Adult ADHD Doctors Q&A

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, has become a more prominent medical condition in the world of mental health in recent years.

While commonly thought of as a condition that affects children, it does also affect adults, although it is thought that many adults with ADHD have gone undiagnosed.

Symptoms of ADHD can appear at any age, although they can appear to be more pronounced in children of school age, which is when people are often diagnosed.

ADHD is typically diagnosed through a series of evaluations that will look at a person’s behaviors, symptoms, cognitive ability, and academic achievement that can rule out any potential learning disabilities and piece together a possible diagnosis.

For a doctor to make a diagnosis of ADHD on an adult patient, the patient should exhibit at least 5 symptoms of the condition at any given time.

Symptoms of ADHD can change over time through the 3 different types of ADHD presentations, so patients can fall under a different category than they did as a child, making them think they outgrew the condition.

There are 3 presentations of ADHD, with varying symptoms in each one.

The three different presentations are Predominantly Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined. Combined cases of ADHD will exhibit a combination of symptoms from the other two presentations, which have uniquely different symptoms.

Predominantly inattentive symptoms include:

• Makes careless mistakes or does not have close attention to details
• Appears to have difficulty sustaining attention
• Doesn’t appear to be listening
• Struggles with following complete instructions
• Has difficulty keeping things organized
• Doesn’t like or try to avoid tasks that require extensive mental effort
• Easily loses things
• Gets distracted easily
• Forgetful in daily tasks and activities

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive symptoms include:

• Fidgeting with hands or feet, or frequent squirming when seated
• Struggles to remain seated
• Extreme restlessness
• Difficulty with quiet engagement in activities
• Feeling as if they are being driven by a motor
• Excessive talking
• Impatient with waiting for questions to be asked, answers before the question is completed
• Difficulty taking turns or waiting
• Interrupts others when talking

ADHD is a mental health condition that can’t be cured or prevented.

In most cases, ADHD has been present since the adult was a child, although it may go undiagnosed if the symptoms are mild or are written off as being part of the child pushing boundaries or just being a kid. The symptoms of ADHD can change as people get older, so it can look completely different in an adult than it did when they were a kid. While ADHD is part of a person’s biological composition, there are certain triggers that can aggravate symptoms and bring on ADHD episodes. Common triggers for these episodes can include:

• Stress
• Poor sleep
• Certain foods and food additives
• Technology
• Overstimulation

Determining what these triggers are can help people with ADHD take the necessary steps to avoid them and help manage their symptoms and episodes.

Working with a doctor trained in ADHD, such as the team at Success Health System, can help adults to identify their triggers and find ways to avoid them or learn coping mechanisms to minimize their ADHD symptoms and live a normal life.

At Success Health System LLC we have a team of highly trained and experienced mental health professionals who can help with a wide range of conditions.

These conditions include depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorders, and ADHD in both children and adults. When properly diagnosed, we are able to provide appropriate and effective treatment to our adult patients who have ADHD.

We have various treatment options which may include medications or alternative therapies to allow our patients to manage their symptoms and keep their condition under control.

We understand that symptoms can change over time, and we will work with our patients on an ongoing basis to monitor the effectiveness of their current treatment plan and adjust when and where necessary. To learn more, or to book an appointment to talk to one of our specialists about your concerns pertaining to adult ADHD, reach out to our clinic today. We serve patients from Creve Coeur MO, St. Louis MO, Independence MO, Olathe KS, Columbia MO, Craig KS, Spring Hill KS, Prathersville MO, Pierpont MO, Kirkwood MO, Kansas City MO, River Bend Mo & Beyond!