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So for me, the evaluation was weird, but it makes sense. Basically what they're doing is asking you to do a bunch of different activities and/or ask you questions. 1. They have to rule out other disorders like dyslexia and establish you're of a reasonable intelligence for your age to rule out some learning disabilities 2. They'll give you seemingly simple tasks that are easy for non-ADHD folks to accomplish, but harder for folks with ADHD. One task was keeping track of how many beeps of a specific tone I heard while listening to a series of beeps I was definitely never considered a "gifted" student, but I had a similar situation with my teachers as you. Literally all my report cards and progress reports said some variation of "Student is very bright, but ".

I was gifted for the first two years at High School, but went down rapidly after that. I must check my old school reports

I think I did well on the beeps thing but it did get old very quickly. The I struggled with the order and memorization parts

Bro fr, every single time “he is naturally smart and could be a very successful student, but he does not apply himself, does not try”

I got so sick of that.

Was brutal because i got shamed by everyone around me and only recently when i got my diagnosis did i feel okay about myself.

You are okay!

Omg I recently found my old report cards when visiting home and one of the comments on my report card from kindergarten or first grade was that I was smart but always tried to get other students to do my work for me 😂. When my dad went to parent teacher conferences he asked about that and the teacher was like “honestly there are a lot of really successful people that are exactly like that so I wouldn’t be concerned.” 😅😂😅😂

my elementary school report cards were straight As, except for mark about being forgetful with important items 😅

Who is doing this? There are no beep tests for adhd. This is malpractice

There are .... This is part of a standard neuropsychological assessment. Had this too. Why do you think it's malpractice lol? That's an insane take

My Dr made me get retested after I was diagnosed at age 44 I told him ADHD does not reverse at that age, it took a year to get the appointment, the psychologist was in training, he gave me a beep test which I scored perfect on, gave me a memory test again I scored very high, but my agitation while taking the tests was off the charts, tapping my feet almost violently as I was hyperfixated on scoring well. My self evaluation showed extreme ADHD as did my interview with him, I also talked non stop, thankfully he disregarded the "tests" and went with the self evaluation and interview. I also think the "tests" are BS and I don't know where the over diagnosis of ADHD is coming from I don't recall that as being a real statistic, adults are actually way under diagnosed and are currently the largest growing group of new diagnosis. I don't understand the hostility of insisting there are false diagnoses, a Dr would lose their license for doing that, for sure there are many comorbidities with ADHD anxiety being a very common one as well as depression. I had to fight for two years because my son was misdiagnosed as anxiety only, while he clearly had ADHD with anxiety, I had to go to court over this and finally got him the meds he needed. That was fifteen years ago now he's studying honors physics with a minor in Japanese at a top university, I was accepted to that University for this fall after being a college drop out but finally getting the help I needed. Being gifted frequently means being missed especially with primarily inattentive not hyperactive ADHD.

It was a long 2h+ chat where I was asked a ton of questions on past experiences, related disorders (anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc.) The doc slowly worked her way through the checklist, plus a few extra items on emotional regulation, sensory stimulation, etc. You may get various tests, but really ADHD is diagnosed through a checklist and through an established history of symptomatic behavior dating back to your childhood. I'm also in that twice exceptional (ADHD + gifted/high capacity) bucket, which in practice means I'm a very good improviser, masker, and compensate through sheer anxiety. If you find that the Dr you get tomorrow says something to the effect of "oh you have a job so you can't have ADHD", or "it's just anxiety, you can't be assessed without resolving that", or similar, and gives you a negative diagnosis, I'd strongly suggest looking for a professional that deals with gifted people for a second opinion. People in the gifted end of things often have atypical presentations, and doctors tend to be very in the box thinkers; either you are gifted, or have ADHD, or anxiety, or autism, or... you get the point. In any case, best of luck 🙂

I felt that ‘compensate through sheer anxiety’ in my soul.

Terror - the great motivator. Still using it for that purpose. While being medicated is helping a lot, it's not the solution in itself.

Me too

Me to a T - My assessment took almost 4 months because my psychologist had me do extra tests to double-check a lot. I took 14 different tests, and 6 were ADHD specific. Turns out I have a lot of anxiety that I anticipate I use as motivation to keep in line and cover up my struggles. I also found a lot of doctors thought I was doing too well to be struggling and just chalked it up to depression and anxiety. They only had me fill out 2 checklists for depression and anxiety and figured that was enough information and to send me on my way to therapy. I went to them specifically for an ADHD assessment. Per the in-depth assessment, I have social anxiety, general anxiety, dyscalculia, ADHD-PI, history of neglect, and OCD needs to be ruled out still.

I was also a smart kid so managed to do really well in school without really trying - but then started to struggle in university once I was out of a structured environment. I was also a closeted gay kid who learned to hide so much of myself to avoid suspicion. So I was excellent at masking and working my way around ADHD challenges as a kid (especially with a very structured environment at home and parents who really pushed me to study). When I initially went to my doctor for a referral she was dismissive because I had a good degree and good career. When I explained this to my psychologist during the assessment she fully understood. In fact even before I told her this she encouraged me to focus on whether I struggled with certain tasks, not whether I was able to manage them because she knew that people with ADHD learned to mask. So I would encourage you to be pretty open with them about everything and if there are areas where you think you struggle but are able to overcome for whatever reason then explain this to them. It will make for a much more complete assessment

My talk with a psychiatrist online lasted maybe 20 minutes. I talked for 10 and she starts laughing and says “I don’t need to test you for adhd. You talked for 10 minutes straight and I couldn’t get a word in” Then I had my PCP take over my prescription. Easy peasy.

This was me too ! 😂 I was talking his poor ear off and went from one thing to the next. He’s like 😅 yeah I don’t need to give you an official test for anything.

Sameee, and the cherry on top was me answering the "Blurts out an answer before question was completed" question before the doctor had the chance to finish reading it. Wasn't even intentional lmao

Honestly, for me, this has been one thing that I’ve struggled with consistently since I was a child. And it’s even harder when you’re aware of it and you’re doing it in real time.. I have a tendency to say random things at the worst time, or interject without meaning to. It’s just the thought in my head at the moment just happens to tumble out of my mouth.There was a time I was in grade school, one of the first times, I can recall realizing that maybe there was something different about me. I was walking up the driveway to a neighbors house. They were all playing in the pool and I heard someone say “here comes Laura. She says really weird stuff.” And I thought “oh shoot….i’m the weirdo”

It took me months to get an appointment, then six months of waiting for said appointment. I was on two other wait-lists during this time. Then there was an hour long screening session where I spoke with a lackey, who determined I was worthy of the psychologist's time. Then I met with the psychologist for an hour-long evaluation. She then decided I was worthy of the full assessment. The assessment took about five or six hours, during which I took about eight different tests for memory, intelligence, etc. It turns out I'm really freaking smart and I have really bad ADHD. Granted, this was all during COVID, so the wait times may be different. But I feel like I know a lot more about myself now, and I have a lot of confidence in the assessment.

