The Little-Known Benefits Of Getting An ADHD Diagnosis
Getting an ADHD Diagnosis
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis can be a life-changing experience. It is the reason why some people struggle with staying in control, following directions or staying focused.
Ask your family doctor or therapist to refer you to an expert. Also be sure to check with your insurance to see if they cover ADHD evaluations for adults.
Diagnosis Process
A psychologist, psychiatrist or specialist nurse will need to evaluate adults in order to make a proper diagnosis. They are the only healthcare professionals who can diagnose ADHD in adults.
An in-depth interview about you and your symptoms is usually the first step in a preliminary assessment. The healthcare professional will also be interested in knowing the length of time your symptoms have been a problem and how they impact you. They may also ask to talk to a family member or close friend about your symptoms.
The evaluation process will also include questions about your childhood. The current guidelines do allow doctors to diagnose ADHD without proving that the disorder was present during childhood. So, the healthcare professional will need to review your school records and talk to those who knew you when you were in your early years. They will also discuss whether you have had any other mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety.
In some instances an evaluator might recommend cognitive tests, such as IQ testing or tests for memory or learning problems. They may also recommend different types of medical tests to rule out physical conditions that might be causing your symptoms, for instance seizures or thyroid disorders.
If your healthcare provider is certain that your symptoms are caused by ADHD, they may recommend additional diagnostic tests to verify and determine the severity of the condition. These tests could include blood and urine tests, medical examinations, and possibly educational or psychological testing.
The tests will be used to determine the levels of certain chemicals in your body that could be related to ADHD, such as dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. They will also check your heart rate and blood pressure. getting a adhd diagnosis may also be given an spirometry test, which measures lung capacity. They may also suggest that you undergo an MRI of your brain to check for functional or structural issues. In some cases the evaluator might recommend that you or your child be examined for other conditions that have similar symptoms similar to ADHD like depression and anxiety or mood and personality disorders.
The Interview
There are a variety of ADHD quizzes and questionnaires that can act as a screening tool prior to you make an appointment with a physician. These tests may 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 take between 2 to 3 hours. It includes educating the patient the concept of ADHD and the possible impact it has on their symptoms. The doctor may also inquire about substance abuse or depression as these issues 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 be required to review school records and talk to teachers. If the patient is an older adult, they might also interview a spouse or family member. Personal experience can provide details that are not available through questionnaires.
Some doctors rush through this procedure or insist on only seeing a patient one time rather than completing a complete examination. This can lead to confusion about the diagnosis. If the doctor is too firmly rooted in the criteria used to diagnose ADHD and states that a patient must display more than six symptoms in order to receive a diagnosis it's an indication of trouble.
For adults, the evaluator may ask the patient to complete scores for each of the symptoms on an ADHD checklist and give examples of how the symptoms have impacted their lives. The evaluator then compares the scores with the checklist and evaluates for ADHD.
For some adults, it could be a great relief to receive a diagnosis of ADHD. The underlying emotions, such as guilt or sadness for not achieving expectations or the fact that the disorder was not noticed until later in the life, can be a bit complicated. The impulsivity and inattention that are typical of ADHD can have severe implications in a variety of areas of an individual's life, such as relationships, career and health.
The Tests
It can be challenging and confusing to receive an ADHD diagnosis. It involves a lot paperwork as well as interviews and tests. You can prepare by obtaining recommendations from trusted doctors family members, friends and relatives. Research the specialist's credentials and make sure that they meet your needs. It is important to find a doctor who specializes in diagnosing ADHD. This will ensure that your child or you receives an accurate diagnosis and the best treatment.
The first step of an ADHD assessment is an interview with an evaluator. The evaluator will ask questions about your child or you to collect information about your symptoms. The evaluator would like to know how symptoms affect you and if they interfere with your work, school or social relationships. The evaluator may also use rating scales to assess your ADHD symptoms. They usually comprise checklists that ask you or someone who is close to you to answer a series of questions. For example, you might be asked if it is common to forget appointments, or you might be asked how often you interrupt others.
Many evaluators also ask those who know you or your child well to fill in questionnaires about their observations of your behavior. For adults, this could be spouses or siblings and for children, it could be coaches, teachers or even daycare workers. Personal experience can reveal information that is not feasible to collect through a questionnaire.
The evaluators can also perform cognitive tests to determine whether intellectual or learning disabilities contribute to your symptoms. They may also test for mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder and incipient psychosis, or substance abuse. They might also test for underlying conditions like seizure disorders and hypothyroidism.
Certain evaluators might offer you or your children an ADHD screening test to gauge your response to target and nontarget stimuli. The TOVA (Timed On Only Visual Attention) is a computer-based test approved by the FDA that evaluates your capacity to pay attention to detail and remember a number of geometric shapes. The evaluator will examine the frequency at which you respond to non-target stimuli, and the time it takes you to respond to targeted stimuli. This will help the evaluators identify the type of ADHD you are whether you are Inattentive or impulsive.
The Follow-Up
Multiple mental health professionals are able to diagnose ADHD and offer ADHD evaluations. It could be a psychiatrist or psychologist, a psychotherapist or neurologist. The doctor will ask you what your concerns are and how long they have been happening. He will also inquire about any family history of ADHD. It is believed that the disorder is 70%-80% heritable, and that genes are a major factor in whether you or your child will suffer from symptoms.
He will inquire about how ADHD affects you or your child at home, school, and work. He will ask about your your child's behavior in various environments, since the signs of ADHD are different when they occur in different settings. To be eligible for an assessment of ADHD the parent or child must display six or more documented signs of hyperactivity or inattention and the impulsivity that affect daily functioning for at least 6 months.
To make a correct diagnosis, the doctor will have to rule other conditions out. These may include psychiatric disorders that are not listed such as mood and anxiety disorders, intellectual disabilities and medical conditions that affect the brain, such as thyroid disorders. Additionally, the doctor will ask about your or your child's sleep patterns and any previous accidents or injuries that may have affected the development of your or your child's brain.
The doctor will also determine whether the signs of ADHD in your children or yourself are related to any health conditions or medications you or your child are taking. For example, stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can sometimes cause side effects, such as stomachaches and trouble sleeping. Other medications, like antidepressants and some sleep medicines are also prone to these adverse effects.
The specialist will also need to determine whether there is a comorbidity. This means that you or your child may be suffering from another illness that could cause symptoms of ADHD. This could be bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety disorder. The psychiatrist or psychologist will look over the information and determine a diagnosis.