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ADHD Diagnosis

I had some time to kill between class and my train home on Friday and I spent it watching youtube videos. A waste of time, you say? Nay! I watched videos about Adult ADHD and one in particular by Dr. Russell Barkley about the fact that Adult ADHD is NOT a gift. But, Dr. Barkley, we've been told for so long that ADHD isn't only a bunch of junk that makes it hard for us to focus, but it's something that helps us to be more creative and really good and different things. What is the meaning of this?
Paul made an appointment with me and arrived with a concern: “My wife keeps telling me I have ADHD because I am always misplacing things, forgetting what she says, and running late - even to work. But I have never been hyperactive, so can she still be right?” A week later, I met Jennifer upset with what her doctor had told her. “He said I have ADHD, but I know I don’t! I am very low energy, and my biggest problem is procrastination. I have ADD, not ADHD.” Is it ADHD? Is it ADD? What’s the difference?
I was driving in the car this weekend thinking about how much better I am at paying attention to auditory stuff than I was even a year ago. I listen to audiobooks all the time and podcasts galore and I think it's really made a difference. As soon as I had the thought, though, I got to wondering about would I have ever noticed I had a hard time listening if I didn't have this adult ADHD diagnosis. Hm, I wonder what a difference an adult ADHD diagnosis makes ...
I've been doing some soul-searching this weekend. Not so much about my Adult ADHD, but it definitely involves how to best "live in the gray." I turned 30 last month and this month started my first physical therapy internship. I'm trying to figure out the professional I want to be and how open about my life that allows me to be.
It's often hard to tell the difference between whether you're explaining something or making excuses for yourself when you have adult ADHD. When you find it difficult to accomplish something and your ADHD symptoms are holding you back, you may try to explain why this is the case and others may think you are making excuses. How can we find the balance in these situations?
Once upon a time, in a land called Bryn Mawr, PA, I was afraid to stand up for my adult ADHD needs.  I was first diagnosed my sophomore year and started to receive testing accommodations for my fall semester finals.  It was so difficult to accept my adult ADHD diagnosis and even more difficult that I needed something extra to perform at the same level as everyone else.  It made me feel less than.
ADHD doesn't own its signs and symptoms.  There is a lot of overlap with other mental health disorders and it's important to tease out whether your X symptoms implies a Y diagnosis, not a Z. Though I've been clinically diagnosed twice with ADHD and have several of the impulsive/hyperactive as well as inattentive symptoms of the disorder, my new (as of Friday) psychiatrist wants to make sure my ADHD diagnosis is correct. It doesn't feel like he's being skeptical and he wasn't rude in the way other doctors have been.  I once had my gynecologist ask why I took Concerta and then tell me I shouldn't be taking it because I'm a woman in my twenties! I think my new doctor wants to do right by me and offer me the best care possible.
Apparently, getting a correct adult ADHD diagnosis the first time you see the doctor isn't so easy. It's not unusual for someone with adult ADHD to be misdiagnosed once, twice, even more times than that before getting a correct diagnosis. How many therapists does it take to turn on a light bulb? I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy student and, in December, I completed my second semester of coursework focusing on basic science and interviewing patients.  Several things struck me during this past semester and one really had me thinking about my own journey with doctors of psychology.