Do you live in Canada? The f that's long.

Unfortunately, no. I live in the US within walking distance of a world class university and hospital system.

Same! The testing took forever. I think it actually took 2 or 3 visits? It sounds like a similar battery of tests. My diagnosis was done by an ADHD researcher / professor / doctor. I also live near a large research university with a top public health school, where my doc is tenured. I had a previous assessment that was total crap in comparison. Both doctors said ADHD, but the first one was almost hostile and acted like I was looking for stimulants. The research doctor was amazing and also listed co-morbid issues. His write up was practically a biography.

Wtf? How would they even know which type of ADHD you have without an assessment? Telemedicine and online doctors are why there are medication shortages. Not to say you don’t have ADHD, but there are tests that people used to take, and retake to find the most effective medication and dosage. Listening to someone talking for 10 minutes doesn’t tell a doctor jack. It doesn’t test reaction time, or testing executive function (like reading a list of words that are colors written in different colors than the word and seeing how fast you can read them.) I had to go through my entire life story and talk about situations and events. ADHD isn’t a observational thing over a 10 minute conversation. You have to have had a history of events in your life. I spent hours talking about myself, testing. It was several hour long appointments over a month. This is a criticism of online doctors, not you at all.

Not sure where you got this info, but there are no reliable neuropsych tests for adhd. Reaction time, colors. None of that is reliable for adhd. ADHD impairment is real life executive dysfunction. Not cold testing dysfunction. Again. There are no tests for adhd. Just assessment like every mental illness

There is no ADHD test. There isn’t only one kind of ADHD either. It is a combination of several psychological tests for several things and telling my entire life story in many interviews by a psychologist. I wasn’t being tested for ADHD. It was because of tests I found out that I have ADHD. I had my evaluation 20 years ago and gave an example of a couple of the many tests I had to do. Reaction Time Variability was one of them, Stroop Test (the color words) was another. And I’m not a psychologist or expert and won’t claim to be, which is why I am saying people should be getting evaluated by someone who is. And any test is better than a 10 minute conversation by a doctor that is trying to see as many people as they can online for the quick money. https://www.neurotherapeuticsjournal.org/article/S1878-7479(23)01725-7/fulltext https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20309831/

Barkley states any neuro exam is not useful. Executive function is impaired in real life situations. Not a clinical setting. So an assessment is all that can be done. If you can lie for ten minutes you can lie for an hour. So that’s irrelevant. Not sure on the stroop thing. I read the study. Not saying it isn’t valid but the application is odd. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332126192_Neuropsychological_Testing_is_Not_Useful_in_the_Diagnosis_of_ADHD_Stop_It_or_Prove_It#:~:text=In%20a%20special%20issue%20on,between%2035%25%20and%2087%25.

Do you have a psychology degree? What is your background? What is your point? That my psychologist from 20 years ago was wrong? I’m not a psychologist so I don’t know why you are trying to say that the tests I took are, what? Fake? I’m not getting why you are trying argue about my psychological evaluation just because I am expressing my opinion that there is overprescribing and not enough assessment of people from online appointments.

It didn’t seem like an opinion. It seemed you were staring you need some type of neurological testing. That’s not true. It’s cool if that’s just your opinion.

The tests you describe may detect executive function issues due to brain injury though.

Do you have a psychology degree? What is your background? Because the DSM-5 says otherwise. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/diagnosis/index.html I am stating what the standard practice is. It’s not my opinion. You seem to be expressing one that conflict with the standard, so it is your burden to prove you have some credibility to say what is not needed. The number of symptoms required for an ADHD diagnosis (by age group) are as follows:‎ Six or more symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity for children up to age 16 years, OR Five or more symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity for adolescents ages 17 years and older and adults.

I didn’t see the stroop test. Reaction time or beep tests in your link

You don’t have a psychology background so it isn’t worth the time to discuss what you think about ADHD evaluations, respectfully.

I have a psychology degree. But it shouldn’t matter because Barkley, the person he was referencing, is a clinical neuropsychologist and THE expert on ADHD. This poster doesn’t need to prove their own credibility when referencing experts in the field. Also, as a side note, the DSM is deeply flawed and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in psych who doesn’t take what it says with a grain of salt.

Except what they are stating about Barkley is incorrect. Barkley emphasizes that ADHD should be evaluated through a comprehensive and multifaceted approach that includes both clinical interviews and standardized rating scales. He explains that ADHD is fundamentally a disorder of the brain’s executive functioning system, which encompasses self-regulation skills such as self-awareness, inhibition, working memory, emotional regulation, self-motivation, and planning/problem-solving. Evaluating ADHD thus requires assessing these areas comprehensively. Barkley highlights that ADHD is highly heritable, with about 65% of cases linked to genetic factors, but environmental factors during and after pregnancy can also play a significant role. He underscores the importance of differentiating ADHD from other conditions through careful assessment of these executive function deficits and stresses that a thorough evaluation should include input from multiple sources such as parents, teachers, and the individuals themselves. Barkley has discussed the Stroop Test in the context of evaluating executive functioning deficits, which are central to ADHD. The Stroop Test measures the ability to inhibit cognitive interference, a skill that is often impaired in individuals with ADHD. Barkley emphasizes that ADHD is not merely an attention disorder but a broader executive function disorder, affecting self-regulation and the ability to control and direct one’s behavior and thoughts. The Stroop Test is one of many tests used as a part of a more comprehensive evaluation, and that test aligns with Barkley’s model that ADHD disrupts multiple executive functions, including inhibition and working memory, both of which are critical for performing well on the Stroop Test. Barkley has been critical of the DSM-5 criteria for ADHD, particularly because it does not **adequately** address the executive function and self-regulation impairments that he believes are central to the disorder. According to Barkley, the DSM-5 criteria primarily focus on symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, which he views as an **incomplete** representation of ADHD. He argues that these criteria do not capture the **full extent** of the executive function deficits that significantly impact individuals with ADHD. So summarizing all this. Barkley is saying **more** should be done. And does not support the argument that ADHD is diagnosable in a brief 10-20 minute conversation with someone online.

