Yes, the ADHD/mania thing is very similar.

I have ADHD, MDD, and PTSD. My father had bipolar disorder. I have almost all the symptoms of bipolar disorder at various points, but they don't fit the cycling patterns of bipolar disorder. They're from the different disorders I do have (ADHD - hyperactivity, anxiety, rush of activity and thoughts, etc...; PTSD - mood swings, paranoia, extreme edginess, etc...; depression - well...duh, haha). It makes it hard to know if I have the beginning stages of bipolar disorder or whether I just have my other symptoms.

A big thing to consider is that ADHD is constant. It doesn't come and go, although there are days where it's harder to manage. It's not "cyclic" like bipolar disorder.