When Zoe Kessler’s father died, she felt that her life had derailed. She was scattered and unable to focus. And with her dad gone, she had no way to get herself “back on track.”

“I became massively overwhelmed,” recalls Kessler, a writer who lives in Owen Sound. “I found myself spinning and going from room to room in my apartment and not quite knowing what I should be doing next.”

A friend suspected she had ADHD and suggested she talk to her doctor about it. At age 46, Kessler was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

She finally understood why she had always been so impulsive, why she felt so overwhelmed in university and had such rapid-fire thoughts.

Although it’s often thought of as a children’s disease, ADHD is also one of the most underrecognized conditions in adults, says Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Tim Bilkey. Kessler’s story is one of many Bilkey shares in his book, Fast Minds: How to Thrive if You Have ADHD (Or Think You Might)Fast Minds: How to Thrive if You Have ADHD (Or Think You Might), in stores Tuesday.

The issue is gaining prominence: The May 2013 release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), used to diagnose psychiatric disorders, is expected to recognize adult ADHD for the first time. Psychiatrists currently diagnose adults based on rating scales they’ve independently created, and on their patients’ childhood history.

Bilkey runs an ADHD clinic for adults in Barrie and one in Toronto specifically for women, which is among the first of its kind in the world. He co-authored Fast Minds with Dr. Craig Surman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the scientific co-ordinator of the Adult ADHD Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

ADHD is often thought of as a children’s disorder because it begins in childhood and affects 6 to 9 per cent of school-aged kids, says Bilkey. The condition often gets missed amongst females because girls are less likely than boys to be hyperactive and tend to be more forgetful, inattentive, and impulsive.

But more than half of children diagnosed with ADHD continue into adulthood to exhibit symptoms — the most persistent being distractibility, which can wreak havoc with educational, personal and professional goals, says Bilkey.

An estimated 4 per cent of adults have ADHD. But only one in 10 adults with the condition are diagnosed, and many of those who don’t quietly struggle, blame themselves and feel badly about their life, says Bilkey. Interestingly, many women get diagnosed when their children get assessed for ADHD, which has a genetic component.

Part of the issue is that the very name ADHD is a misnomer, particularly for adults who don’t often exhibit hyperactivity. The adult symptoms are encompassed in the book’s title, which is an acronym for Forgetful, Achieving below potential, Stuck in a rut, Time challenged, Motivationally challenged, Impulsive, Novelty seeking, Distractible and Scattered. FAST MINDS is also the name of the educational program Bilkey developed to help recognize ADHD in adults, which has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Skeptics argue that ADHD in adults is not a valid diagnosis, but rather a way for drug companies to grow their market. But Bilkey says the science exists to validate the condition.

Untreated ADHD in adults can have disastrous results, he says. It can lead to dropping out of school, relationship problems, financial difficulties and professional woes. But someone’s life can take a completely different trajectory with treatment.

For Kessler, now 54, treatment has helped get her life back on track. Her therapy includes taking a stimulant and doing exercise, yoga and meditation.

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“It helped me to cope with the challenges I had while being able to be more productive (as a writer) and accomplish my dreams and move forward,” she says. Kessler blogs on PsychCentral.com about her condition and has also written a book for women with ADHD, which will be released this fall.

“I’m rebuilding my self esteem and my belief in myself, so that I’m willing to take more risks with my writing.”