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Getting an ADHD Diagnosis
A diagnosis of ADHD can alter your life. This is why some people struggle with things like staying focused on their task, following directions and staying organized.
Ask your family physician or your therapist to refer you to a specialist. Contact your insurance company to see if it covers ADHD evaluations for adult patients.
Diagnosis Process
For adults, a valid diagnosis will require an assessment by a psychiatrist, psychologist or specialist nurse. They are the only healthcare professionals who are able to identify ADHD among adults.
Often, an initial assessment will begin with a thorough interview about your life and the symptoms. The healthcare professional will want to know the length of time your symptoms have been a problem and how they affect you. They might also want to speak to a family member or close friend about your symptoms.
The process of evaluating you may include questions about your childhood. Because current guidelines do not permit a doctor to diagnose ADHD in adults without proof of the disorder's presence in childhood, the healthcare professional might want to review your school records or talk with teachers or other people who knew you as a kid. They may also inquire whether you've had any mental health issues, like depression or anxiety.
In certain instances, the evaluator will recommend cognitive testing for example, IQ tests or tests for memory or learning problems. They may also recommend that you take other kinds of medical tests to rule out any physical ailments that could cause your symptoms.
If your healthcare professional is certain that your symptoms are caused by ADHD they might suggest additional tests to confirm and determine the severity of the condition. These tests could include blood and urine testing, a medical exam, and perhaps educational or psychological testing.
Tests are used to determine the concentrations of certain chemicals that may be associated with ADHD in your body, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. They will also check your blood pressure and heart rate. You may also be given an spirometry test, which measures lung capacity. They might also suggest an imaging scan of your brain to check for any structural or functional abnormalities. In some instances, the evaluator may recommend that you or your child be tested for other conditions that have similar symptoms similar to ADHD, such as anxiety and depression or mood and personality disorders.
The Interview
There are many ADHD quizzes and questionnaires which can serve as a screening instrument before you make an appointment with a doctor. These tests can alert you to the possibility that you suffer from ADHD however a doctor's clinical interview is the only method to confirm the diagnosis.
The process can last from between 2 and 3 hours. It includes a time spent explaining to the patient what we know about ADHD and how it might affect his or her symptoms. It may also include the clinician asking about a history of substance abuse or depression, as those problems may co-exist 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 need to look over the school records and speak with teachers. If the patient is an adult spouse or family member could also be questioned. Personal insight can uncover facts that cannot be gleaned from questionnaires.
Some doctors are in a rush and do not complete this step, or they may insist on seeing a patient only once, rather than conducting an extensive evaluation. This could lead to a incorrect diagnosis. If the doctor is too rigid about the criteria for diagnosing ADHD and insists that a patient has to show at least six symptoms to be diagnosed, that's an indication of trouble.
The evaluator could ask adults to rate each symptom they see on an ADHD checklist and then provide examples of how these symptoms have affected their lives. The evaluator then compares the ratings to the checklist and assesses for ADHD.
It can be a relief for some adults to finally be given an ADHD diagnosis. However, the emotions that accompany it -such as guilt over not living up to expectations, or the grief that the disorder wasn't noticed until later in lifeit can be a challenge. getting a adhd diagnosis and inattention that are typical of ADHD can have a significant impact in a variety of areas of an individual's life, such as relationships, career, and health.
The Tests
Finding an ADHD diagnosis can be a difficult and difficult process. It requires lots of paperwork and interviews, as well as tests. The best way to prepare is to get recommendations from family, friends and doctors you are confident with. Check out the credentials of the specialist and make sure that they're a good match for your needs. It is important to locate an expert who is specialized in ADHD diagnosis. This is to ensure that you or your child gets an accurate assessment and the best possible treatment.
The first step in an ADHD assessment is an interview with the assessor. The evaluator will ask you or your child questions to learn more about your symptoms. The evaluator would like to know how the symptoms impact your life and if they impact school, work or relationships. The evaluator could also employ rating scales to measure your ADHD symptoms. These are usually checklists where you or someone you know is asked a series questions. You may be asked if you often forget appointments or how often you interrupt other people.
Many evaluators will also ask people who are familiar with you or your child to fill out questionnaires regarding what they have observed. For adults, this could be spouses or children; for children, it might be teachers, coaches or even daycare workers. Personal experience can reveal facts that cannot be gleaned from a survey.
A few evaluators may also conduct cognitive testing to see if learning or intellectual disabilities contribute to your symptoms. They could also test for mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or depression as well as for signs of psychosis in the early stages or drug abuse. They might even screen for medical conditions that are underlying such as hypothyroidism or seizure disorders.
Certain evaluators might offer you or your children an ADHD screening test to gauge your response to stimuli that are targeted and non-target. The TOVA (Timed On Only Visual Attention) is a computer-based test cleared by the FDA that tests your ability to pay close attention and recall a variety of geometric shapes. The evaluator will examine how often you respond non-target stimuli, and how long it takes you to respond to targeted stimuli. This will help the evaluators determine whether you have an impulsive ADHD or inattentive ADHD.
Follow-up
Multiple mental health professionals are able to diagnose ADHD and provide ADHD evaluations. This could be a psychologist or psychiatrist or neurotherapist or psychotherapist. The specialist will want know what your concerns are and how long the issues have been occurring. He will also ask about any family history of ADHD. The disorder is believed to be 70-80% heritable. Genes play a major influence on whether your child or you be affected.
He will ask about how ADHD affects you or your child at home, school and at work. He will ask about your or your child's behavior across various environments, since the signs of ADHD are different when they occur in different situations. In addition, to be eligible for an assessment of ADHD you or your child must exhibit six or more documented signs of hyperactivity or inattention and impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning for a minimum of 6 months.
To make a correct diagnosis, the doctor will need to rule other conditions out. This could include other psychiatric disorders including anxiety and mood disorders, intellectual disabilities, and certain medical conditions that affect the brain, like thyroid disorders. The doctor will also inquire about your child or yourself's sleep habits and any injuries or accidents in the past that could have affected your child or your own brain development.
The doctor will also determine whether the symptoms of ADHD in your child or you are caused by any health condition or medications that you or your child take. Side effects of stimulant medications like those used to treat ADHD, can include stomachaches and difficulty sleeping. Other drugs, such as antidepressants as well as some sleep medications are also prone to these side effects.
Finally, the doctor will determine if a comorbidity is present, which means that you or your child is suffering from a different condition that may cause symptoms of ADHD like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, or an eating disorder. The psychiatrist or psychologist will examine all of the data and determine the diagnosis.
