Frequently asked questions

Many people with ADHD find that their symptoms and impairment diminish during the teenage years to such an extent that they no longer meet the diagnostic criteria. However, the majority will experience some difficulties later in life.

In most cases, any hyperactivity that was evident during childhood appears to diminish or to change from frequent physical movement into different forms of restlessness, including changes of job, relationship, and/or location.

The critical thing is to be aware of your own ADHD and to take control of it as best you can. Exploit your strengths and address any weaknesses with the support of others, and with treatment where it is appropriate.

This will depend on how severe your symptoms and impairment might be.

Taking medication early in life does not mean that it will always be necessary, but the reverse is also true, and you may find that you require the additional support when you enter adulthood, or to address specific problems you are having in day-to-day living, with your work, or with your mental health.

The important thing is to be involved in decision-making regarding your treatment and to gain the knowledge that you require to make informed decisions.

This is a difficult question to answer, because the evidence base for nonpharmacological treatment remains very poor, and because much will depend on you as an individual.

There is some evidence that physical activity and exercise can be very beneficial, as can improving sleep and being outdoors. Ensuring that you have the structure and scaffolding that you require to complete daily tasks and avoid difficulties with your finances, substance use, offending, and problems in the workplace, can all be important.

They will not cure your ADHD, but they may make it less intrusive and disruptive in terms of your quality of life.

More research is necessary to understand if ADHD medication can be a long-term protective factor. Once again, the evidence base for the long-term effectiveness of ADHD medication remains quite poor, because most trials examine the safety of the treatment over short-term periods in terms of immediate symptom relief rather than long-term outcomes. So, many other factors have to be taken into account in terms of what happens to individuals with ADHD and it is very difficult to find measurable outcomes that can be applied consistently to all the individual circumstances.

We can be fairly sure that the medication provides some benefit but not that this significantly alters the life paths of all who take it. Pills do not build skills. Very often the critical factors in a person’s life involves chance occurrences, specific people who complement or compensate for difficulties, or decisions made in terms of relationships and career which influence long-term quality of life.

In the early years, treatment can help children to build the social skills and friendships that they need at that age, and to achieve some success in school which keeps them within the educational system. It can also help families stay together and support each other if they are at risk of breaking up.

Having a diagnosis of ADHD should not prevent you from getting a job for which you are qualified and have the skills and abilities necessary. It may, however, cause problems in the workplace if you do not meet the demands of the job in terms of your professional organisation, ability to meet deadlines, or because you struggle to manage workplace relationships.

If your work involves driving, check the DVLA web page on notifying them about your diagnosis.

Knowing your rights can be important because you can expect your employer to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ if you are struggling. The Scottish ADHD Coalition has produced this guide with some helpful links and advice.

Possibly.

The ‘risks’ are certainly higher than for parents who do not have ADHD but the way that it presents in your children if they do ‘inherit’ the condition can be quite different to you. And remember that their quality of life and long-term outcomes will depend to a large degree on how you support them through their formative years.

This can be tricky as most referrals have to be done through your GP and many GPs do not have the training to recognise ADHD as a risk factor.

Basically, you will need to demonstrate that you have experienced difficulties since childhood (before the age of 12), that these persist and continue to cause problems, and that they are linked to inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Keep a checklist and add to it before your initial appointment.

Even if you do get a referral, it can be difficult to find an adult psychiatrist with the expertise to make an accurate diagnosis. If you are thinking about requesting an assessment, contact at the ADHD Support Group for advice on how to proceed.

Gather as much information about your past as possible and write a simple list.

Try to get ‘collateral information’ i.e. the views of people who know you well - like your parents.

Try to get hold of your old school reports and other information that describes how you were as a school pupil. Exclusions, incident reports etc can be helpful.

The ADHD Support Group can help you to prepare for your appointments. Contact us!

In simple terms:

• Consider your current risk factors in terms of substance use, lifestyle etc and make adjustments.

• Get organised - ‘health-check’ your finances and any other problem areas and get help if necessary.

• Find healthy options that interest you - e.g. exercise and pursue these.

• Spend quality time on yourself - even if you have other commitments. Be ‘selfish’ for at least a part of every week.

• Connect with others. A problem shared is often a problem halved.

The jury is out on this one. There is some evidence to support the idea that in some cases changes to diet can reduce ADHD symptoms, but insufficient for this to be a recommendation in the national guidelines.

Given that we all respond differently to our nutritional intake, it is worth exploring changes to diet that may improve your genneral physical health and mood. But there is no obvious pattern across the ADHD population.

ADHD should not in itself be a barrier to further learning but you may need to identify what your specific needs are and take steps yourself to address them. School pupils with ADHD often under-perform or even drop-out of school but can re-enter the education system at any stage.

Those who exploit their strngths and minimise their ‘weaknesses’ can go on to have very successful academic careers if they get the support they need and accept that they may need to take advice.

Most universities and colleges have very active student support services. Don’t wait until it is too late to make contact with them.

If you are still overseen by CAMHS at 17-18 you should be transitioned to adult services for further support.

If you have an ADHD dignosis but are not receiving treatment, it can be harder to get back into the system in adulthood unless your difficulties are very severe.

Speak to your GP as you reach this critical transition peiod to ensure that you do not fall through the gaps.

Some things to consider:

• How good is the clinician providing the diagnostic service? Will that diagnosis be considered valid by those who need to respond to it?

• If treatment is recommended, who will fund this? Adult ADHD services across Scotland remain very uneven and different ‘rules’ apply in different areas.

• Check in advance to see what will happen after the diagnosis is given. In some cases, just having confirmation that you have ADHD is sufficient. But if treatment is necessary, that could cause problems.

You starting-point could be this group even if we cannot address all of the issues that are concerning you.

We can signpost you to specialist services and help with identifying and prioritising your options.

We maintain high standards of client confidentiality so do not be afraid to give us a call.