| | | | Adult ADHD Diagnosis
The procedure of diagnosing adult ADHD is very similar to diagnosing ADHD in children. In fact it is quite common for adults to be diagnosed after their children are diagnosed. However, being able to find a physician to do an assessment in order to receive a diagnosis may be quite a challenge. Most of the diagnoses of ADHD in children are made by pediatricians or child and adolescent psychiatrists. Since the process of diagnosing ADHD is commonly done by physicians who specialize in childhood disorders, adult psychiatrists may not be familiar with this process and some may even be skeptical of the existence of adult ADHD. If you are seeing an adult psychiatrist to assess adult ADHD it is important that you find out how knowledgeable they are in ADHD. Is this an area they specialize in and do they see many patients with ADHD in their practice? At this time, throughout most of Canada there is a severe shortage of physicians who diagnose adult ADHD. There is such a large shortage of doctors assessing adult ADHD, that many pediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists have expanded their practice to include the parents of their patients. Many adults see psychologists who specialize in ADHD for their assessment and often psychologists are the only form of follow-up care available. Unfortunately, psychologists are not covered by provincial medical plans resulting in treatment and assessment being very costly. Private health care plans may be of some assistance with this, as they cover up to $500 a year per patient, however this will probably only cover about three sessions.
If you are assessed by a psychologist and you chose medication as one of the forms of your treatment, you will need to find a physician to prescribe the medication. Thankfully, more family doctors are becoming educated in medications used for ADHD and are willing to prescribe them for their patients. The CADDRA Canadian ADHD Guidelines can be a useful resource for your family doctor if they still feel uncomfortable prescribing these medications. They are accessible on www.caddra.ca under the physician section. Direct access to the Practice Guidelines can be found at http://www.caddra.ca/english/phys_guide.html
Many adult ADHD patients will end up at their doctor's office complaining of symptoms that differ from those that we normally associate with childhood ADHD. They may complain of feeling anxious or depressed, having trouble sleeping at night and waking up in the morning. Some adults with ADHD complain of feeling angry and irritable a great deal of the time. They may have trouble being productive, lacking motivation and having problems with organization and procrastination. If impulsivity is a problem they may be experiencing some drastic financial, social or legal consequences. It may be their partner who demands they go to see the doctor as many adults are unaware of their difficulties. If you have lived with a condition all of your life, recognizing it as a disorder may be a challenge since this is the way you have always been.
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