• Persistent motor hyperactivity: You may feel restless, be unable to relax or settle down, or be discontent while active.

• Attention difficulties: You may have trouble keeping your mind on a conversation. You may be constantly aware of other things going on around you even when you try to filter them out. You may have difficulty reading or finishing a task or you may experience frequent forgetfulness.

• Affective lability: This means that you can shift from a normal mood to depression or excitement, and these shifts can be either reactive or spontaneous.

• Disorganization or inability to complete tasks: You may be disorganized at work, home, or school. You frequently do not complete tasks or you switch from one task to another.

• Short temper with short-lived explosive outbursts: You may lose control for short times or be easily provoked or constantly irritable, and these problems may interfere with your personal relationships.

• Impulsivity: Impulsiveness may be minor (for example, talking before thinking, interrupting conversation, impatience) or major. Abruptly starting or stopping relationships (for example, multiple marriages, separations), antisocial behavior (for example, shoplifting), and excessive involvement in pleasurable activities without recognizing possible consequences (for example, buying spree) are examples of major impulsivity. The bottom line is that if you wait to do something, you experience discomfort.

• Emotional overreaction: You react excessively or inappropriately with depression, confusion, uncertainty, anxiety, or anger to ordinary stresses. These emotional responses interfere with your ability to solve problems.

Other conditions, such as major affective disorder, schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and schizophrenia must be ruled out.