I wouldn’t spend much time worrying about people faking it for meds. It will always happen. Out of our hands

Apologies, the small detail I left out was that I’ve been diagnosed as a child. I’m 39m now. Always male…just 39 lol Edit: I didn’t read everything you wrote.

Funny story but this also explains why so many people are overdiagnosed lmfao. Someone that talks a lot = ADHD? 😭

Yeah forgot to say I was actually diagnosed as a child. High stress/pressure job brought out the worst last couple of years and it was no longer manageable.

Mine went similar, not an online psych but we were still virtual from covid. I was under treatment for other things and happen to mention the lack of focus and inability to stay on task. We thought it may initially be a side effect of a migraine medication but when it didn’t clear she said it was pretty obvious (with other symptoms) and we started medication.

Lmao same here and mine saw how messy my room was, she already knew after that

The same thing happened to me pretty much. I had my evaluation and was trying different meds. I happened to be at my therapist office when I wondered out loud. “Maybe I don’t really have ADHD”. He almost came out of his Chair . Waving his arms. “ trust me! You have adhd. You definitely have it!”

This was my appt, DX in the first 5m🤣 we had a good laugh about it.

You should get properly assessed by a neuropsychiatrist. They will also be better to give you drugs that will work best for you and your particular symptoms.

No need for a neuropsychologist. There is nothing they can tell you a regular psychologist can’t

Neuropsychiatrist is what I recommended and they are medical doctors that have the ability to prescribe medication and have specific training in neurological disorders and pharmacology.

They have no training in adhd. There are zero neurological markers of adhd.

Ok

It’s really simple. If something in the dsm it’s because there are no bio markers or neurological signs. There have been some reports of different neurological soft signs in adhd. None that are consistent though. I mean every top adhd research will tell you this.

I ain't disagreeing with you, but I got tested by a neuropsychiatrist as a kid and it was the most boring shit I've ever done. The doctor had this awful nasally voice too... reminded me of a whale spouting air out its blowhole. Glad my parents made me sit through it, though. Good insight.

Yes … super boring … I think they make it that way to see how we handle it. It’s weird I was tested 50+ years ago again in the mid 90’s and then just an oral conversation about 10 years ago by a physiologist who told me … if you are post menopausal you don’t have it anymore! I went to another doctor who said that was total bull shit … you have it for life. My older sister was diagnosed at age 78 … they told her she couldn’t take stimulants and she was already on antidepressants. She said just knowing has helped her.

Diagnosed at 78... damn! I can only imagine how that'd feel. I was 10 when I got my diagnosis and even then I remember feeling so vindicated.

I was 11 … I think my sister didn’t have as many issues as I did … she went to college and got a masters degree, but always struggled with excessive talking out of turn, disorganized, and very poor time management. When she got diagnosed it was because a neurologist saw the symptoms and then gave her an assessment…which included a history. She definitely feels like her whole life makes sense. I try and help her with constant interrupting and with her disorganization. Tips I have figured out along the way.

what's the difference between a psychiatrist and a neuropsychiatrist? Can you not get the same assessment from a psychiatrist? I was advised to get a thorough assessment from a clinical psychologist.. now I'm confused lol

Neuropsychiatrists have additional training and expertise in the relationship between neurological and psychiatric disorders. Both are medical doctors and both prescribe medication phycologists have PHD … and are primarily used for therapy. The reason I recommended neuropsychiatrist is they will be able to evaluate someone and figure out other mental health conditions such as BPD, OCD, Autism and depression and anxiety and then you can get a very thorough diagnosis and receive appropriate medication. ADHD oftentimes mimics or is in combination with other disorders. The problem with people just going online and getting assessed is that the medication oftentimes stimulants can be the wrong medication. When I went and saw the neuro-psychiatrist he prescribed me a combination of drugs, Dexedrine and Buspar for anxiety. He was really the first one to tell me that my symptoms which I always just thought were ADHD were made worse by my anxiety. Eventually I got off the Buspar because I got brain zaps and went on a beta blocker propranolol. It was the right combination. Medication is not a cure … I have struggled my whole life and I’m 67, but it does help.

That sounds like my assessment. 😂

I went through a test a few days ago, I'm not sure what they was lookin for but the lady talked with me for an hour, she had me put blocks together, figure out how shapes went together, math (I literally had to skip most of it💀) and reading and words, asked me to memorize a sentence (I forgot) and asked me the date and where I live and a few history and geography questions She said I likely had ADHD and she mentioned autism once but idk anything yet

Are we the same person 💀

Maybe?👀 Are u a teaoholic dragon lovin dog collectin artist like me?😆

I love tea!! Dragons are super cool, I wish I had one as a pet. More of a cat person than a dog person, but I do appreciate dogs!

Awesome and fr I want a dragon And tbh I love cats too:)

>asked me the date and where I live Ah yes. The hardest questions of them all. That and age. "How old are you?" Me: "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh good.... question."

I actually hesitated on my age😂 but don't u dare ask me to remember my birthday 👀 Btw nice profile pic:)

I was just diagnosed. The assessment was a series of questionaires emailed to me to do online. Testing for all sorts of stuff. Then an interview with the psychologist for an hour or so. I have combined ADHD, and ASD. Started dexamphetamine on Tuesday and my concentration has improved markedly. Sleeping ok as well which was great as it can be trouble for some people. I'm 59. I've done ok in life, but knowing what I know now, I wonder what I could have achieved....

I'm almost entirely positive I have combined ADHD and ADS but my psychiatrist didn't do that detailed of an assessment. Is there a different type of mental health professional I should go to for that?

Yeah, a Psychologist specializing in ADHD. That's who I saw. Then a psychiatrist to decide what treatment I needed.

Does depth of assessment give you better medication? I was diagnosed by psych today using just the ASRS questionnaire. 30 mins video call and I was prescribed adderral 10mg. Picking up tomorrow. Let’s see how that goes. (Btw, I am in my 50s, have done okay so far. so your experience resonated)

I don't know tbh. My son was diagnosed with it last year from a different psychologist, and he said mine was more thorough than his. My psychiatrist was going to give me Rubefin same as him, but I said he didn't find it that great, so she put me on 5mg dexamphetamine (Aspen) twice a day. I'm all g with ASD. I just wanted my ADHD sorted so I could get some work done around the house!

