Getting an ADHD Diagnosis

Getting an ADHD diagnosis can be a life altering experience. It is the reason why people struggle with things like staying focused on their task, following directions and staying organized.

Ask your family doctor or your therapist to refer you to an expert. Contact your insurance provider to see if it covers ADHD evaluations for adult patients.

Diagnosis Process

For adults, a proper diagnosis requires an evaluation by a psychiatrist, psychologist or specialist nurse. They are the only healthcare professionals who can determine ADHD in adults.

Usually, an initial assessment will start with a thorough interview about your life and symptoms. The healthcare professional will also be interested in knowing how long it has been a problem and how they impact your daily life. They may ask you to speak to a close family member or friend about your symptoms.

The process of evaluation could also include questions about your childhood. Since current guidelines don't permit a doctor to diagnose ADHD in adults without evidence of the disorder's presence in childhood, the healthcare professional might be able to examine your school records or talk with teachers or other people who knew you as a kid. They will also ask whether you've had any mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression.

In certain instances an evaluator might suggest cognitive tests, like IQ testing or assessments for learning or memory issues. They may also recommend different types of medical tests to rule out physical issues that may be the cause of your symptoms, for instance seizures or thyroid disorders.

If the healthcare professional is convinced that your symptoms are due to ADHD They will suggest additional tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine its severity. These tests may include urine and blood tests and a medical exam and perhaps educational or psychological testing.

Tests will be used to determine the levels of specific chemicals that are associated with ADHD in your body, such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. They will also test your heart rate and blood pressure. You may also be given the spirometry test to determine your lung capacity. They may also recommend that you undergo an examination of your brain to look for structural or functional abnormalities. In certain instances your evaluator may suggest that you or a child be evaluated for any conditions that have similar symptoms to ADHD, like anxiety and depression, or mood and personality disorders.

The Interview

There are a variety of ADHD tests and diagnosis for adhd in adults quizzes that you can use as a screening tool, prior to scheduling an appointment with your doctor. These tests can alert you to the possibility that you may have ADHD, but an interview with a doctor is the only way to confirm the diagnosis.

This process could take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours and includes explaining to the patient what we know about ADHD and how to get diagnosed with adhd it could affect their symptoms. It may also include the clinician asking about a history of substance abuse or depression since these conditions can co-occur with ADHD.

A good diagnostic interview will involve a discussion of the patient's symptoms and their impact, and the psychologist or psychiatrist will use a checklist designed to evaluate hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattentiveness. The clinician will also want to look over the student's school records and speak with teachers. If the patient is an older adult, they might also interview a spouse or family member. Personal experience can reveal information that can't be gleaned from questionnaires.

Some doctors rush through this process or insist on only seeing a patient once instead of conducting a thorough assessment. This can cause to a doctor making an incorrect diagnosis. If the doctor is too fundamentalist about the criteria used to diagnose ADHD and states that a patient must display six or more symptoms to be diagnosed, that's a red flag.

The evaluator could ask adults to rate each symptom they see on an ADHD checklist, and then provide examples of how these afflictions have affected their lives. The evaluator compares the ratings to the checklist and determines if there is ADHD.

For certain adults, it may be a relief to finally be diagnosed with ADHD. But the underlying emotions -- such as guilt for not living up to expectations, or regret that the disorder wasn't noticed until later in life -it can be a challenge. The impulsivity and inattention that characterize ADHD can have severe implications in many areas of the life of a person, including relationships, career and health.

The Tests

It can be challenging and confusing to obtain an ADHD diagnosis. It requires a lot of paperwork, interviews and tests. You can prepare by obtaining recommendations from trusted doctors, family members and friends. Examine the credentials of the doctor and ensure that they're a good match for your requirements. It is important to locate a specialist that specializes in ADHD diagnosis. This is to ensure you or your child gets an accurate diagnosis and the most effective treatment.

The initial step of an ADHD assessment is an interview with an assessor. The evaluator may ask you or your child questions to find out more about your symptoms. The evaluator would like to know how the symptoms affect you and whether they impact your work, school or your relationships. The evaluator could also employ rating scales to assess your ADHD symptoms. These are usually checklists where you or someone you know is asked a set of questions. You might be asked whether you are prone to forgetting appointments or how often you interrupt other people.

Many evaluators also solicit people who know you or your child well to fill out questionnaires about their observations of your behavior. For adults, this could include spouses and siblings for children. It might be teachers, coaches or even daycare workers. Personal insight can reveal facts that cannot be gleaned from a survey.

Some evaluators will also perform cognitive tests to determine if learning or intellectual disabilities are contributing to your symptoms. They may also test for mood disorders like bipolar disorder or depression and incipient psychosis, or substance abuse. They might also test for underlying conditions like hypothyroidism and seizure disorders.

Certain evaluators might offer you or your children an ADHD screening test to gauge the way you react to non-target and target stimuli. For instance the TOVA (Timed On-Only Visual Attention) is an FDA-approved computer-based test that tests your ability to pay attention and remember a series of geometric shapes. The examiner will assess the frequency at which you respond to non-target stimuli, and how long it takes you to respond to the target stimuli. This will help the evaluators identify the type of ADHD you have either Inattentive or impulsive.

The Follow-Up

Several kinds of mental health professionals are able to provide ADHD evaluations and make a diagnosis. This could be a psychiatrist or psychologist, neurotherapist or psychotherapist. The specialist will inquire about what your concerns are, and how long these problems have been affecting you for. The doctor will also inquire about any family history of ADHD. It is believed that the disorder is 70%-80% heritable and that genes play a big role in determining if you or your child will suffer from symptoms.

He will ask about how ADHD affects you or your child at home, school, and work. He will inquire about your or your child's behavior across various situations, as the signs of ADHD are different when they occur in different settings. To be diagnosed with ADHD you or your child require at least six symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention, or impulsivity that hinders the daily activities. This must last at minimum for six months.

To aid the doctor in making an accurate diagnosis for adhd in adults, they will need to rule out any other conditions. These may include psychiatric disorders that are not listed, mood and anxiety disorders, Diagnosis for adhd in adults intellectual disabilities and medical conditions that affect the brain, such as thyroid disorders. In addition, the specialist will ask about your or your child's sleeping patterns as well as any previous injuries or accidents that might have affected the development of your or your child's brain.

The doctor will also examine whether the symptoms of ADHD in your children or yourself are caused by any health condition or medications that you or your child are taking. For instance, stimulant medicines used to treat ADHD can sometimes result in side effects like stomachaches and insomnia. These side effects could also be caused by other medications, including sleep medications, antidepressants, and a few sleep aids.

The specialist will also need to determine if there is an underlying comorbidity. This means you or your child may be suffering from another illness that could cause symptoms of ADHD. This can include bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety disorder. The psychologist or psychiatrist will examine the data and make an assessment.