Meeting Criteria for an Adult ADHD Diagnosis is hard

 


I would like to define what it means to meet criteria for an Adult diagnosis of ADHD.  As my image depicts, you need to tic a number of boxes.



Adult Treatment Guidelines


Criteria 1) You need enough symptoms



Criteria 2) The symptoms occur everywhere! (across domains is what we call it)

Criteria 3) You have to have your identified symptoms as a child before age 12.

Criteria 4) Collateral - you have to prove criteria 3 by someone else describing your childhood symptoms.
Due to the effects of estrogen in women's lives, ADHD may become problematic at perimenopause. I am hopeful that one day we will have a caveat that allows for some type of adult confirmation of ADHD.
Criteria 5) All other medical and mental health conditions have to be ruled out (as much as possible) or a justification for why they are comorbid.

If your provider says you don't meet criteria for ADHD: you may have sub-clinical ADHD.  Ask yourself if you really need an official diagnosis. You can say, I experience a lot of the traits of ADHD, and then pursue behavioral interventions. 
Jane Rekas, LCSW

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