Diagnosing ADHD | ADHD Information

I go with the simplest denominator.

If you are struggling and a diagnosis of ADHD with treatment can help you improve areas of your life--then that's the best choice for now.

There are people who don't believe schizophrenia exists, either, including doctors. However, there's obviously SOME cohesion to the symptoms from those who suffer hallucinations and there are some who respond to medication and find that life is easier and their quality of life improves when they medicate. No brain scan supposedly will point out schizophrenia, either.

If you trust your doctor and this is his/her considered medical opinion/diagnosis and that diagnosis sets you on the path of improving your quality of life--what other proof do you need?

Hi, I haven't been here for a while and I've just been browsing around at some older disussions and topics. I'd appreciate it if people could offer their knowledge and views on the current state of the diagnostic processes / issues of ADHD.

I was diagnosed at age 33. My doctor used a series of questionairrers, spoke to my wife and looked at my school report cards (luckily my mum keeps everything and I was able to find pre-school right thru to end of High school). As well as this however, my doctor sent me for a SPECT scan. This doctor said that, while he always uses it in conjunction with the questionairres, brain imaging is reliable.

In browsing around at some other comments, I've found where people say that brain imaging can't identify ADHD. I found a couple of references to Doctor Brown at Yale who, I think, gives this view. I've not researched Brown and don't know what he says, so I'm not questioning it or disputing it, but it is worth remembering that there are plenty of experienced, qualified health professionals out there who constantly write that ADHD doesn't exsist, let alone how to diagnose it - so you can't beleive everything you read.

I hope that, if the science for brain imaging and ADHD isn't exact yet, that it is being furiously worked on. With the questionairres, I was quite lucky. I remember, with great detail, many childhood experiences and I'm the sort of person who is constantly reflecting and thinking about how I am feeling (even as a kid). I think a lot of people would struggle to remember what it was like in their early school years. There is also the opportunity for someone to stretch the truth a bit in questionairres. A big arguement of those who are anti meds. and concerned about over diagnosing of ADHD, is that, with a bit of coaching, most people would be able to "pass" the test and get themselves some stimulant drugs. I have a lot of faith in my doctor and if he says scans work, then I'm pretty confident.

What do others think / know?

[QUOTE=bornagain hippy]

Hi, thanks. Good points, I appreciate your views. I didn't make it clear as to why I was asking for people's comments about diagnosing ADHD. It's not to do with my own diagnosis. I'm not questioning that - I know what I got and I know what works, what doesn't and what I have to be careful about ( I gots a lot more to learn though).

I'm thinking more generally about what is happening in the field of medicine concerning ADHD.

Again, Thanks

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Well all ideas come and go in medicine--it's as much art as science. It does blow on the winds of economic/socio/political realities--particularly mental health diagnosis. Lately I see a great many PTSD diagnsis. A few years ago I saw buckets of bi-polar. Also, "borderline" has become popular. Many years ago I saw a lot more "schizo-affective" disorders.

That doesn't mean these labels aren't real for the people who suffer. It means what we are labelling is a group of behaviour/symptoms and from year-to-year the label can change.

I really prefer the European DSM to get an idea because it's not based on getting money out of HMO's and in England/France/Ireland/Scotland--you don't need a diagnosis [label] to get free mental health care or prescriptions.

I really do believe that before a dx is made a number of factors that are presently not checked, should be. For example, if many children seem to be inattentive on one school--when was the last time the water/structure/furniture was checked for lead poisoning or other heavy toxic metals?

Are we really "weird" or are we in an environment that doesn't appreciate our reality?Is it really normal [given historical facts] to "expect happiness"?Why are the dx increasing?How did ADHD'ers cope 100 years ago with meds or strategies?
How much a part of this does the speed of the world's changes play and how much is related to traumatic events?How much is related to the fact we are "physical" people who need to move around now in jobs where we have to sit still?

These are some of the larger questions I wonder about.

That's why I have to come down to--if it improves the quality of your life to take a drug or use a strategy to cope--that's really all the counts.

Anything else is speculation, informed opinion, fashionable etc Anyway, it's something to ponder.

Thanks for the conversation!

I'm thinking more generally about what is happening in the field of medicine concerning ADHD.

Again, Thanks