Getting an ADHD Diagnosis
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis can be a life-changing experience. It is the reason why some people struggle with staying organized, following directions or staying focused.
Ask your family doctor or therapist to refer you to an expert. Contact your insurance company to see if it covers ADHD assessments for adults.
The Diagnosis Process
For adults, a correct diagnosis will require an evaluation by a psychologist, psychiatrist or specialist nurse. These are the only healthcare providers who can determine the presence of ADHD in adults.
Usually, an initial assessment will begin with a thorough interview about your life and symptoms. The healthcare professional may also ask how long you have had symptoms and how they affect your life. They might also suggest that you speak to a family member or close friend about your symptoms.
The process of evaluation could also include questions about your childhood. The current guidelines allow doctors to diagnose ADHD without evidence that the disorder existed during childhood. So the healthcare professional will need to review your school records and talk to people who knew you when you were an infant. They'll also ask if you have experienced any other mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety.
In some cases an evaluator could recommend cognitive tests, such as IQ tests or assessments for learning or memory issues. They may also recommend different types of medical tests to rule out physical issues that might be the cause of your symptoms, such as seizures or thyroid issues.
If the healthcare professional is confident that your symptoms are caused by ADHD, they will recommend further diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine its severity. These tests may include urine and blood tests, medical examinations as well as psychological or educational testing.
Tests are used to measure levels of certain chemicals that are associated with ADHD in your body, for example dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. They will also test your heart rate and blood pressure. You could also receive the spirometry test to determine your lung capacity. They might also suggest a brain imaging scan to look for functional or structural problems. In some cases the evaluator could suggest that you or your child be evaluated for other conditions that have similar symptoms to ADHD, such as depression and anxiety or mood and personality disorders.
The Interview
There are plenty of ADHD quizzes and questionnaires that can act as a screening tool prior to you schedule an appointment with a doctor. These tests can be useful in alerting you to the possibility of ADHD however the only way to get a diagnosis is through an expert medical professional who conducts a thorough clinical interview and does not rush into prescribing drugs.
This process can last between 2 to 3 hours. It involves explaining to the patient about ADHD and the possible impact it has on their symptoms. It could also involve the clinician asking about a past history of depression or abuse of substances, as those problems 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. Additionally, the therapist will want to review school records and talk to teachers. If the patient is an adult, a spouse or family members could also be questioned. Personal experience can reveal information that is not possible to obtain through questionnaires.
Some doctors are overloaded and don't bother with this step or they might insist on seeing a patient just one time, rather than carrying out a full examination. This could lead a doctor to make an incorrect diagnosis. If a doctor is too fundamentalist about the criteria for diagnosing ADHD and insists that a patient has to show at least six symptoms for a diagnosis it's an indication of trouble.
For adults, the evaluator could request that the patient complete scores for each of the symptoms on an ADHD checklist and provide examples of how these symptoms have impacted their lives. The evaluator compares the scores to the checklist and determines if there is ADHD.
For some adults, it can be a relief to receive a diagnosis of ADHD. However, the emotions that accompany it -such as guilt over not living up to expectations, or regret that the disorder was not recognized until later in life -are often complicated. The impulsivity and inattention that characterize ADHD can have serious implications in a variety of areas of a person's life, including relationships, work and health.
The Tests
Finding an ADHD diagnosis is a challenging and confusing process. It involves a lot of paperwork and interviews, as well as tests. The best method to prepare is to seek recommendations from friends, family and doctors you trust. You should also research the specialist and their professional credentials to ensure they're a good match to your requirements. It is important to locate an expert who is specialized in ADHD diagnosis. This is to ensure you or your child receives an accurate evaluation and the best treatment possible.
The initial step of an ADHD assessment is an interview with an evaluator. The evaluator will ask questions about your child or you to learn more about your symptoms. The evaluator wants to know how the symptoms affect you and whether they interfere with your work, school or your relationships. The evaluator might also employ rating scales that measure your ADHD symptoms. These are usually checklists where you or someone you know is asked a set of questions. For example, you might be asked if you frequently miss appointments, or you might be asked how often you interrupt others.
Many evaluators also solicit people who know you and your child well to fill out questionnaires about their observations of your behavior. For adults, this could be spouses and siblings for children. It could be coaches, teachers and nannies, or daycare workers. Personal insight can uncover information that cannot be gleaned from a survey.
The evaluators can also perform cognitive testing to see whether learning or intellectual impairments contribute to your symptoms. They could also test for mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder as well as for signs of psychosis in the early stages or drug abuse. They could also screen for underlying conditions such as seizure disorders and hypothyroidism.
A few evaluators will offer you or your children an ADHD screening test to measure your response to target and nontarget stimuli. The TOVA (Timed On Only Visual Attention) is a computerized test cleared by the FDA that tests your ability to pay close attention and retain a variety of geometric shapes. how to get an adult adhd diagnosis will look at the frequency with which you respond to non-targeted stimuli and how long it takes for you to respond to target stimuli. This can help evaluators determine if you suffer from impulsive ADHD or inattentive ADHD.
Follow-up
Multiple mental health professionals are able to diagnose ADHD and offer ADHD evaluations. It could be a psychologist or psychiatrist, a psychotherapist or neurologist. The doctor will want to know the cause of your concern and how long the issues have been recurring for. The doctor will also inquire whether there is a family history of ADHD. It is thought that the disorder is 70%-80 percent inheritable and that genes play a big role in determining whether you or your child will suffer from symptoms.
He will inquire about how ADHD affects you or your child at home, at school and at work. He will inquire about your your child's behavior in different settings, because the symptoms of ADHD are different when they are encountered in different settings. In addition, to qualify for an assessment of ADHD, your or your child must have at least six distinct signs of inattention or hyperactivity and impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning for at least 6 months.
To make a correct diagnosis, the specialist will need to rule other conditions out. These may include psychiatric conditions that are not listed above, anxiety and mood disorders, intellectual disabilities, and medical conditions that affect the brain, like thyroid disorders. The specialist will also ask about your child's or yourself's habits of sleep and any injuries or accidents in the past that might have impacted your child's or your own brain development.
He will also take into consideration whether your your child's ADHD symptoms are linked to any other health issues or medications you or your child are taking. For example, stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can result in side effects like stomachaches and difficulty sleeping. These side effects can be caused by other medications, including sleep medications, antidepressants and certain sleep aids.
Finally, the doctor will determine if a comorbidity is present, which means that your child or you is suffering from another illness that could cause symptoms of ADHD like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, or eating disorder. The psychiatrist or psychologist will examine the data and determine an assessment.