Losing your keys/phone constantly? Can't remember if you paid that bill? Are your loved ones complaining that you never listen to them or seem to be in a different place mentally? These struggles often lead people to consider whether they have ADHD or not.
ADHD is increasingly being diagnosed. The rate of diagnosis has increased from 6.1% to 10.2% of the population having ADHD from 1997 to 2016 (1). Experts have disagreed about whether this increase is due to true increase in rates of ADHD, or rather due to increased awareness about the disorder. Nonetheless, the increase in rates has resulted in more adults questioning whether they have ADHD or not.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning it is a disorder that originates in childhood. However, many adults have never been diagnosed with ADHD despite having symptoms have a child. In older generations especially, ADHD may have not been an available diagnosis at the time, or parents and providers may have not recognized the symptoms. One study found that 75% of adults diagnosed with ADHD were not diagnosed until they were adults, meaning, many children with ADHD may be “missed.” (3). This is especially true for girls, who often find ways to compensate for the symptoms such that it goes undiagnosed (4).
What makes the diagnosis of ADHD even more challenging is the overlap of symptoms with other issues. For example, difficulties concentrating—one of the major symptoms of ADHD—is also a major symptom of anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Additionally, hyperactivity/impulsivity—another major symptom of ADHD—is also common to other diagnoses such as bipolar disorder.
Even more importantly, the presence of one or even several symptoms do not always indicate a diagnosis. Thus, it is very important to seek an evaluation from a health professional. Professionals who most commonly assess, diagnose, and treat ADHD are psychologists and psychiatrists. You may be asked to complete different types of tests, including symptom questionnaires and performance-based tests. Your provider may wish to speak to someone close to you to understand your symptoms better. Remember, even if you are not diagnosed with ADHD, your struggles are still worth understanding and seeking treatment for. Contact your PCP or Dr. Clevenger today for an evaluation.
1. Xu G, Strathearn L, Liu B, Yang B, Bao W. Twenty-Year Trends in Diagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among US Children and Adolescents, 1997–2016. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(4):e181471. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.1471.. Published 2018 Aug 3
2. Faraone SV, Spencer TJ, Montano CB, Biederman J. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: a survey of current practice in psychiatry and primary care. Arch Intern Med. 2004;164(11):1221–1226. doi: 10.1001/archinte.164.11.1221.. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
3. Palladino VS, McNeill R, Reif A, Kittel-Schneider S. Genetic risk factors and gene-environment interactions in adult and childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatr Genet. 2019;29(3):63–78. doi: 10.1097/YPG.0000000000000220.. [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
4. Da Silva A. G., Malloy-Diniz L. F., Garcia M. S., Rocha R. (2020). Attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder and women. In Renno J., Jr., Valadres G., Cantilino A., Mendes-Ribeiro J., Rocha R., da Silva A. G. (Eds.), Women’s Mental Health (pp. 215–219). Springer Nature Switzerland. 10.1007/978-3-030-29081-8
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