executive function

How Executive Dysfunction Can Affect Your Career

Executive function controls a wide range of behaviors and mental skills. It’s responsible for organizing behavior and enabling you to succeed in various aspects of your life. Executive dysfunction is not a stand-alone diagnosis; it’s typically co-morbid with other mental illnesses such as depression, attention disorders, and neurological disorders. When you struggle with this mental health problem, it can impact every area of your life, including your career. Here’s a brief overview of the effect this diagnosis can have on your work life.

The Symptoms of Executive Dysfunction

There’s a long list of symptoms that you may experience as a result of executive dysfunction. You may notice memory loss, problems starting tasks, problems staying organized, impulsive behavior, problem-solving difficulties, learning difficulties, difficulty interacting with others, and more. Some or all these symptoms may be present, and each of them can impact various skills that you need to do your job successfully.

How These Symptoms Impact Skills

Executive dysfunction can negatively affect skills such as organizing and planning, concentrating, processing and analyzing information, time management, and multitasking. Struggling with these skills can heavily impact your ability to stay focused on goals and achieve them. As a result, staying on course in your career and reaching your full potential can be difficult.

The Effect on Your Career

Employers typically prioritize employees who demonstrate organization, task completion and multitasking skills.  The ability to perform at the required level for your position may be impacted when you struggle with executive dysfunction. Behaviors associated with this diagnosis can also affect your career. For example, acting impulsively outside of work culture norms can have a detrimental impact.

What Can You Do?

Treatment for executive dysfunction starts with diagnosing the underlying problem. According to Active Minds, about 50% of mental disorders will be apparent by the time an individual is around the age of 14, and about 75% of mental disorders appear by the age of 24. However, in many cases, mental health problems aren’t officially diagnosed for a long time. Your first step in treating your executive dysfunction is to identify the cause.

As mentioned earlier, executive dysfunction is not a stand-alone disorder but a symptom of another mental health problem. Treating this problem will help you to manage your executive dysfunction and potentially lead to greater success in your career. The first step is getting a diagnosis. Contact Elements Psychological Services today to learn more about how we can help you.