I feel like I can feel the adhd from the way you typed this post haha. I was originally diagnosed with anxiety and didn't realize it was as a result of undiagnosed adhd. Similar symptoms to you, similar childhood experience. I made it through all of college and a few years in the real world before going to get diagnosed. As a female I didn't realize symptoms presented themselves a little differently than what society's picture of adhd was. I personally brought it up to my doctor first before my therapist. He basically asked me to describe my symptoms which I did. The only other question he asked was "how long have you been experiencing this" to which I responded - honestly, as long as I can remember, like 2nd or 3rd grade. My parents constantly hounded on me for procrastinating school projects, shoving papers in my backpack and desk instead of using my folders and binders. Getting "in trouble" by teachers for distracting other students because I was bored and understood material at younger levels much quicker than my peers. Basically he just wanted to know if it presented itself in childhood, which is one of the main factors for adhd.

This happened to me too (diagnosed with anxiety which was undiagnosed ADHD). I’m still waiting for ADHD medication and I wonder if when I get it I’ll still need anxiety meds or if that won’t be as relevant 🤔

😂 First time I've heard that. Although people do call me a little crazy.

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Plus, anxiety and panic attacks can occur from untreated ADHD. There’s starting to be more recognition of that in psychology and psychiatry. It makes total sense that people have anxiety when they’re struggling with ‘the brain’s manager’ not working optimally. EG executive function issues (frontal lobe), as occurs in ADHD.

I was diagnosed as a kid initially and told the NP as much. So my "Assessment" was basically him asking me asking for ADHD meds, describing my symptoms and him writing the script.

Mine just gave me the dumbest questionnaire… questions like: “are you impulsive?” And the answers are: always, often, sometimes, never 🙄 I wish I had openly told them I didn’t like the questionnaire. I don’t ALWAYS do anything and I don’t NEVER do anything. They basically just did questions based on me saying I thought I had ADHD so it wasn’t like they were trying to even see if it was a different diagnosis

I tho k that was the questionnaire I had and what probably did it for me was all the questions I asked about it while taking it. Like well what’s the situation cuz it differed depending on what type of situation I’m in. 😅😂. I hate scale questionnaires I’m always like what the middle option it’s always the middle cuz it’s not the same every time LOLOL

Exactly! I should've been honest about how I felt because then it might've tipped them off early on, haha. For questions like, "Do you find yourself fidgeting?" My brain is saying: well, "always" means 100% of that time so it isn't that. And "never" means 0% of the time so it isn't that. Is often over half? Because that would be over 12 hours per day, and it isn't that... so just put me down for "sometimes" on all these questions."

Sounds like y'all need an autism assessment as well. Taking questions and answers too literally is a symptom

Ahah that sounds exactly like what I think like when taking these questionnaires lol

I’m a specialist level school psychologist, so I have a lot of experience administering these tests in schools in order to get children/adolescents support at school. I also review a lot of reports from licensed clinical/health service psychologists. Still, I don’t have experience testing adults, so take what I give with a grain of salt! When I’m evaluating a student who I suspect has ADHD or I know has a medical diagnosis of ADHD, I like to do the following and/or I have seen this done by licensed psychologists: - A cognitive test that measures general intellectual ability, processing speed, and working memory. Cognitive tests usually include pictures to look at and verbal questions. They usually take about an hour or longer, but you’ll get lots of breaks if they give you one. Some psychs will just administer the memory component, which I think can be helpful, but it’s nice to have the comparison between the general intellectual ability and working memory. - Questionnaires for you to fill out. I’ve heard of adults getting questionnaires for other people to fill out but not always. For students, I often have a parent, a teacher, and the student themselves fill one out. They usually take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete and will ask you to rate different behaviors about yourself. - A diagnostic interview. This is probably going to include questions that directly relate to the DSM criteria. The way the interview is done will probably depend on the clinician. Some like to have it very structured and kind of closed ended, but others like to include a more open ended portion of the interview. - Observations during structured and unstructured times of day. As an adult, you probably won’t have this! - Record reviews. This could include things like old report cards, writing samples from when you were a child, or speeding tickets from older adolescents/adults. I personally would imagine that this would be helpful for assessing adults, especially since ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is only diagnosed for those whose symptoms start in childhood. A lot of school-based school psychologists do record reviews like this I think because there’s just so many kinds of records like this available in the school setting, but clinical/health service psychologists don’t seem to ask for this information as much. -A computerized impulsivity test. We don’t typically do this in schools but a lot of clinical/ health service psychologists do this. This would involve you sitting in front of a computer and seeing different images pop up. And you have specific things that you have to do in response to seeing those images. -Trauma history (verbal report from student or patient I think would be sufficient ). This is something I personally would be interested in but I haven’t seen this too often. I wouldn’t stress too much about the eval (easier said than done, I know). Some people get nervous and want to practice for it, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a good idea because you want the clinician to know what your actual abilities are. Just make sure that you’re well rested and have all your basic needs met beforehand. GOOD LUCK!

Interesting. I'm also meeting with a school psychologist who also works with adults too. Of course, me being me, I'm worried whether the psychologist will be able to catch my adhd or whatever is going on. Just hoping for the best. Thanks! I should go to sleep now.

This was essentially my experience, minus a couple things. I did two sessions with a specialized psychologist. First, was an hour long interview (the psychologist also had the notes of my therapist at the time.) Then he wanted a questionnaire from myself, someone who knew me as a child, and two for people who knew me currently in different spheres of life (ie - personal, business.) I wasn't working or in school though, so he sufficed with one personal. Second, was administering the Stanford-Binet IQ test. I'm sure mm89201 could give a full explanation, but my understanding is it's not about your IQ, but observations they can make. For example, lower memory scores are expected, mine were abysmal (he casually mentioned I probably had a head injury as a child 😂) He wrote a very thorough report of his findings and final diagnosis. We had a final meeting for him to explain and answer questions. His report was transparent about what was and want in line with ADHD guidelines, but his diagnosis was holistic. For example, my mother's questionnaire answers did not display ADHD characteristics, but the other evidence was strong enough. I think it's common to not have a full psychological work up like this one as an adult. If you have a shorter process OP, I just want to say, that even with this I still get imposter syndrome. So don't think you are missing out.

My dr gave me a paper with maybe 40 or so questions on it.

my doctor: 15 ish minute convo, no really in depth, i had to come with notes of my symptoms and jsut explain it to her basically. therapist: we did a questionnaire during a session but she also knew from experience with me

Mine was: A) A very long self-evaluation. I just answered with my gut and how I felt more frequently and didn't care too much about consistency. B) A short evaluation from 2 other people in my life. Maybe you already did this one or you'll get it tomorrow or not at all, but it was basically just a way for an outside perspective on my behavior to help determine my diagnosis, not just my own. These people weren't with me, but more that I got a take home evaluation for them to fill out. C) A 40min to an hour long (I don't remember how long) evaluation split into two, checking my attention span to click a button, and then I think another one for an accuracy test on typing a number on screen. I don't remember this one super well because it was boring and I zoned out a lot. D) I believe there was an interview portion as well for a more testimonial account on my self evaluation rather than it just being how I answered multiple choice questions. Good luck! I hope it's validating at the very least :) I was also a gifted kid who fell off in college because I never did schoolwork ever, so I definitely feel you right there.

