How Is ADHD Diagnosed In Adults

Some of the common people and medical experts, such as a GP or a psychiatrist are of the opinion that adults do not have ADHD. But, this is not true! Adults can have ADHD. So, if you feel that you are suffering from ADHD, listed below are the steps of the diagnosis process that you are advised to go through.

1. Consult a GP and discuss what makes you recognize that you might be having ADHD.
2. Ask the GP to examine you physically and mentally (even if he/she is of the opinion that ADHD is not a disorder to be found in adults).
3. Get a reference from the GP of a psychiatrist for diagnosis if he/she suggest you for the same, as it is difficult for the GP to alone diagnose ADHD.
4. Visit the referred specialist for a proper and complete diagnosis.

Be prepare to wait in the queues, as there can be a line of patients that vary in number depending on the area, visiting your GP and the referred specialist.

The extent to which adults can remain unknown about the presence of this disease within themselves is that they often come to know when their child is diagnosed with ADHD. Further, according to a little research done on adult ADHD only in America, about eight million adults are affected by ADHD in the U.S. itself. Amazed at these facts? But, they are true! Do not let this happen to you. Go for a check up immediately on any suspicion.

If you contact your local ADHD support group, you will get information about the private specialists in adult ADHD in your residing or official areas. A private specialist in adult ADHD works with your local authority and accepts an NHS referral. Currently, there are two NHS centres dealing with adult ADHD and accept the referrals of a GP or consultant psychiatrist only. These two NHS clinics are:

• Maudsley Hospital in London
• Addenbrooks Hospital in Cambridge

Sometimes, the co-existing disorders along with ADHD make it difficult to detect ADHD, because they might get diagnosed; but not ADHD. These disorders are:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Substance use disorders
• Learning disabilities

Checklist of ADHD Symptoms

Listed below are the symptoms of ADHD, out of which if you exhibit 12 at the minimum, you are suffering from ADHD.

• A feeling of not able to achieve your goals irrespective of how much you have really accomplished
• Difficulty in being organized
• Chronic procrastination
• Difficulty in managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Speaking whatever comes to mind irrespective of the time or suitability of the remark
• Searching for more motivation frequently
• Intolerance of tediousness
• Getting easily distracted
• Difficult in paying attention
• Seem to move out in the middle of a discussion or while reading something, but when with it, seem to hyper focus
• Being creative and highly intelligent
• Difficulty in implementing a systematic procedure
• Impatient
• Difficulty in bearing frustration
• Impulsiveness (orally or in action), for instance, changing plans quickly, being hot-tempered
• Worrying without any reason endlessly
• Disregarding actual dangers
• Looking into a prospect to seek something to worry about
• A sense of insecurity
• Constant changes of moods, specially when not engaged in work or talking to a person
• Physical or mental restlessness
• Addiction in behavior
• Chronic problems with self-confidence
• Inexact self-observation
• Family history of ADHD
• Manic-depressive illness or depression
• Substance misuse or other mood disorders

Source

Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward M Hallowell, MD, and John J Ratey, MD (Fourth Estate, London 1996)

Preparation for Appointment with Your GP

Here are some tips to prepare yourself before attending an appointment with the GP.

• Observe the symptoms and collect evidences that indicate you seriously have them. Try to maintain a diary of the symptoms that you exhibit in your daily life and take it along to show to the GP.
• Seek for some up-to-date research related to ADHD.
• Collect old school reports.
• Gather and bring any job evaluation if you feel that you have problems in your office.

At the First Appointment

When you visit your GP for the first time, your GP will:

• Enquire about the medical history of your entire family including yourself too.
• Find out your childhood history to detect when ADHD started with you, as the diagnosis might never have been done at the time of childhood
• Conduct a medical examination to skip other medical conditions such as thyroid problems.
• Speak to a family member who is close to you and knows you very well for more information.

After the above tasks, your GP might refer you to a specialist for diagnosis.

At the Appointment of a Specialist

Similar to a GP, the psychiatrist will require:

• Your medical past
• Past and current symptoms of ADHD
• Your school and work history
• Your psychiatric history along with the prescribed medications

Further, the psychiatrist might conduct psychometric testing to look for a learning disability. Next, the psychiatrist will assess your concentration, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity using a rating scale, which can be one of the following:

• DSM-IV (for children)
• Wender Utah
• Brown
• Conners

ADHD Treatment after Diagnosis

A combination of the treatments including the ones below can be offered.

• Making the family members aware of ADHD and teaching them how to deal with it
• Prescribed medications, such as stimulants, atomoxetine, or tricyclic antidepressants
• Counseling
• Time management and behaviour management strategies

You can also contact support groups that can teach you to deal with common problems related to work and family life.

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