By Dr. Theresa Woodard and Dr. Marti Witherow, Doxa psychologists
C’mon, it’s 2024. Everyone has ADHD, a narcissistic partner or is on the spectrum, right? Pop psychology, the common acceptance of psychological terms and phenomena that is supposedly based on scientific facts, has been woven into our thinking as a culture.
TikTok has trained us to think about ourselves in terms of a self-diagnosis or a “what’s wrong with me?” mindset. How do you know if something really is wrong with you that goes beyond being a human in a crazy-paced, stress-filled world?
Well, let’s consider ADHD from a diagnostic perspective. Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity-disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting children, adolescents and adults. It is highly hereditary, but there is no specific biomarker for it, which means that you can’t just show up in your doctor’s office and ask for a blood test to diagnose it. There is clear evidence to support a biologic basis for ADHD, and multiple brain regions contribute to the emergence of symptoms.
60-85 percent of children who meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD will continue to do so into adolescence and adulthood. Boys are more likely to be diagnosed than girls, possibly because they are more expressive of themselves physically. Girls are less likely to climb on chairs, swing from the chandeliers, aggravate the other children and drive everyone crazy. The most common characteristics of ADHD in children are:
- Short attention span
- Distractibility
- Perseveration
- Failure to finish tasks
- Inattention
- Lack of organization
- Impatience, can’t wait for their turn, speak up too quickly
- Memory and thinking deficits
The Difficulties of Adult ADHD Diagnosis
ADHD symptoms must be present before age 12. Now, that’s a tricky thing. The symptoms must be present before age 12, but they may not get diagnosed before age 12. Why is that? Aren’t all kids immature and silly at times? Yes, they are. However, ADHD, being a neuropsychiatric disorder, causes significant impairment in academic functioning as well as in social and interpersonal situations.
It often goes hand-in-hand with learning disorders, mood disorders and disruptive mood disorders. To confirm the diagnosis of ADHD, symptoms must be present in at least two settings, e.g. at home and at school/work to qualify for the diagnosis. In adults, ADHD looks similar as in children, however adults with ADHD have often compensated for their deficits by learning skills and getting education that has enabled them to live constructive lives, masking the impairment. Common ADHD characteristics in adults:
- Messiness and disorganization
- Tardiness, always running late
- Procrastinates from tasks requiring sustained attention
- Loses things
- Forgetfulness and inability to concentrate
- Poor follow through on tasks
- Appears not to listen when spoken to
- Frequent mistakes
- Unstable relationships
While medications can be helpful for people who truly have ADHD, being on medication and having some symptom relief is not proof of having the disorder. ADHD often overlaps with other disorders, such as anxiety and substance use (such as alcohol or marijuana to self-medicate).
How to get a proper diagnosis then? Clinical psychologists and psychiatrists are both trained to perform ADHD evaluations and make a diagnosis. Getting assessed for ADHD is a thorough and lengthy process where a variety of tests are administered to the patient. In addition to the clinician’s interview, gathering of information from family members, caregivers, and patient self-report are considered.
Are you suspecting that you or your child may have ADHD? Get tested at Doxa. Make an appointment with a Doxa psychologist or psychiatrist.