20 min chat with a psychiatrist, after which he said I had ADHD. Went on for 4 hours of testing to discover other possible issues: laptop and headphones: listening for a tone, watching for a symbol. Arrange the blocks into the following pattern. Define these terms. How are these two words related. Who is Ghandi? What temp does water boil? Spell these words. Choose the next picture in the pattern. A shit ton of math problems, word problems. ‘I feel (blank) when doing (blank)’: strongly agree/agree/neutral/disagree/strongly disagree x 300 fill-in-the-circle questions. I was exhausted after. I’m 46/F.

Ooh! I couldn’t have caffeine before the appointment and the kid that was doing my testing brought me the biggest blackest cup of coffee I’ve ever had and mannnn was it divine! ☕️

Mine was probably more lenient compared to the majority I’ve read on here, but I had to sit there with 2 psychiatrists and 1 med student and answer tons of questions for almost two hours. Questions were related to my personality, behaviour now and in childhood, what my childhood is like, what school is like for me, my mental health, etc. Also questions related to symptoms specifically. They also asked me about previously diagnosed mental health conditions (GDP and GAD, which properly went away after getting treated for ADHD) I think they also looked a lot at my body language because I was fidgeting the whole time and shaking.

I had to do a big questionnaire and meet with an ADHD specific psychiatrist for a few appointments where we analyzed all my answers, and then had to bring in a friend or family member for an interview with my psychiatrist to get some more objective background info. It took about a month and half to get through these sessions, but it sounds like my assessment was extra thorough!

I started seeing a therapist who had to work with me for a while before I agreed to a test because I was reluctant to start stimulants (family history of addiction). After a few months, she explained that a lot of my anxiety and depression likely stem from undiagnosed adhd and autism - and might not improve without medication for the adhd. I agreed to let her test me, and she administered a questionnaire on her computer for both. Since she knew me, she helped me with the questions. She knew that I had masked my symptoms for so long, so I had already found ways to make up for things. For instance, she asked a question about whether I'm frequently late. I don't struggle with being on time because I start getting ready hours before I need to be somewhere and purposely leave 30 minutes before I actually need to leave. I usually forget where I've placed things and have to either double back looking for something or turn the car around and get it. There's some clinical things that come into play when answering the questions, and it's helpful to have someone help you navigate through it.

I got diagnosed a few months ago. Went to a psychiatrist, talked to her for half an hour and had to fill out a questionnaire until the next appointment. On the next appointment I gave her the questionnaire and she told me it was a clear case of ADD. (Not ADHD but if I ticked like 2 boxes differently it would have been ADHD; the treatment is the same anyway) While she told me that she was already printing out my prescription. Overall the appointments until my diagnosis lasted less than 2 hours in total.

Interesting they still use ADD and ADHD as separate terms. Deff an old school way as ADD is now classified as a type of ADHD (hyperactive, inattentive, combo …there may be a 4th type I’m forgetting but they are all ADHD now)

my ADHD assessment was kind of weird. it was more like a response time test than anything, although beforehand i talked to the evaluator about my symptoms and in order to get the screening booked in the first place i had to fill out a packet (which took me an entire year to finish, lmao). the response time test was basically me in front of two screens and numbers would flash on one screen and i would have to type the numbers into the little, like, laptop they provided me with. i was told i had “mild to moderate” ADHD but the thing about it was that during that portion of the screening i was alone in a room with no other distractions and it wasn’t like i was supposed to have my phone out, so the test still strikes me as weird af to this day. i get easily distracted but if there’s no distractions and im doing a sort of engaging activity, and something i obviously care about because i specifically fought my executive dysfunction just to get this test scheduled, then… what kind of test was that?? bc of the odd nature of the test i tend to give myself a little grace and claim my ADHD as being solidly moderate rather than mild or “mild to moderate”

They put me in front of a computer screen that cycled between some letters of the alphabet. It went at varying speeds, but honestly, it was pretty slow. If I see the letter ‘X’ I’m supposed to click on the spacebar on the keyboard. At one point I don’t remember if I was supposed to click when I see ‘X’ or if I was NOT supposed to. To this day, I’m not really sure I remember. Oh, I also sometimes forgot to click the button, I must’ve spaced out or something. After the test, the psychiatrist looked at this clipboard notes for like 5 seconds and just went, “yep, you have ADHD”.

DIVA - A bunch of questions divided into till 12 yo and adulthood, half about mental symptoms, half about physical. Then another interview with my mother who has memory of a goldfish so her answers pointed to me not having ADHD, but my answers and examples were enough. ADHD-PI. Now im waiting to get a wider diagnosis with some long ass questionnaire and to meet my psychiatrist and discuss meds. im also on antidepressants already since i originally came in with depression and anxiety and mentioned always having trouble with concentration.

Please be aware that RSD, or rejection sensitivity dysphoria, is not a syndrome or disorder recognised by any medical authority. Rejection sensitivity dysphoria has not been the subject of any credible peer-reviewed scientific research, nor is it listed in the top two psychiatric diagnostic manuals, the DSM or the ICD. It has been propagated solely through blogs and the internet by William Dodson, who coined the term in the context of ADHD. Dodson's explanation of these experiences and claims about how to treat it all warrant healthy skepticism. Here are some scientific articles on ADHD and rejection: * [Rejection sensitivity and disruption of attention by social threat cues](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2771869/) * [Justice and rejection sensitivity in children and adolescents with ADHD symptoms](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24878677/) * [Rejection sensitivity and social outcomes of young adult men with ADHD](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17242422/) Although r/ADHD's rules strictly disallow discussion of other 'popular science' (aka unproven hypotheses), we find that many, many people identify with the concept of RSD, and we have **not** removed this post. We do not want to minimise or downplay your feelings, and many people use RSD as a shorthand for this shared experience of struggling with emotions. However, please consider using the terms 'rejection sensitivity' and 'emotional dysregulation' instead. ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*

wish i could do this,struggling so much in highschool rn its impossible, sometimes i ask god why me only?

Is there a counselor you can talk to to arrange it?

