Getting a Diagnosis for ADHD
The first step to manage symptoms that hinder your education, work or relationships is to obtain a diagnosis of ADHD. Your primary care physician can refer you to an expert in mental health to perform an ADHD assessment.
Interview people who are familiar to you, such as your coworkers, friends, and former teachers or religious leaders. Your evaluator will also need information about your health issues in environments outside of the office, like your home or workplace.
Symptoms
It can be difficult to determine ADHD in a child or an adult who has been suffering from symptoms for a very long period of. To be eligible for an ADHD diagnosis, a person must exhibit at least six established signs of hyperactivity or inattention and impulsivity that significantly impair daily functioning, such as making mistakes in school or at work, or ignoring important things. These symptoms must have started in childhood, before age 12. They cannot be caused by another disorder, like depression or anxiety.
Your doctor will conduct a physical exam and review the medical family, mental, and health history of your child or you. They will also look at how your child behaves in different environments, including school and at home. They may request that you speak to other people about your child's behavior, for example, parents, friends, teachers, and coaches.
A thorough assessment will determine whether ADHD is the cause of the person's problem and the best treatment to take. For instance, if someone's ADHD symptoms are mostly due to an impulsive nature, they may require medication that affects the dopamine system. They may also need to address underlying health problems, such as depression or anxiety.
During the interview, your or your child's health provider will ask questions about their symptoms or yours, how they have affected your life and the length of time you've been experiencing them. They will also discuss the child's previous health and behavioral history. They will ask if you or your children have a an ancestral history of ADHD. It is very heritable.
If you or your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, a mental health professional can offer support and guidance as you adjust to living with the condition. Therapy can give you the chance to explore your or the child's feelings, such as frustration, shame and regrets about how the disorder has affected your or their lives. It can also help develop more effective ways to manage the condition in your child's or your daily life.
Diagnosis
For ADHD to be recognized the symptoms must meet certain requirements. These symptoms are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). ADHD can cause people to be unable to concentrate at school or work. Inattentiveness and impulsiveness can also make it difficult for them to maintain friendships or relationships.
A professional, such as a doctor or mental health provider, will talk to you to determine if you suffer from ADHD. You may be asked to bring old report cards or other documentation from your childhood to aid in identifying past problems. The specialist will also look at the person's current and past family medical, social, and mental health history.
It is important to know that many people don't have ADHD symptoms or don't display enough signs of the condition to be diagnosed. The majority of healthy children exhibit inattention and hyperactive behaviors from time to time. Young children have limited attention spans and are often unable to stick with a single activity for long. Even older children or teenagers may have difficulty to concentrate on something boring or boring for long.
Consult your pediatrician when you notice these signs in your child. They might also suggest an expert doctor in the field of developmental and behavioral disorders. You can ask friends and family members for recommendations or search the internet for specialists who specialize in ADHD evaluations. It is also important to be aware of the possibility that your child could be suffering from a sleep disorder or another physical condition that can cause similar symptoms.
In the meeting with your health professional, it's important to tell the truth about the symptoms you're experiencing. The health care professional may need to speak with an ex-teacher or someone who was close to you as a child. He or she might also take a look at the individual's work and social life to determine how the symptoms affect them. The doctor will evaluate the person and determine if he/she is suffering from ADHD. If the individual does have ADHD The specialist will recommend a treatment program.
Treatment
It is best to consult your doctor if you suspect that you may have ADHD. They will refer you to a mental health professional who will conduct an evaluation and determine an diagnosis. The mental health professional may ask you about your symptoms and review your medical and family history. They will also use the standardized behavior rating scales as well as ADHD symptom checklists. They may also ask your permission to talk to your family, friends, and coworkers in order to gain a better understanding of how you function in various environments and situations. They may also give you tests for neuropsychology or psychological testing to determine your working memory and executive function (ability to make decisions and plan) spatial and visual abilities, and reasoning.
During an evaluation, your doctor will determine the extent to which you have ADHD symptoms and whether they are predominately inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive or combined. The doctor will also look at when the symptoms began and if they were present since the age of.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides guidelines for adults. These guidelines suggest that you need to have at minimum five of the following symptoms to be considered as a diagnosis of ADHD:
Your doctor will prescribe medications to help manage your symptoms. There are stimulant and nonstimulant medications, and it may take several attempts to find the one that works best for you. Tell your doctor if any other medications are being taken, particularly those for depression or heart problems. These medications can interfere with certain ADHD medications. Herbal supplements and complementary health practices can be used to treat ADHD. These interventions are not evidence-based because they haven't been proven to be effective in treating ADHD symptoms.
Counseling
While there is no single test to determine ADHD A comprehensive assessment typically involves standardized tests and interviews. Mental health professionals, such as psychologists social workers, social workers and advanced practice nurses, are the best qualified to diagnose because they understand how the condition impacts different aspects of a person's life. They can also identify other conditions which may cause similar symptoms. In the course of an examination it is vital that the person be able to discuss their symptoms without fear of embarrassment. I Am Psychiatry must be prepared to answer any questions the healthcare professional might have regarding their school and childhood experiences. Some therapists will request permission to speak with relatives, friends and spouses in order to gain information about the symptoms of a patient.
Many adults with ADHD forget appointments, miss deadlines, and make decisions that strain the patience of even their most patient coworkers, friends and partners. Therapy that is focused on these issues can aid them in developing strategies to control their impulsivity, improve their organizational skills, and learn to manage and regulate their own behavior. They may also benefit from attending classes that teach effective conflict resolution, problem solving and improving relationships.
Counseling services are offered in community centers, private practices and specialty clinics for people with ADHD. The majority of them are run by a licensed therapist and some offer group therapy. Some also provide support groups for parents of children suffering from ADHD, education about the disorder and treatment options, as well as other resources.
Counseling for ADHD can be the most efficient when it is coupled with medication and behavior therapy. A therapist can employ cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to teach a person with ADHD how to identify the negative habits of mind that contribute to their symptoms and change them. Counseling can help a person who is always worried about not finishing a task in time to learn how to reward themselves when they complete the task. They can also develop self-management systems to manage routine tasks, such as setting an alarm for waking up and placing their schoolbags and clothes in the same spot every morning.