How to Get Diagnosed With ADHD
If you believe either yourself or your child may have adhd, it is essential to get an accurate diagnosis so that they can receive the treatment and support they require.
Diagnosing ADHD requires a comprehensive evaluation by your physician, which includes asking about your symptoms and administering various tests to measure how severe they are.
A doctor’s examination will also look for signs of other conditions that could mimic ADHD symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders or conduct disorder. They’ll assess how much these symptoms interfere with your or your child’s life.
ADHD symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These signs may appear simultaneously or separately.
Children, teenagers and adults may experience anxiety disorders. These can impact all areas of life such as school, work, family and relationships.
At least two major areas of your or your child’s life must be affected by ADHD symptoms in order for it to qualify as an impairment. This could include being unable to maintain employment due to symptoms, getting into financial difficulty due to impulse spending habits, or being placed on academic probation in college due to poor grades.
Your doctor may suggest medications to help manage your or your child’s ADHD symptoms. These drugs work by increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, usually taken together with other therapies.
