Adult ADHD Help: Where to Get Help for Adult ADD

Wondering where to go for adult ADHD help? Many people first discuss their concerns with their family physicians. While these physicians may feel comfortable diagnosing and prescribing ADD treatments to a child patient, many may not feel comfortable diagnosing adult ADD patients and prescribing ADHD drugs to adults. While family docs have access to specific criteria for diagnosing and helping children with the disorder, no clear guidelines exist for family physicians providing ADHD help for adults.

This does not mean that adults should not consult a family physician about their concerns, simply that the doctor may refer them to a mental healthcare provider with more experience dealing with adult ADD patients.

Steps to Getting Help with Adult ADD

While self-diagnosis is never a wise move, it may prove helpful to ask yourself the following questions to determine if you do need to seek a specialist who provides adult ADD help or if something else could be responsible. (see Finding ADHD Doctors Who Know How to Treat Adult ADHD)

• Do you have difficulty paying attention or focusing on tasks?
• Does your temper flare up easily (easier than other adults)?
• Are you chronically late and disorganized?
• Do you experience these issues in more than one situation? (i.e. work, home, and other social situations)
• Do your issues adversely affect your personal relationships?
• Do family, friends, and coworkers notice these problems?
• Do you have any other health problems or issues that could cause these negative behaviors?
• Have you noticed these problems since you were a child?

At the initial visit with your physician, he or she may ask similar questions to the ones above. He may ask you to write down your answers or to answer them orally.

Help with Adult ADD – Things You Can Do

Research and find some easy-to-use tools for organizing your life. Things like daily planners, whether electronic or paper-based, can help adults cope with their chronic tardiness, tendency to lose things, and forgetfulness. Counselors, who specialize in designing tools to help with adult ADD, will come up with a strategy and skill-set geared especially for your primary ADHD-related issues. (see Adult ADHD Therapy)

The most important thing you can do for yourself is to seek help and talk to a health care professional about your concerns. Specialized, effective ADHD help for adults is available all over the U.S. You deserve answers; you deserve a more organized, less chaotic life. Make an appointment today.

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