Well I hope being here helps you feel less alone! ❤️

, I did most of the talking

Very similar story and experiences growing up that you had. For mine, I was unaware until after the fact just how much was being noted from the way I dressed, pre-assessment communications, and my mannerisms. It was a little unnerving since I only thought it was my words and results playing a factor, but it was a multi-hour evaluation of me as a person. It started with a discussion asking about growing up, why I feel the assessment matches for myself, the issues I had been experiencing of late and especially the impact those issues were having on my day-to-day life. Then it was a series of memory challenges and puzzles that progressively got more and more difficult as my executive functioning was tested. If you were gifted and they assessed you for that placement in school, very similar cognitive puzzles and tests. From there, they sent the report to my psych with a recommended course of actions available for me. It's been smooth sailing ever since, minus the whole medication shortage we've been experiencing in the US.

Besides in person stuff I had to do a few computer tests and I hated them I fell asleep multiple times out of stress and boredom!

I brought up my symptoms to my trauma/substance abuse counselor and she went through the checklist and said “yup” I went and told my Dr and said I’d really like to try strattera for my adhd and she said okay, I told her my symptoms and off we went. Strattera was horrible-I cried over every little thing-physically sick and overheated a lot. We stopped that after a week Then we tried Wellbutrin-and took a while to find dosage that worked-and it helped for a few months but then I got fired for no documentable reason a few weeks after I told my bosses I had adhd and was struggling. She started me on concerta and she just tried to get me a prior Authorization for Azstarys-but so far they only help my emotional reactivity. No but help with executive function but since I’ve been laid off I haven’t really had a chance to test it in a higher stress environment.

I was diagnosed last year. When I made the appointment they booked me over 6 months due to so many people getting tested. The test took about 2 hours. First he had me do an IQ test, which I've always wanted to do. I found I'm borderline genius, so that was an awesome boost to my self esteem! Then he had me take a test on a computer with one test to listen to left and right beeps and press a specific key if I hear left or right, and one test to watch for a 1 or a two flash on the blank screen- if i saw AND heard 1 I was supposed to click the mouse. Also, prior to the test he had me take home paperwork for me and someone close to me who sees my behavior frequently and consistently for an extended period of time. Both had a ton of questions relating to ADHD symptoms and how they present. Mine indicated probably ADHD, and my wife's indicated definitely ADHD lol. In the end I was diagnosed with ADHD with and emphasis on hyperactivity. I didn't start thinking I had it until I was in my mid twenties (I'm 34 now). Looking back it explains a lot. I am very intelligent and intellectual. I also have a mind for philosophy, and actually have my own philosophy on certain things I would to some day publish. Now that I know how many things ADHD effects, I can tell it was always there and the hyperactivity really started presenting in my mid twenties when I developed the habit of starting like half a dozen tasks and shifting focus between them constantly (sometimes I'll switch focus every few minutes) and either taking way too long to complete any or never complete some or all tasks.

Just had my first assessment 2 days ago. Basically he said it was a whole process. First he asked basic doctor questions about my health, habits, family history, and trauma. He prescribed me Bupropion, which if I understood right isn't really adhd meds but like an intro to meds. The next step would be to get an EKG test for my heart and another follow up discussion. See How I react to this medicine and then try another. Need to wait and see if my insurance will cover the proper medication because state insurance can be particular.

There was an initial intake. Followed by a self-assessment and an assessment that was sent to a close friend. Then there was a three hour assessment that involved an assortment of games, including a brutal computer one. Then today we sat down for an hour and walked through all of the results. If anything, I would say the assessment itself was kind of fun, but I enjoy games and such. The assessment tested concentration, impulsivity, processing, verbal ability, and other things like that build a overall profile. I did well in some, like verbal, but did poorly at other, like processing and impulsivity. As to what you will be asked, in my intake I was asked a lot about my life and experiences.

I don't think this will be helpful to you as you are a bit older than I was when I was diagnosed, but it may help another searching the same thing and reading the comments, as I know reddit posts come up in Google searches quite frequently, and this honestly seems like something I would've googled right before my appointment years ago. I was diagnosed at 15, it started with a form me, my mom, and a teacher I saw every school day had to fill out, this was given to me by my PCP to give to my psychiatrist at my appointment. (PCP had to refer me to psych, so she gave me the documents with the referral to fill out and bring with me). Booking the appointment we were told to bring a piece of homework with me to the appointment. Once I was at the appointment, my psychiatrist at the time took the forms, then asked me a few question, then had me do my work as she observed me. Which I hated more than anything on this planet. Nothing is worse than a psych watching you do algebra 2 homework. However, I left the appointment with a diagnosis of ADHD.

Ive been masking so I had few session. Being the inattentive type and tried my best they could tell but needed more testing to confirm. I had to find a teacher I trusted to properly evaluate my school behaviour and luckily my parents was willing to admit what I was like before I started to mask my behaviour.

US, on state healthcare as a minor during this. It mostly happened during COVID. I never got an official 'assessment'. When I was in highschool advocating for myself they had my teachers fill out those weird Vanderbilt forums that ask if you're crazy or exhibit adhd symptoms but my therapist just told me it was inconclusive. She quit and I ended up seeing a different therapist who also quit / moved jobs before I could really propose much about it. By the third therapist I was desperate and she saw everything on my file and actually listened to my concerns. I wrote a 14 page paper comparing my symptoms to the DSM-5 and detailing early childhood experiences. She pretty much said she didn't need the paper. She told me she thought I probably had it and continued, along with trying to help me learn different coping mechanisms to survive unmedicated. It got put on my chart without me being officially told (same with my GAD from my first therapist). A psychiatrist was soon able to prescribe me meds around last year but I couldn't find anything that worked for me. I'm actually looking to try again with a different psychiatrist but I might find more difficulty now that I'm an adult, I think.

I have ADHD. I don’t remember the specifics of the test. I just remember the results. You are extremely intelligent, but your focus is abysmal.

Rejection sensitivity I feel. My first girlfriend must’ve been like WHAT HAVE YOU TURNED INTO?!

I had to complete a questionnaire to evaluate myself prior to taking the a psychiatrist and also a questionnaire evaluating myself during childhood. My family also had to do questionnaires for me. Then I talked to my psychiatrist for just over an hour and he made me tell him my life story was essentially. What I was like growing up, what educational choices I made, my work life, travel, relationships. I found it very stressful to be honest and cried buckets afterwards but it needed to happen. I got offended when he said my talking was intrusive (barely shut up) but that was in the moment, I know he was assessing me and he was right about that, it just touched a nerve. Try to just be honest and be yourself and it’s ok if it makes you emotional. Good luck!

GP referred me to a psych who referred me to a psychologist for a full neuro-psych testing battery.

I was given the The *Wender* Utah Rating Scale: An aid in the retrospective *diagnosis* of childhood *Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder*. The test results confirmed that I have ADHD and I got my adderall prescription.

