Assessment and diagnosis
Self-assessment
Think you might have ADHD? Psycom.net have developed a short (~2mins) self-assessment quiz using the official DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. This won’t give you the definitive diagnosis but it’s a good place to start!
Almost everyone has some symptoms similar to ADHD at some point in their lives.
If your difficulties are recent or occurred only occasionally in the past, you probably don't have ADHD.
ADHD is diagnosed only when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of your life.
These persistent and disruptive symptoms can be traced back to early childhood.
If you suspect that you may have ADHD, seek out a qualified clinician to assess you and advise on treatment if a diagnosis is confirmed.
In order to reach that stage, you will need to get a referral from your GP and convince them that this is necessary. That can be quite a challenge.
For ADHD to even be considered, you need to be demonstrating both symptoms and impairment, sufficient that your quality of life is being affected.
Diagnosis of ADHD in adults can be difficult because certain ADHD symptoms are similar to those caused by other conditions, such as anxiety or mood disorders.
Many adults with ADHD also have at least one other mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety.
Before going to the GP:
Make a list of all the difficulties that you have had throughout your life (evidence is necessary that you had problems before 12 years old) and those that are affecting you now. Keep a list of bullet points and keep adding to it.
Try to secure some collateral information - input from your parents, from old school reports, from people who currently know you well.
Keep yourself well-informed by joining social media groups such as the Scottish ADHD Coalition but beware fake news on some.
If you are finding it difficult to persuade your GP that a referral is necessary and you can afford to go private, ensure that any diagnosis will be accepted and that your clinician has the necessary expertise.