The Silent Condition: Diagnosing Adult ADHD/ADD

There are certain conditions which people simply don’t talk about. This is often down to ignorance, misunderstandings, or a lack of information. There are just as many conditions which people walk around with for years, or even a lifetime, without ever receiving a diagnosis.

Adult ADHD/ADD is one of them.

A person suffering from ADHD/ADD may experience the following:

• An inability to concentrate on one thing
• Being impulsive
• Hyperactive behavior
• Forgetfulness
• Irritability
• An inability to organize their time
• Lateness
• Forgetfulness

From that list, it’s easy to see why a person with ADHD/ADD may go undiagnosed. These symptoms may simply be put down to being a ‘scatty’ person, or simply unorganized. The thing is, that’s an unfair label to put on someone who simply can’t help their behavior. As a result, their life becomes defined by a label of negativity; ‘he/she is just forgetful’, ‘he/she is never on time’, ‘he/she can’t focus on anything’. Can you see how damaging this can be for someone who simply cannot stop themselves being late/forgetful/showing a lack of concentration.

When someone isn’t diagnosed with ADHD/ADD, their life will continue in the same vein. They will not understand why they can’t focus on one thing, and their friends and family won’t either. Many people simply assume that this is a condition which only affects children or adolescents, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are a huge number of adults who have received a diagnosis of adult ADHD/ADD and they are receiving treatment and learning about management techniques, helping to make their lives easier. There are even more people walking around with the same condition who haven’t received a diagnosis and therefore cannot understand why they are behaving the way they are.

It’s a terrible thought and it’s something that we, here at Trifecta Health, are keen to raise awareness of.

Diagnosing Adult ADHD/ADD

The process of diagnosing the condition can be a difficult one, because there is no test which can be performed. Diagnosis is about talking to the person, understanding their behavior and making a clinical diagnosis based on history and findings. Once that diagnosis is made, treatment can begin, and there is a wide range of options available, as well as self-help techniques which can help make life far easier for both the person concerned, and their loved ones too.

Part of managing adult ADHD/ADD is also understanding the impact that it can have on general life and those around the sufferer. For instance, being in a relationship with a person suffering from adult ADHD/ADD can be difficult if the partner simply doesn’t understand the condition. Raising awareness and understanding ADHD/ADD is something which needs to happen.

If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms we mentioned earlier, and you think that your problems might be down to the condition, the best thing you can do is give us a call and book in for an ADHD evaluation. The sooner we decide whether or not you are to be diagnosed with ADHD/ADD, the sooner you can look forward to a brighter future, free of the reins that has been holding you back.