My child has ADHD. Could I have ADHD also?

It is not uncommon for a parent to approach me and ask me if they might have ADHD after their child has been diagnosed.

ADHD is a genetic condition. When it exists in one family member, it can oftentimes be found in siblings, parents, and even grandparents. If your child has ADHD and you seem to struggle with maintaining your attention/focus, distractibility, and/or organization, you might just have ADHD too. It may be worth investigating, as treatment can greatly improve a person’s quality of life and improve day-to-day function.

If you grew up in the 1970’s or 1980’s, symptoms of ADHD were often ignored as teachers and doctors were not screening for it. As a result, many adults have lived their lives struggling with the symptoms of ADHD without ever receiving formal treatment.

Contrary to popular opinion, people do not ‘grow out’ of ADHD. Studies have consistently demonstrated that 50-70% of cases of childhood ADHD persist into adulthood. Adults typically do not struggle with hyperactivity, but rather tend to struggle with maintaining control over their attention, being easily distracted, feel like they can never ‘get themselves together,’ seem to be chronically disorganized, and struggle with time management and drastically underestimating the time it will take to complete a task. Adults with ADHD oftentimes start numerous projects and fail to complete many of them.

Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard University and author of the bestselling book “Driven to Distraction” points out, adults with ADHD are often driven from one exciting stimuli to another, jumping from task to task with limited ability to maintain focus on one particular task at a time.

For more information about ADHD in adults, read the book “Driven to Distraction” by Edward M. Halloween, M.D. The book is widely available in bookstores and can be purchased on Amazon.com.

If you think that you might have ADHD, use the link to access an assessment :
http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/addquiz.htm

The above link is only a questionnaire and NOT diagnostic. If you feel you may have ADHD, contact a qualified mental health professional and schedule an evaluation.

Call us at 502-907-5908 or email us to book an appointment for an ADHD evaluation.

If you don’t get help from us, seek help from someone.

Life and the future can be much brighter with treatment.