ARE ADULTS WITH ADHD (ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER) ALWAYS FIRST DIAGNOSED IN CHILDHOOD?
No. In fact, a sizable percentage of adult ADHD patients manage to get through elementary school, high school, and even college without having their condition diagnosed by a physician or specialist.Many times, a diagnosis of ADHD is made only after an adult sees a doctor for a seemingly unrelated medical or psychological reason, such as mood swings or insomnia. Others are diagnosed after bringing their child to a specialist because of disruptive behavior; in my practice I’ve often heard a mother say, “His father has the same problem!” And, sadly, many ADHD sufferers don’t receive the help they need until their condition has caused them to hit rock bottom socially or professionally.One of the biggest problems in diagnosing ADHD in adults is that few physicians are aware of its existence outside of childhood. They don’t consider ADHD to be an adult disorder and thus often overlook the obvious when making a diagnosis. That’s why people who suspect they or a loved one may have ADHD should see a psychiatrist.*29\173\2*
