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SCREENING FOR ADHD
Do you have ADHD?
Once thought of as a childhood disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is now known to persist into adulthood in about two-thirds of cases, with a prevalence of 3%–5% of US adults, and many of those have associated issues. Although adult ADHD severely impacts patients and families, the condition remains underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed, and inadequately treated. Often it is under-diagnosed in women, and the diagnosis is delayed from childhood into adulthood in people with high IQ and/or higher education. Do you have ADHD?
You may if,
1. You Procrastinate. Example, you avoid paying bills till the last minute, or after the due date.
2. You are easily Distractible.
3. You are Forgetful.
4. You have Emotional Impulsivity. Example, do you explode with anger, and calm down moments later.
You may have a misdiagnosis, if you suffer from one of the below:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Substance Abuse (smoking, alcohol, drugs)
- Overweight or Obese
- Insomnia
Here is a simple 6-question screen:
Answer yes or no:
1. Do you often have difficulty concentrating on what people are saying to you even when they are speaking to you directly?
2. Do you often leave your seat in meetings or other situations in which you are expected to remain seated?
3. Do you often have difficulty unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself?
4. When you’re in a conversation, do you often find yourself finishing the sentences of the people you are talking to before they can finish them themselves?
5. Do you often put things off until the last minute?
6. Do you often depend on others to keep your life in order and attend to details?
If you answer yes, to three or four of the above questions, then you may have ADHD. Come in and schedule an appointment with our doctor.
Three types of ADHD & their Symptoms
DSM-5 Criteria for ADHD 18 Symptoms
Inattention
- Inattention to details, makes careless mistakes
- Difficulty maintaining attention
- Seems not to listen
- Fails to finish tasks
- Difficulty organizing
- Avoids tasks that require significant attention
- Loses things
- Easily distracted
- Forgetful
Hyperactivity or Impulsivity
- Fidgets
- Unable to stay seated
- Inappropriate running or climbing, restless
- Difficulty in engaging in leisure activity quietly
- "On the go"
- Talks excessively
- Blurts out answers before question is finished
- Difficulty awaiting turn
- Interrupts or intrudes on others
For children to age 16, at least six symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity, and they are inappropriate for developmental level .
For adolescents age 17 years and older and adults, at least five symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months.
In addition, the following conditions exists:
- it is chronic, with inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms present before age 12 years.
- it is pervasive, with symptoms present in two or more settings, such as at home, school or work; with friends or family.
- it impairs, with evidence that the symptoms interfere with or reduce the quality of function at school, or work, or with social activities (executive functioning deficits).
- symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder, such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, a personality disorder, or psychotic disorder.
Presentation in three ways:
- Combined Presentation: symptoms of both criteria inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity were present for the past 6 months
- Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: symptoms of inattention, but not hyperactivity-impulsivity, are present for the past six months. Most common in adults.
- Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, but not inattention, are present for the past six months.
Note symptoms can change, and thus the presentation may change over time.