Adult ADHD/ADD Counseling Center of Sacramento

How would you know if you have adult ADHD? It can be confusing, because there are a thousand potential contributors to ADHD type symptoms, including trauma. Symptoms of trauma can often mimic the symptoms of ADHD. Oftentimes, people with ADHD also have trauma in their past that they must deal with first before their symptoms of ADHD can be addressed. At the Adult ADHD Counseling Center of Sacramento, potential clients will be assessed to determine all the confounding factors which must be addressed concurrently, before and/or after treatment of ADHD symptoms. This being said, here are the official requirements for attaining an ADHD-related diagnosis, according to the DSM-5, the psychiatric manual which attempts to standardize and define all mental health diagnoses.

Symptoms of inattention

• Often fails to give close attention to detail or makes mistakes
• Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or activities
• Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
• Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or workplace duties
• Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
• Often avoids, dislikes or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort
• Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities
• Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
• Is often forgetful in daily activities

Symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity

• Often fidgets with or taps hands and feet, or squirms in seat
• Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected
• Often runs and climbs in situations where it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to feeling restless)
• Often has difficulty waiting their turn
• Often blurts out answers before a question has been completed
• Often talks excessively
• Is often ‘on the go’, acting as if ‘driven by a motor’
• Often unable to play or engage in leisure activities quietly
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others

Additional Qualifications

• A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development
• For children, six or more of the symptoms have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is inconsistent with developmental level, and that negatively impacts directly on social and academic/occupational activities. Please note: the symptoms are not solely a manifestation of oppositional behavior, defiance, hostility or failure to understand tasks or instructions
• For older adolescents and adults (age 17 and older), five or more symptoms are required
• Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms present prior to age 12 years
• Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms present in two or more settings (e.g. at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities)
• Clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, academic or occupational functioning
• Symptoms do not occur exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, and are not better explained by another mental disorder (e.g. mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, personality disorder, substance intoxication or withdrawal).

What do you all think about the DSM V qualifications for an ADHD diagnosis? Do you agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Reference: American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Edition, Washington D.C., American Psychiatric Association, 2013.