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Getting an ADHD Diagnosis
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis can be a life altering experience. It is the reason why some people have difficulty staying organized and following directions, or staying focused.
Ask your family doctor or therapist to refer you to a specialist. Contact your insurance provider to determine if it covers ADHD evaluations for adults.
The Diagnosis Process
For adults, a correct diagnosis will require an evaluation by a psychologist, psychiatrist or specialist nurse. They are the only healthcare professionals who can determine the presence of ADHD in adults.
Often, an initial assessment will begin with a thorough interview about your life and symptoms. The healthcare professional will be looking to determine how long your symptoms have been a problem and how they affect your daily life. They may also ask to speak to an immediate family member or friend about your symptoms.
The process of evaluating you may include questions about your childhood. Because current guidelines do not allow a physician to diagnose ADHD in adults without evidence of the disorder's presence in childhood, your healthcare provider may wish to look at your school records or talk to teachers or other people who were with you as a child. They will also discuss whether you've had any other mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
In some instances, an evaluator may suggest cognitive tests, such as IQ testing or tests for memory or learning problems. They may also recommend that you undergo other types of medical tests to rule out any physical conditions which could cause your symptoms.
If your doctor is sure that your symptoms are due to ADHD they might suggest additional tests to confirm and determine the severity of the condition. These tests could include urine and blood tests and a medical exam and even psychological or educational testing.
Tests are conducted to determine the levels of specific chemicals that could be linked with ADHD in your body, for example serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. They will also check your heart rate and blood pressure. You may also be offered an spirometry test, which measures lung capacity. They may also suggest that you undergo a brain scan to check for structural or functional abnormalities. In some instances the evaluator might suggest that you or your child be evaluated for other conditions that may have similar symptoms to ADHD such as anxiety and depression or mood and personality disorders.
The Interview
There are a variety of ADHD questions and quizzes that can act as a screening tool before you make an appointment with a physician. These tests may alert you to the possibility that you suffer from ADHD, but the clinical interview with your doctor is the only method to confirm the diagnosis.
The process could last between 2 and 3 hours. It includes explaining to the patient about ADHD and the possible effects on their symptoms. It could also involve the doctor asking about a past history of depression or substance abuse, as those problems are often co-occurring 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. In addition, the clinician will be required to review school records and interview teachers. If the patient is an adult or spouse, a family member could also be interviewed. Personal insight can provide information that cannot be gleaned through questionnaires.
Some doctors rush through this step or insist on seeing a patient once instead of conducting a thorough evaluation. visit website could lead to a confusion about the diagnosis. This is a red flag if the clinician is too rigid in their criteria for diagnosing ADHD.
The evaluator may ask adults to rate each symptom on an ADHD checklist and then provide examples of how these afflictions have affected their lives. The assessor will then compare the scores with the checklist and determine if they are a good indicator the severity of ADHD.
For some adults, it can be a great relief to receive a diagnosis of ADHD. But the underlying emotions -- such as guilt for failing to live up to expectations, or grief that the disorder wasn't recognized until later in lifeare often complicated. ADHD is characterized by impulsivity and a lack of attention. These traits can lead to negative consequences in a variety of fields, including relationships work, health, and careers.
The Tests
Getting an ADHD diagnosis is a challenging and complicated process. It requires a lot of paperwork as well as tests, interviews and other forms of testing. It is possible to prepare by obtaining recommendations from trusted doctors family members, friends and relatives. You must also research the doctor and their credentials to make sure they are a good fit to your needs. It is important to locate a specialist that specializes in ADHD diagnosis. This will ensure that your child or you receives an accurate diagnosis and the most effective treatment.
The first step in an ADHD assessment is an interview with the evaluator. The evaluator will ask you or your child questions to learn more about your symptoms. The evaluator wants to know how the symptoms affect you and if they interfere with your school, work or social relationships. The evaluator could also employ rating scales to measure your ADHD symptoms. These usually comprise checklists that ask you or someone close to you to answer a series of questions. You may be asked if you often forget appointments or how often you interrupt other people.
Many evaluators will also ask those who know you or your child to fill out questionnaires regarding what they have observed. For adults, this could be spouses or children and for children, it could be coaches, teachers and nannies, or daycare workers. Personal experience can reveal details that are not possible to obtain from a questionnaire.
Some evaluators will also perform cognitive testing to see whether learning or intellectual impairments contribute to your symptoms. They might also look for mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or depression, or psychosis that is in the beginning. They may even screen for underlying conditions like seizures and hypothyroidism.
Some evaluators may give you or your children an ADHD screening test to measure the way you react to stimuli that are targeted and non-target. The TOVA (Timed On Only Visual Attention) is a computer-based test that has been approved by the FDA that tests your ability to pay attention and remember a number of geometric shapes. The examiner will assess how often you react to non-target stimuli, and the length of time it takes to respond to the stimuli you are targeting. This can help evaluators determine which subtype of ADHD you have either Inattentive or impulsive.
The Follow-Up
Multiple mental health professionals are able to diagnose ADHD and offer ADHD evaluations. This can be a psychiatrist or psychologist as well as neurotherapist or psychotherapist. The specialist will want know what your concerns are and how long the issues have been present for. The doctor will also inquire whether there is a family history of ADHD. It is believed that the disorder is 70%-80 percent inheritable and that genes play a significant role in determining whether you or your child will have symptoms.
He will inquire about how ADHD affects you or your child at school, home, and work. He will ask about your your child's behavior in various environments, since the signs of ADHD are different when they are encountered in different environments. In addition, to qualify for a diagnosis of ADHD, your or your child must have six or more established symptoms of hyperactivity, inattention or impulsivity that interfere with daily functioning for a minimum of 6 months.
To assist the doctor in making an accurate diagnosis, he will need to exclude other conditions. This could include psychiatric conditions that are not listed above such as mood and anxiety disorders, intellectual disabilities, and medical conditions that affect the brain, like thyroid disorders. The doctor will also inquire about your child or yourself's habits of sleep and any injuries or accidents that occurred in the past that might have affected your child or yourself's brain development.
The doctor will also consider whether the symptoms of ADHD in you or your children are connected to any health issues or medications that you or your child are taking. For example, stimulant medications used to treat ADHD may cause side effects, such as stomachaches and difficulty sleeping. Other medications, including antidepressants and some sleep medicines may also cause these side effects.
The expert will be required to determine if a comorbidity present, which means that your child or you is suffering from another illness that could cause symptoms of ADHD for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, or eating disorder. The psychiatrist or psychologist will review all of the information and make an assessment.