Reply To: Adult Diagnostic Advice Please

[shutterbug55]

Sorry I am so dense. I want to make sure I am answering the right question.

As far as the meds go, I think it is possible to see significant effects from the meds. I am working toward my first PhD, and one of the hottest selling drugs in school are ADD medications. In fact, I almost got expelled because I was taking my meds at lunch and some busy-body reported me.  There is a problem at universities, where people want that edge over everyone else so people take them as a performance enhancing drug for the brain.

There are studies on people, and animals on brain chemistry and brain function who have taken ADD medications. I think I was reading the paper in Scientific American Psychology or something like that. Anyway it was hypothysizing the brain chemistry of individuals that take ADD meds, when they don’t have ADD, change their brains. Scary stuff.

As far as diagnosis goes, there is a marked difference in how adults present with ADD and how children present. Consider for a moment the fact that you have much more experience hiding the fact you are ADD so you mask the symptoms far more than a child. When they test an adult, they are paying attention to your history and giving it more importance. They will have you give friends and family, questionnaires so they can see how your ADD affects others around you.

If you want a more accurate assessment, you should probably go to someone who has experience with adult ADD.

Hope this helps.

 

 

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