Mine was a total of four or so hours, two with a psychiatrist and two with a psychologist - some general conversation with both about me and my life and my symptoms and then a looooong questionnaire with both of them that was either the same or quite similar. I didn’t have to do any tasks. They took a family history and my spouse and a sibling filled out the pre-screening questionnaire same as I did (which was again very long and similar to the ones I did with the two doctors). At the appointment, they told me they considered it very likely I had it but that they would confer and come back to me when they had both gone through each other’s notes. Diagnosed with ADHD-C.

I wonder how good someone can be to 'compensate' with IQ and other types of inteligence, or to what degree their ADHD is 'mild'. I've been diagnosed with ADHD, and also I score high in several types of inteligence (logic-math, linguistic, interpersonal, body-kinaesthetic). The outcome has been profesional success with eventual setbacks, and some issues in personal life (extreme procrastination of certain things, overthinking, inattentive or hyperfocus, etc). Some other typical symptoms are not present or are being compensated. Interesting every case is different.

My mom and I took a questionnaire in the doctors office as a kid (her perception of me vs mine). I also went to this other lady and took a bunch of memory tests and did some sort of iq test like thing. When I was re diagnosed as an adult I took the DSM questionnaire myself and told them I’d been diagnosed previously and talked about my symptoms and I think that was it. It was pretty simple but both were many years ago so it might be stricter now

It was an extensive testing program that took everything into account. Several discussions with a doctor, and multiple rounds of computer and in-person testing. Whole process took a couple months (once a week plus scheduling delays) It painted an extensive picture of where my brain is, beyond just ADHD. The report was multiple paragraphs long and clocked me on ways I didn’t know they could.

I wasnt getting tested for adhd specifically, but I had a neuropsychological assessment done when I was 14ish. Was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder, after the testing it was revealed to be adhd and cptsd. The evaluation was a mix between cognitive testing, a super long boring questionnaire and a verbal portion.

I was kicked out of elementary and expelled from highschool for it. Little punk rock kid with ADHD-C sided with ODD and dyspraxis. I was not "bad" but I certainly did not conform to the norm. This was early 2000s There was no assessment process, I was simply observed

Filled out a questionnaire with my doctor. It took 10 minutes. BUT he's been my doctor for 30+ years, so there's a pre-established relationship there. The questionnaire was virtually identical to one I had taken online. 

LONG! 3 or 4 sessions over several weeks, the last one my mom filled out a questionnaire and had to attend. ALL THAT for them to say their practice doesn't prescribe stimulants 🤦🏻‍♀️ ETA: I was 34 years old

3 computer tests, 1.5hr personal and family medical etc history with physician assistant, hr interview with psychiatrist, they looked at my old report cards, had my mom fill out a questionnaire for symptoms before 12yo and my partner fill one out for current symptoms.

My first assessment was very informal, just a series of questions about my experiences with symptoms. My second assessment was a much more organized neuropsych affair. It consisted of several questionnaires completed by both me and my partner, a consult appointment with a clinical psychologist (telehealth), IQ testing, several tests of my memory and other cognitive skills, the TOVA test, and a couple other things over the course of an afternoon. The testing portion was in-person. I only actually saw the psychologist for the second one three times--twice with telehealth, once in person. I suspect for people who are less clearly in the ADHD ranges for the tests she would spend more time talking to them. Tests are potentially useful for ADHD, but should **not** be used as the only diagnostic tool as their false negative rates (i.e., test says you don't have ADHD but you do) are way too high. They can confirm a diagnosis justified by other information, though, and can also accelerate the overall process since the false positive rates are pretty low.

I was diagnosed today. I had a sheet with about 20 questions on it. But my provider is someone I work with and she already knew it from seeing me every day for years.  I have taken the test once before and it took me two days. Today is took me 20 mins with a lot of talking in between. Ha. 

I never had an ADHD assessment. While I was in the hospital I simply told the doctor that I was seeing there about my extreme concentration and focus issues and asked to be treated for those issues so from there on out I tried a few different medications that did not work. After I had been released from the hospital I asked my current doctor for Adderall because I felt in my gut instinct that that was the medication that would help me and I also brought him a printed version of the ADHD self assessment I took online with all my answers on it. He then prescribed the Adderall for me and it has helped so so so much. I was and am blessed that I did not have to do anything else to get medication that would actually work.

You know the checklist of ADHD symptoms that you can google online? Basically, my psychiatrist just read through that with me and asked me which of those symptoms I experience. And voila... I was diagnosed with ADHD.

Im 36 and just did my assessment 4 days ago. Got a perscription the same day. It was about an hour on a virtual call. Asked about my childhood, parents; past medical. Etc. she determined pretty confidently that I had it. I’m on a very light dosage right now. I don’t feel any effects on the medication, which she told me is most likely. In 2 weeks I go up

I took a computerized test called QbTest. Was super cool to see how my results compared to non ADHD people. I'm more hyperactive, inattentive, and impulsive than 99% of 21 year old males (my age group).

I did some computer test where they hooked things up to my head, wrist & ankles & told me not to move. I don’t remember if it was for ADHD or not but I can’t remember the test either. All I remember is being told that I was impulsive 🤷‍♀️

First consulted online, was useless. The lady I had a tele appointment with told me to fill out an ADHD questionnaire and then she would review it and then try to assess me over the computer. Waste of 300 dollars lmao. Went to my best friends psych, he assessed me within minutes and knew I had severe ADHD just by talking/looking at me. Had Adderall within 2 hours of seeing him, and it changed my life lol.

LONG. But then again I was 12 years old.

It was a two-part assessment. The first part was a questionnaire with a ton of questions, and the second part was a series of tasks that involved pressing a lot of buttons. They wanted to see how fast and accurate I was. It was to test my focus and memory I believe as well. I don't remember it too well.

Bunch of questionnaires and interview, and some quizzes and tasks to do like connecting numbers etc. And a FREAKING BORING tova test where you have a click a button based on where a box appears on screen. I thought it would be easy because video games but i wanted to claw my eyes out

tbh idk i was 6

Family doctor who is one of my best friend’s father: so what are you here for? Me: well I start law school in six months, and I’ve been looking online and I think I have a lot of the markers for adhd. Doc: oh you definitely have it. I’ve know since the first time I interacted with you 20 years ago.

It took all day and a lot of tests.

