| The first thing to understand about Attention | | | | diagnosing adults and children with this disorder. In |
| Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is that it is a | | | | diagnosing adults accurately with ADHD, health |
| neurobiological condition. After depression, ADHD is | | | | care professionals have to determine the |
| the second most common mental health disorder | | | | presence of four specific elements. |
| in adults, affecting about 5% of the United States | | | | - It must be determined that your symptoms |
| population. | | | | actually stem from ADHD and not some other, |
| Interestingly, approximately 60% of children who | | | | possibly temporary problem. |
| are diagnosed with ADHD continue to have the | | | | - You must have at least six out of nine |
| disorder as adults, so it is typically not a disorder | | | | hyperactivity or impulsive symptoms, as well as |
| that just goes away over time. With much | | | | six out of nine inattentive symptoms that health |
| research having been conducted over the past | | | | care professionals look for. |
| several years, scientists now believe that ADHD is | | | | - You have to actually be suffering from |
| largely a genetic condition. It is estimated that as | | | | impairment due to your symptoms. In other |
| many as 85% of people who have this disorder | | | | words, if you are consistently under-performing or |
| inherited it from one or both parents. | | | | engaging in impulsive activities at work, at home, |
| Understanding the Symptoms | | | | or even socially, then you will be far more likely to |
| The symptoms are actually not that different | | | | be positively diagnosed with ADHD. If you are not |
| between childhood ADHD and adult ADHD. | | | | really suffering from symptoms that are |
| - Hyperactivity | | | | impacting your daily life, your diagnosis would likely |
| - Inattentiveness | | | | be related to some other type of issue. |
| - Impulsiveness | | | | - Lastly, your health care practitioner will ask you |
| These are the three dominant symptoms that | | | | extensive questions about your childhood in order |
| are present in both children and adults with ADHD, | | | | to determine if you have ADHD. As previously |
| but the symptoms do not generally manifest | | | | mentioned, ADHD begins in childhood; it is not a |
| themselves in quite the same way with adults. | | | | condition that simply manifests itself in adults |
| With adults, inattentiveness actually becomes the | | | | without a prior history of the disorder. |
| biggest issue. It becomes a more dominant | | | | Even if you were never officially diagnosed as a |
| symptom than it is with children, particularly for | | | | child, you might still be diagnosed with ADHD as |
| women. Hyperactivity is a symptom that is often | | | | an adult. It is quite common for the symptoms of |
| felt by adults with ADHD, but the difference | | | | this disorder to be misdiagnosed as something |
| between this symptom in adults versus children is | | | | else altogether, even in childhood. If you routinely |
| that adults are not as likely to actually act on the | | | | suffer from any of the symptoms described in |
| feeling. Whereas children may be practically | | | | this article and you are concerned that you might |
| bouncing off the walls when they are feeling | | | | have ADHD, consult with your doctor for a |
| hyperactive, adults realize that this type of | | | | complete evaluation. Remember to do more |
| behavior is unacceptable for them, particularly | | | | research on this subject and learn what it is truely |
| when they are in the workplace or around others. | | | | about, then decide if you or the person you love |
| Diagnosing ADHD | | | | in your life may need testing. |
| The criteria are essentially the same for | | | | |