hyperactive type, people with inattentive ADHD may seem calm on the outside, and they may be able to sit still, but they are often overwhelmed in ways that aren’t seen.
Common signs of this type of ADHD include:
Getting easily distracted by stimuli
Losing and misplacing items frequently
Missing or forgetting details
Making careless mistakes
Struggling to follow instructions
Forgetting conversations
Zoning out during meetings, appointments, or reading
This presentation of ADHD is often difficult to detect because it doesn’t fit into the typical loud ADHD stereotype of bouncing off the walls or having a boatload of energy.
As a result, many people have inattentive ADHD that tend to be wrongfully labelled as lazy or unmotivated as a child, only to find out that the reality is that they have ADHD and they have to work twice as hard to stay on track and focus.
As a result, many with inattentive ADHD are labeled lazy, unmotivated, or dreamy—when in reality, they’re working twice as hard to stay on track.
What Causes Inattentive ADHD?
ADHD, including the inattentive type, doesn’t have one specific cause, but it is believed to be rooted in genetics and neurological differences that affect the way the brain functions.
Some brain imaging studies show differences in specific brain areas involved in attention, including the prefrontal cortex, and dopaminergic pathways.
In those with ADHD, these systems tend to be underactive or develop slowly. As a result, these differences in brain function impact motivation, concentration, and executive functioning.
Inattentive ADHD may also be impacted by genetics and environmental factors.
If your family member has ADHD, you may be more likely to have ADHD also.
Poor sleep, diet, and overstimulating environments can worsen ADHD symptoms.
Co-Occurring Conditions with Inattentive ADHD
Many people with inattentive ADHD typically experience co-occurring mental health and/or learning challenges.
The symptoms of these conditions may mask or exacerbate ADHD symptoms, which makes the diagnosis more complex.
Some common co-occurrences include:
Anxiety disorders: The chronic worry or fear involved in anxiety can mimic or exacerbate the distractibility shown in those with ADHD.
Depression: Difficulty with focus and motivation may occur in both those with depression and ADHD.
Learning disabilities: Dyslexia, dyscalculia, or auditory processing disorders occur at a higher rate in those with ADHD than in the general population.
Autism: ADHD and autism co-occur at high rates, such that there is a name for this co-occurrence known as AuDHD.
Sleep disorders: Individuals with ADHD may develop poor sleep habits. Poor sleep can impact the concentration, memory, and mood of those with ADHD, further exacerbating the symptoms of ADHD.
These high rates of overlapping traits are a reason why individuals should seek out an assessment by a neurodiversity-affirming provider to understand the full picture.
Focus-Boosting Strategies for Inattentive ADHD
Now that we understand inattentive ADHD more through a compassionate and neurodiversity-affirming lens, we can look into personalized strategies (with or without medication) that could help you manage focus and executive functioning.
Time Awareness Tools: Use digital timers, Pomodoro apps, or visual clocks to bring structure to your day. Try setting a 25-minute timer for focus work, followed by a 5-minute break.
Visual Task Lists: Use reusable checklists, whiteboards, or sticky notes in visible areas. Externalizing memory helps reduce mental overload.
Body Doubling: Work alongside someone, virtually or in person, to boost focus and motivation.
Minimize Cluttered Environments: Reduce visual and auditory noise. Try noise-cancelling headphones, low-stimulation spaces, or scent anchors like essential oils.
Task Chunking: Break large tasks into micro-steps to build momentum.
Morning & Evening Anchors: Establish predictable routines to bookend your day and reduce cognitive fatigue.
Name the Distractor: When you lose focus, ask yourself what just distracted you. Then gently bring your attention back.
Compassionate Reframing: Instead of criticizing yourself, try: “My brain likes to wander. I’m gently guiding it back.”
Exercise: Sometimes, a brain break can help improve your focus and get you back on track.
Medication: A Personalized Option
If you have decided to consider medication for inattentive ADHD, consult with your healthcare provider to explore your options and monitor your responses.
When used with coaching, therapy, and other lifestyle strategies, medication can be a valuable support.
Book a Free Consultation
Do you feel scattered, disorganized, or like your brain is behind by 10 steps? Blue Sky Learning has ADHD therapists and coaches specialized in inattentive ADHD who are here to help.
They will help you develop personalized support that works with your brain, not against it.
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