Diagnosing Adult ADD

So you think you have Adult ADD? Here's how to tell ...

Published on May 25, 2004 By mrperky In Health & Medicine

ADD is an elusive condition that is hard to identify in children and harder to identify in adults. It is similar in nature to other conditions and has many of its symptoms masked or modified by other (comorbid) ailments. After 30 years or so of active study several reliable methods of identifying ADD in children have been developed. These usually involve a substantial question and answer survey given to the child's parents, teachers, or other involved personnel. Additionally, the American Psychiatric Association describes the symptoms and criteria for diagnosing mental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (APA Home Page).

For adults, however, the testing criteria are not so rigidly defined. Frequently, we hear the most about it from television advertisements. Strattera is the principal culprit here. The AdultAdd web site actually has a 6 question survey published by the WHO that purports to tell you that you might have ADD. This survey is next to worthless, IMHO, because it leads the taker into selecting the "correct" answers for a positive diagnosis.

Many adults first begin thinking about ADD when their children are diagnosed. I first saw this when I noticed in myself the symptoms that my ADD child has. My mother constantly states that as a child I acted just as my child does now. This is a clear indicator of ADD. Except in the unusual cases of head trauma induced ADD, ADD conditions must exist from childhood. If you are able to remember not having the symptoms, then you might not have ADD.

As we ADD children mature into ADD adults we learn to deal with the symptoms of ADD. We learn coping strategies that enable us to survive and sometimes prosper in the world that frequently looks down on us. Society considers inattentiveness to be rude, unfinished work to be a sign of laziness, forgetfulness to be the subject of jokes, impulsiveness to be a childish quality. Because we are frowned on, we will frequently develop anxiety or depression from dealing with negative self-image issues.

Because we have some ways for dealing with the ADD - mechanisms for coping with it - it is frequently harder to diagnose ADD in adults than it is in children. Additionally, there is a large backlash against ADD which seems to originate in overdiagnosis and overmedication of add/hyperactive children in the 70's. The truth or falseness of this claim is beyond the scope of this article. However, the feeling is definitely present from lay persons to doctors. Further, one of the primary medications for ADD is Ritalin, which is a stimulant, and is comparable to the drug "speed" when used by non-ADD persons. Many doctors are _quite_ reluctant to use Ritalin or its derivatives in treating ADD because of the fear of addiction or abuse.

The lack of tangible knowledge of ADD and treatments for it with respect to adults makes ADD more a self-diagnosed condition than many other ailments. Situations where an adult was referred to a psychologist or physician for ADD are rare. If you want to know if you have ADD you are going to have to seek professional advice with potential diagnosis in mind. ADD is frequently misdiagnosed as depression because the two conditions share many common symptoms. However, don't let that statement convict you that you don't have depression, because the two conditions are frequently seen together.

Your first step then, is to read up on ADD. See what the symptoms are. Take some tests to see if you might have Adult ADD. Do some research about the subject. If your tests and research seem to indicate that you might have Adult ADD, then you should proceed.

The second step is to talk with your psychologist or counselor. Your physician is the second step. Your psychologist or counselor will be more likely to be versed in Adult ADD issues and treatments because they are in the field directly and see more patients with these issues. Explain your thoughts, feelings, and symptoms. Be honest with your counselor and yourself. If you don't have a counselor, ask your physician for a recommendation. Frequently clinics that work with children and ADD will also have a program (though less developed) for adults.

Your counselor will suggest a course of treatment for you. This course will include physiological changes like diet, exercise, adjustments in sleeping, and psychological counseling. Additionally, a medication may be prescribed or recommended. The only FDA approved medication for Adult ADD is Strattera from Eli Lilly. However, Wellbutrin is another non-stimulant used in treating Adult ADD, depression, and even as a stop-smoking aid. Stimulant medications might include Ritalin or Concerta.

Your third step is to speak with your physician or family doctor. Get a complete physical, including blood work, to rule out or identify potential causes of your symptoms. In my case, a sleeping issue that I have was referred to a local clinic for a sleep study which revealed that I also have sleep apnea. The symptoms of sleep deprivation can sometimes mimic Adult ADD. Speak with your physician about the counselor's findings and recommendations. They should be willing to work with you on medication, particularly with the non-stimulant ones.

Now that you've received your diagnosis, it's time to do something about it. You have had changes suggested to you for your life, including such areas as diet, weight-loss, counseling, and medication. If you feel comfortable with the diagnosis and treatments, then get started. However, feel free to seek second or third opinions on this issue. You are your own best advocate. Speak up and challenge assumptions you are uncomfortable with. In the end it is your body and your mind that is being examined.

It is important to note that only a clinical psychologist, certified counselor, or physician is qualified to make an Adult ADD diagnosis. Feel free to take the tests, learn about the condition, and discuss the symptoms on internet boards. However, seek professional assistance before taking action.

