Getting an ADHD Diagnosis
Being diagnosed with an ADHD diagnosis can be a life-changing experience. It explains why some people struggle with staying in control and following directions, or staying focused.
Ask your family doctor or therapist to refer you to a specialist. Also be sure to check with your insurance to determine if they cover ADHD evaluations for adults.
The Diagnosis Process
For adults, a valid diagnosis requires an evaluation by a psychiatrist, psychologist or specialist nurse. They are the only healthcare professionals who can determine ADHD in adults.
A thorough interview with your health and symptoms is usually the first step in a preliminary assessment. The healthcare professional might also inquire about how long you've been suffering from symptoms and how they are affecting you. They may ask you to speak to a close friend or family member about your symptoms.
The process of evaluating you will include questions about your childhood. Current guidelines allow doctors to diagnose ADHD without proving that the disorder was present in the early years of childhood. So the healthcare professional will need to examine your school records and talk to those who knew you as a child. Iam Psychiatry may also inquire if you have ever had any mental health issues such as anxiety or depression.
In certain situations, the evaluator will recommend cognitive tests, such as IQ tests or tests for learning or memory problems. They might also suggest other types of medical exams to rule out physical issues that could be causing your symptoms, for instance seizures or thyroid issues.
If your healthcare provider is convinced that your symptoms are due to ADHD They will suggest further diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity. These tests will likely include blood and urine tests, a medical examination as well as educational or psychological testing.
The tests are used to measure the levels of certain chemicals in your body that could be related to ADHD, such as dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. They will also test your blood pressure and heart rate. You may also be given a spirometry, which measures lung capacity. They might also suggest a brain imaging scan to check for any functional or structural problems. In some instances the evaluator might suggest that you or your child be examined for other conditions that may have similar symptoms similar to ADHD like anxiety and depression, or mood and personality disorders.
The Interview
There are plenty of ADHD tests and questionnaires that can be used as a screening tool before you schedule an appointment with your doctor. These tests could help you recognize that you suffer from ADHD, but the clinical interview with your doctor is the only way to confirm the diagnosis.
The process could last between 2 and 3 hours. It involves explaining to the patient the concept of ADHD and its possible effects on their symptoms. It could also include the clinician seeking out 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. The clinician will also want to examine the patient's school records as well as talk to teachers. If the patient is an adult or spouse, a family member could also be interviewed. Personal insight can provide information that is not possible to obtain through questionnaires.
Some doctors rush through this step or insist on visiting a patient once rather than completing a complete evaluation. This could lead to a misdiagnosis. If a doctor is too firmly rooted in the criteria used to diagnose ADHD and insists that a patient needs to display at least six symptoms to be diagnosed it's an indication of trouble.
The evaluator could ask adults to rate each symptom on an ADHD checklist and then give examples of how these afflictions have affected their lives. The evaluator will then compare the ratings to the checklist and determines if there is ADHD.
For certain adults, it may be a relief to be diagnosed with ADHD. The sub-conscious emotions, like guilt or sadness for not living up to expectations or that the disorder was not noticed until later in the life, can be a bit complicated. The inattention and impulsivity that are characteristic of ADHD can have serious implications in many areas of the life of a person, including relationships, career, and health.
The Tests
It can be challenging and confusing to get an ADHD diagnosis. It involves a lot paperwork and interviews as well as tests. You can prepare by getting recommendations from reliable doctors family members, friends and relatives. Examine the credentials of the doctor and make sure that they're a good match for your needs. It is important to locate specialists who specialize in ADHD diagnosis. This will ensure that you or your child receives a precise diagnosis and the most effective treatment.
The initial step of an ADHD assessment is an interview with an evaluation expert. The assessor will ask questions of your child or you to learn more about your symptoms. The evaluator wants to know how your symptoms impact your life and whether they affect school, work or relationships. The evaluator could also use rating scales to assess your ADHD symptoms. These are typically checklists in which you or someone you know is asked a set of questions. For instance, you could be asked if you frequently forget appointments, or you might be asked how often you interrupt others.
Many evaluators will also solicit people who know you or your child well to fill in questionnaires regarding their observations of your behavior. For adults, this could include spouses or children; for children, it could be coaches, teachers and nannies, or daycare workers. Personal insights can provide information that isn't possible to obtain through a questionnaire.
A few evaluators may also conduct cognitive tests to determine whether intellectual or learning disabilities are contributing to your symptoms. They might also look for mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder or psychosis that is in the beginning. They could also test for underlying medical conditions such as hypothyroidism or seizures.
Certain evaluators will offer you or your child an ADHD screening test that evaluates how you respond to target and non-target stimuli. The TOVA (Timed On Only Visual Attention) is a computer-based test cleared by the FDA that tests your ability to pay attention to detail and recall a variety of geometric shapes. The test examines the frequency at which you respond to non-targeted stimuli and the time it takes you to respond to target stimuli. This can help evaluators to determine whether you have an impulsive ADHD or inattentional ADHD.
The Follow-Up
Several kinds of mental health professionals are able to offer ADHD assessments and provide a diagnosis. This can be a psychiatrist or psychologist, a psychotherapist or neurologist. The specialist will want to know what your concerns are and how long the issues have been recurring for. He will also ask whether there any family history of ADHD. The disorder is believed to be 70%-80 percent heritable. Genes play a major factor in determining if your child or you will suffer from symptoms.
He will inquire about how ADHD affects you or your child at home, at school and at work. He will ask you or your child about their behavior in different environments because ADHD symptoms differ in different situations. In addition, to qualify for an assessment of ADHD you or your child must display six or more documented signs of hyperactivity or inattention and an impulsiveness that hinder daily functioning for a minimum of 6 months.
To determine the correct diagnosis, the specialist will need to rule other conditions out. Other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders as well as intellectual disabilities may be included. Certain medical disorders that affect brain function, like thyroid problems, can be a possibility. The doctor will also inquire about your child or yourself's sleep habits and any injuries or accidents in the past that might have affected your child's or your own brain development.
He will also take into consideration whether your or your child's ADHD symptoms are related to any other health condition or medications that you or your child takes. For instance, stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can result in side effects like stomachaches and difficulty sleeping. Other medications, like antidepressants as well as some sleep medications may also cause these side effects.
Finally, the expert will need to determine if a comorbidity is present which means that you or your child is suffering from another illness that could cause symptoms of ADHD like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, or an eating disorder. The psychologist or psychiatrist will look over the information and make the diagnosis.