ADHD Assessment For Adults
The first step to determining if you or your child is suffering from ADHD is to take an assessment. The doctor will speak with you about your progress as well as your health and family history. They may also talk to your family members, friends, or teachers to obtain an accurate picture of your symptoms.
The evaluation will ask you to rate your symptoms on rating scales. Make sure that you answer honestly for the most accurate results.
Diagnosis
To make a diagnosis of ADHD mental health professionals will review the symptoms and their impact on the person's life. They will ask the individual about their experiences from childhood, including school and work experiences. They can also use standard scales and questionnaires to determine if ADHD symptoms are present. They may also conduct interviews with friends, family and other people who know the person well.
A thorough assessment for ADHD can take anywhere from one to three hours. It is important that the person has a written list describing the symptoms they experience and how they impact their lives. They should also bring a medical background, including any other health conditions. Also, you should inquire with your insurance provider to determine if ADHD assessments are covered.
The patient must be honest and transparent when they complete the assessment. The doctor may request permission to speak with other people like the spouse or a close friend of the person to get a full picture of their experiences. They can also request permission to speak to the individual's teachers or parents to find out more about their childhood experiences.
Adults may suffer from ADHD but they cannot be diagnosed if they didn't exhibit symptoms as a child (technically, before the age of 12). This is because the majority of people don't outgrow ADHD. It is essential that the physician understands how the symptoms affect the patient's life and in the contexts they manifest.
ADHD is diagnosed when adhd assessment adults are severe enough to hinder the performance of the person in at least two different areas of their lives, such as school and at home. The symptoms have to persist despite attempts to overcome them. Consult your doctor if you suspect that you may have ADHD. It's also a good idea to reach out to other people with ADHD and discuss your issues with them. They may have some suggestions and advice to help you manage your condition more effectively.
adhd assessment in adults can be long, lasting anywhere between one and three hours. It is crucial that the person undergoing the evaluation be prepared to answer all questions and provide the doctor the information they require. The examiner may inquire questions about the patient's medical, developmental and psychiatric history. He or she may also interview others like family members, teachers and other health care providers.
As part of the evaluation the examiner will inquire about whether the patient has been having issues at school or at work. The doctor will also consider how ADHD symptoms impact the patient's family life and relationships.
Based on the outcomes of the initial assessment the evaluator might suggest further testing. This test is intended to determine other conditions such as personality disorders and learning disorders that could have similar symptoms to ADHD. In addition, the examiner will test for thyroid disorders and seizure disorders.
Many people who are evaluated for ADHD also have anxiety or depression. In these cases the examiner will discuss psychotherapy options. Generally, this will include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), that is designed to help promote self-mediation and control strategies. CBT can be provided either in a private or group setting.
Some evaluators believe that patients with ADHD should be offered psychotherapy as a supplement to medication. However, the majority of research shows that ADHD is best treated by taking medication on its own. A comprehensive ADHD assessment is essential to identify the treatment plan appropriate for each person.
If you're interested in getting an ADHD assessment, consult your insurer to see whether they have specialists available for ADHD diagnosis. You may also request a referral from your family doctor. Another option is to contact your local chapter of CHADD or an association for mental health professionals to get the names of specialists in your area who specialize in ADHD. You can also get referrals from support groups, for instance those for people suffering from depression or bipolar disorder.
Counseling
A good mental health professional will be able to talk with you for a long time about the problems you are having, and the ways you've tried to resolve them. She will also ask about your family and professional life, and other issues like alcohol or drug abuse, and emotional traumas. She may also want to interview close family members like your spouse, a significant person or a teacher or coach who has known you since childhood to get their perspective on your current situation and in the past. This is particularly important for adults whose memories of their past behaviors may be altered by ADHD symptoms.
You may require additional tests done depending on your particular situation to rule out any other possible causes for your difficulties. This could include cognitive tests to look for intellectual or learning impairments; medical tests such as for thyroid disorders or seizure disorder and can cause symptoms that are similar to ADHD and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) to help you manage your emotions like depression or feelings failure that can exacerbate or cover up your ADHD symptoms.
Psychotherapy is a valuable tool for adults suffering from ADHD because it will provide you with new strategies to deal with the effects of ADHD, both in the workplace as well as at home. It can help improve your organization skills and teach you strategies to improve concentration, impulse control and executive function. It can also improve your relationships with others as well as reduce your stress.
There are many mobile and online-based services that can help you find a therapist who specializes in adult ADHD. These services let you choose from a list of licensed providers, including social workers and psychiatric nurses who are rated by their clients as excellent, very good or excellent. They can help you create an agenda that is compatible with your budget and your lifestyle.
The American Psychiatric Association provides clinical guidelines for diagnosing ADHD in the fifth edition of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. During the examination doctors will evaluate symptoms with those in the manual to determine whether you suffer from ADHD. A diagnosis is made if symptoms occur in more than one environment, such at school or work, are persistent and debilitating and begin in childhood.
Support
Some adults find the idea of ADHD stigmatizing and dismiss symptoms as being a "normal" part of life. They may delay seeking treatment because they don't want to admit they have trouble keeping on top of their tasks and being organized or completing deadlines. Often, the first step to treatment is a thorough examination by a medical professional or mental health professional. This process examines a person's mood and medical history and also how the symptoms influence the work environment, relationships with friends and family, and other aspects of everyday life.
A thorough ADHD evaluation may take several hours. The most important part is an in-depth interview. The examiner is using a set of standardized questions to ensure that all relevant symptoms are taken care of and compared to the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. The examiner also reviews reports from the past as well as questionnaires, and if available, brain imaging.
The resulting report can help identify comorbidity. If the patient has depression or anxiety symptoms, they could overlap with ADHD. The report will also highlight other factors that could cause a person's problems such as medical conditions, learning disabilities and stress.
When a diagnosis of ADHD is made, the next step is to find an experienced therapist or psychiatrist who can treat the disorder. Check with your insurance provider to determine if they cover providers who are experts in treating ADHD. If there aren't, they should consult other patients who have been successfully treated for recommendations and ask for recommendations from local groups.
One excellent source of support is CHADD, a national organization that has chapters across the U.S. Their website has numerous details on ADHD as well as lists of professionals who have been trained to treat the disorder. It is also worth looking into social media sites, such as Facebook, where there are several groups for people with ADHD. Make sure you confirm that the group is not an enterprise for profit before you sign up.