Comments

debhart

on May 25, 2004

Hi Mr. P - did you include the Amen Clinic tests in this article? I did not see them
This is how I discovered my ADD, and why it does not look like typical ADHD (using the "subtypes" test).
http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/addtests/

mrperky

on May 26, 2004

Hi, Debhart. I didn't include the link directly, but the last link for the tests (the "if you" words links to ADDHelpLine which has links to the Amen Clinic tests. However, your comment and my response might highlight these tests even further. The Amen Clinic enjoys a fine reputation due to Dr. Amen's writing and extensive research into ADD/ADHD physiology of the brain. Their testing, their webpage, and books come highly recommended by Mr. Perky

-- MrPerky

mrperky

on May 26, 2004

Amen Clinic Adult ADD Test

Amen Brain System ADD Subtype Checklist

Jay Walker

on Jul 02, 2004

Another interesting post re ADD ADHD ... mr perky, where have you gone?

Sue9457

on Jul 02, 2004

it's interesting........

bakerstreet

on Jul 02, 2004

Is there a real, biological test for this? Not a subjective test that relies on the objectivity of your doctor, but something quantitive, like a blood test, or MRI? The linked test is about as unscientific as it gets. Half of them are symptoms of any number of problems and the other half are common aspects of every day life. I lose sleep a couple of nights in a row and I suffer from a substantial percentage of those.

Greeting card companies promote holidays, drug companies promote illnesses. I am well acquainted with the "drug rep" phenomenon, and it stinks. I feel for anyone that really has these problems, but I think a great many people are just patsies for the drug companies.

bakerstreet

on Jul 02, 2004

That came out a lot more harsh than it was intended to. My apologies. I do, though, think that the greeting card company anaolgy is far more applicable than it should be.

mrperky

on Jul 05, 2004

BakerStreet - Dr. Amen has done some interesting studies with MRI, but these studies are looked at somewhat poorly by many psychiatric organizations. This area is still too kne, and the equipment and processes also, to have much study done.

However, the anecdotal evidence is quite strong. Please read some of my other articles, particularly The ADHD Conspiracy. I certainly can see where some drug companies might look to capitalize on the disorder. Such deception should not make you think that the disorder is not real. It certainly is.

MrPerky

bakerstreet

on Jul 05, 2004

I don't doubt the symptoms are real, but symptoms do not make a disorder unless you can verify that they have a common cause in enough people. As I said the symptoms of this are far, far too broad and universal, even in healthy people.

I think that it is certainly worthy of study, but they have leapt into treatment before they even know much about the perceived illness. As I said on another thread, if I can answer yes to so many of those questions just having not had a good night's sleep, I wonder what kind of threshold you have to have before you actually consider someone to have ADD.

I have seen people who were very ill that had to think really hard about whether or not they wanted to accept treatments that could have caused side-effects. In these cases we have no idea of what we are treating, if you can even prove there is anything to treat.

This is demonstrative of the "Cart pulling the Horse", i.e. the companies that create treatments being involved in the actual defining of the illness. That creates a horrible conflict of interest. WOuldn't you say?

Gideon MacLeish

on Jul 05, 2004

As an adult with ADD, I get frustrated by the immediate suggestion of need for "treatment". ADD, unless coupled with other issues, is a different way of being wired. Often people with ADD have better problem solving and analytical thinking skills because they are not confined to the box of linear thinking.

While some extreme cases of ADD may merit treatment, we are an overmedicated society. We want a pill for everything.

This is a good article, but it overlooks a broad variety of options.

mrperky

on Jul 08, 2004

As an adult with ADD, I get frustrated when people doubt me. Let me make a couple of points:

Does ADD/ADHD need more research?
* Yes
Does medication help to alleviate ADD symptoms?
* Yes
Are Doctors receiving illicit payments to falsely diagnose ADD and then to prescribe medications for it?
* Possibly. No different than other conditions or medications, however. America has a long history of quack medicine.
Has the medication Ridalin and it's derivatives been overprescribed?
* Quite possibly.
Has the media jumped on the bandwagon and decried the overuse of stimulants to mind-control our children?
* Definitely
Is the media's reaction without merit?
* Taken in the larger scheme of things, yes. In individual cases, no.
Does any of this mean that ADD is not a disorder?
* No

Please read and digest my article on the ADHD Conspiracy - http://mrperky.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=13993

mrperky

on Jul 08, 2004

Gideon MacLeish - Thanks for your comment. I sought largely to speak about the diagnosis process for ADD with this article. Another article I am currently working on will speak to treatment options, physical, dietary, procedural, and pharmacological.

Yak

on Feb 24, 2005

Anybody have any experience with using SPECT scan as diagnostic for either ADD or OCD?
It has been recommended to me, I'm considering it. The only info on it is from amenclinic.com, who work exclusively with the technique. Are there other sources of info on SPECT as diagnostic tool for either ADD or OCD?
Anyone have experience/knowledge with either Amen Clinic or with other practitioners?
Thanks, Yak

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