ADHD Assessment For Adults
The first step to determining whether you or your child is ADHD is to have an assessment. The doctor will talk to you about your development as well as your health and family history. They might also speak with your family members, friends, or teachers to gain more detailed information about your symptoms.
You will be asked to rate your symptoms on a rating scale. Make sure you answer truthfully for the most accurate results.
Diagnosis
Mental health professionals will analyze the signs and effects on the individual's daily activities to determine ADHD. They will inquire about their experiences since childhood as well as their school and work experiences. They can also use standardized questionnaires and scales to determine the extent to which ADHD symptoms are present. adhd assessment in adults talk to family members, friends, and others who know the individual well.
A thorough assessment for ADHD can take between one and three hours. It is essential that the person is prepared with a list describing their symptoms and how they affect their lives. They should also bring their medical history as well as any other health conditions. It is also advisable to consult your insurance company to determine if ADHD tests are covered.
The patient must be honest and open when completing the assessment. The clinician may ask for permission to interview other people, such as the spouse or a close friend of the person, to get a complete understanding of their experience. They may also ask permission to speak with the person's parents or teachers to get more information about their childhood experiences.
Although adults can suffer from ADHD but they can't be diagnosed with it if they didn't have symptoms in childhood (technically before the age of 12). This is because most individuals don't outgrow ADHD. It is essential that the doctor is aware of how the symptoms impact the patient's life, and in what situations they occur.
ADHD is diagnosed when symptoms are so severe that they interfere with the functioning of an individual in at least two aspects of their lives, including school and at home. The symptoms have to cause the impairment to persist regardless of efforts made by the person to overcome them. If you suspect that you suffer from ADHD discuss with your doctor about an assessment. You can also reach out to people who suffer from ADHD and speak with them about your symptoms. They might have some tips and advice that can help you manage your condition better.
Treatment
A thorough ADHD assessment can range from one to three hours. It's important that the person receiving the assessment takes the time to fully answer questions and provide the doctor. The evaluator can inquire questions about the patient's medical, developmental and psychiatric history. The evaluator might also ask questions of others, such as teachers, family members and other care providers.
In the course of the evaluation, the evaluator will ask about whether the patient has been having issues at school or at work. adhd assessment in adults will also look at how the symptoms of ADHD affect the patient's life at home as well as in relationships.
Based on the outcomes of the initial assessment the evaluator could recommend further testing. The purpose of this test is to determine other conditions, including personality disorders and learning disabilities, that could have similar symptoms to ADHD. Additionally, the evaluator will test for seizure disorders and thyroid disorders.
Many of the people who are evaluated for ADHD are also suffering from mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In these instances the evaluator might discuss the options for psychotherapy. This usually includes cognitive behavioral therapy that is designed to promote strategies for self-medicating and controlling. CBT can be delivered either in a private or group setting.
Some experts believe that patients with ADHD should receive psychotherapy along with medication. The majority of studies show that ADHD is best treated with medication and psychotherapy on its own. It is crucial to conduct an extensive ADHD assessment in order to determine the most effective treatment plan for each individual.
If you're interested in getting an ADHD evaluation, check with your insurer to see if it offers specialists in ADHD diagnosis. You could also ask your family doctor for an opinion. Another option is to reach out to your local chapter of CHADD or an association for mental health professionals, for names of professionals in your region who specialize in ADHD. You can also seek referrals from support groups, for instance those for people suffering from depression or bipolar disorder.
Counseling
A competent mental health professional will talk to you at length about the issues you're facing, and the solutions you've tried to resolve them. She will also inquire about your work and family life, and other issues such as alcohol or drug abuse, and emotional traumas. You may also wish to talk to family members close to you, such as your spouse, other significant person or a coach, teacher or mentor who has been with you since childhood, to find out their perspectives about how you're feeling now and in the past. This is particularly important for adults whose memories of their past behavior may be distorted by ADHD symptoms.
It is possible that you will need additional tests performed based on your specific situation to rule out any other possible causes for your issues. 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 resemble ADHD and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) to assist you in dealing with emotional issues like depression or feelings failure, which can intensify or cover up your ADHD symptoms.
Psychotherapy is a beneficial tool for ADHD adults, since it teaches you how to cope with the effects of ADHD at work and at home. It can help you improve your organizational skills and teach you strategies to improve concentration, impulse control and executive functioning. It can also ease stress and improve your relationship with your spouse or other people in your life.
There are numerous online and mobile-based services that can assist you to find a therapist with expertise in adult ADHD. These services allow you to choose from a selection of licensed professionals, including social workers and psychiatric nurses who are rated by their clients as good, very good or excellent. They can assist you in determining a schedule that works for your lifestyle and your budget.
The American Psychiatric Association provides clinical guidelines to diagnose ADHD in the fifth edition of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. During the examination doctors will evaluate symptoms to those listed in the manual to determine if you have ADHD. A diagnosis is based on the presence of symptoms in two or more settings such as school or at work or at work. The symptoms are persistent and debilitating; they started in childhood; and the symptoms can't be explained by another mental health disorder or medical condition like depression or anxiety.
Support
Some adults find the concept of ADHD as a stigmatizing condition and dismiss symptoms as an "normal" aspect of life. They may delay seeking treatment because they don't want to admit they have trouble keeping the track of their work, being organized, or meeting deadlines. Often the first step toward treatment is a thorough examination by a health care provider or mental health professional. This evaluation focuses on a person's mood and medical history as well as how symptoms affect the work environment, relationships with family and friends, and other aspects of life.
A complete ADHD assessment can take several hours. The most important thing is an in-depth interview. The examiner asks standard questions to ensure that all symptoms are addressed and then compares them to the ADHD diagnostic criteria. The examiner will also look over reports from the past as well as questionnaires, and when available, brain imaging.
The report will help identify the presence of comorbidity. In other words, if a patient suffers from a different condition such as depression or anxiety, these can often overlap with ADHD symptoms. The report will also highlight any other factors that may contribute to a person’s difficulties like medical conditions or learning disabilities.
When a diagnosis of ADHD is confirmed, the next step is to find an experienced therapist or psychiatrist who can treat the disorder. Check with your insurance provider to find out whether they have coverage for providers who are experts in treating ADHD. If there aren't, the patient should seek referrals from patients who have had success in treatment and request recommendations from local support groups.
A great resource for support is CHADD which is a national organization that has chapters throughout the U.S. Their website offers a wealth of information on ADHD and lists of professionals who have been certified to treat the disorder. There are also groups on social media sites like Facebook for people with ADHD. Just be careful to ensure that the group you join isn't commercially-oriented.