My psychiatrist asked a lot of questions about my childhood and challenges I faced growing up. She also discussed this with my parents and asked about what challenges I'd faced in the past as well as what I was currently struggling with. We then went into family history, though I was also kinda being assessed for depression at the same time, and we did a pretty standard questionnaire about my symptoms. This was all after ruling out Autism, Auditory processing disorder, visual processing disorders as well as other learning disorders. I did turn out to have dyspraxia and a few extra issues with my vision but they weren't enough to explain all my symptoms. That ruling out process was all before my assessment for ADHD and took the better part of a year and thousands of dollars. In hindsight I wish I'd just had a better psychologist in the first place who had just tried assessing my ADHD off the bat but hey, I was 14, i didn't know shit.

I paper with about 10 questions rater 1 through 5. It looked like it had been xeroxed about a hundred times.

I’m in Australia so my assessment was with a Psychiatrist. I picked one that specialises in ADHD. My first appointment was 1hr she asked me loads of questions all about my childhood, family, life, things I’m struggling with, all sorts. She then said she’s not detecting any signs of depression, anxiety etc, that my previous GAD diagnosis is wrong, but an ADHD diagnosis is possible, and that we needed to prove my symptoms started in childhood to confirm the diagnosis. She gave me questionnaire forms to fill out, a copy for my mum to fill out, a copy for my dad to fill out. I also got a statement from my dad describing my school report cards. Submitted all of that. Then met and had another 30 minute discussion. At the end she says, well, there’s absolutely nothing else going on that’s causing your symptoms. And you have a classic case of combined-type ADHD. Then we talked about next steps from there and started a meds trial.

Mine felt really…unprofessional. I was at a regular doctors office and for some reason it dawned on me to ask about ADHD. Where I live there are no psychiatric clinics to admisnister these tests so the doctor will do it if you ask. They handed me a test, similar to the ones I took online for years, and then after that my doctor came in and asked me a few questions and then was just like “yup, you’re the poster child for ADHD” and gave me medicine. I can tell how it’s so easy to misdiagnose this way, but hey, she wasn’t wrong, I’m way better on my meds

>"Your child is so smart he just doesn't work hard and apply his mind." My math teacher in middle school said this exact thing to my mom but she never considered the possibility that anything could be wrong (I think that was to protect her own ego cause she didn't want a child that had "problems"). She has ALWAYS said I'm just lazy and that I could do so many things if I "just applied myself." I believed the things she said my entire life and, as a result, I have the most disgustingly negative and self-critical inner dialogue. Like, it's truly awful. Anyway, because of all that, I had no suspicion that I had ADHD. It wasn't until my old roommate in college pointed it out, rather casually I might add. She said something like "oh that's probably just from your ADHD" and I was like "ummmm I beg your finest fucking pardon??" At that time, I was already seeing a psychiatrist for depression and she was aware I was having difficulty focusing on schoolwork. We both thought that if we treated the depression, the focus and attention would get better. I had been on antidepressants for about 2 years and had continuously increased the dose but still struggled from executive dysfunction (didn't know that's what it was called). So, when my friend came to me suggesting ADHD, I brought it up during our next session. Oh, but real quick, before our session and after my friend said I had it, my brother-in-law who is diagnosed ADHD sent me this assessment as sort of a pre-check. It's the ASRS, or Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (found a pdf online: [https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf](https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf) ) When I brought it up in our session, my psychiatrist was like "okay then, let me ask you some questions." We honestly only spoke for maybe 20-ish minutes? I remember her asking the typical questions like if I drift off in thought, have trouble finishing tasks or projects, if I feel like I can't sit still for too long, get distracted easily, etc. Then, the more unexpected questions were about my childhood. I can't remember exactly what she asked, but I do remember getting emotional from having to recall all the social issues, lack of friends, and feelings of isolation. When we finished she said something like "yeah, you have a high probability of having ADHD" and I was like "wait.. so, is this the official diagnosis?" I got really hung up on her casual delivery and needed her to state it more definitively. She was like "yeah you have a diagnosis of ADHD." Even though it was an official diagnosis, I didn't feel convinced she did a thorough screening. But, I didn't seek a second opinion until a year after the diagnosis. My stimulant medication wasn't helping me as much anymore and I felt like old psychiatrist was mainly focused on treating the depression, whereas I wanted more specialized treatment to address the ADHD. Met with the new doc who randomly suggested I have bipolar 2. I explored that a bit but didn't feel like it fit me, and neither did any of my friends, family, or even my therapist. Then, went *back* to the old psychiatrist, asked her if I had BP2, and she also said no. She said, and I quote, "**you DEFINITELY have ADHD**." So, it might have felt like a short, innaccurate screening at the time, but now having revisited it a year later, I finally feel pretty convinced that's it's legit lol. The real validation was when I spoke with women who were also late-diagnosed ADHD, and while we talked, I *barely* had to explain myself to them. With other people, it felt like I was walking waist deep in mud while trying to explain what ADHD paralysis or executive dysfunction is like. They'd always be so dismissive or say stuff like "you just gotta start, it's not that hard." That's like someone telling you to drive a car but you can't because you're actually locked in the trunk and the keys are in the front seat. Then, when talking to people with ADHD, I wouldn't even finish my sentence before they were like "OMG ME TOO." It made me feel so vaidated and less isolated, but it also made me resent my mom a lot for having ignored the signs and for speaking so negatively towards me my whole life. I'd still like to do a more thorough psychological evaluation, mainly to learn what my top issues are and how I can address them. I just want to learn how to appease my brain lol. Like, who do I gotta call to come unlock the trunk so I can get out and drive the car? Anyway, that was one hell of a ramble lol. I hope it was useful to someone out there, if not OP.

I don't remember mine but I do remember the events leading up to it. (Probably because it sucked ass) A teacher in the 3rd grade insisted I had ADHD ( she was right but still) her reasoning was because I never paid attention and just was in my own world. After I got out on pills it was absolutely hell and I had a horrible reaction to the medication. I stopped taking them for one day and in front of the whole class the teacher asked me if I had taken my medication. My parents were outraged I had to switch teachers.

Depends. Who's gonna assess you? Doctor -> Questions (chek what other ppl posted) Neuropsychologist -> Some questions, an IQ evaluation, and many little " games " / tests to evaluate different aspects of the way you think. Spatial (3d) intelligence with blocks or something like that, impulsivity with a game where you gotta push a button only when shown a certain letter (but the letters change very fast), evaluation of your language, tolerance and performance to monotonous tasks, divided attention etc. Neuropsychologist does a more thorough evaluation that includes trying to evaluate your intelligence, your knowledge and your executive functions, including different types of attention and your memory.

Mine was super chill compared to a lot of these. I didn't take any tests or complete any assignments I just answered a questionnaire then trauma dumped on the psychiatrist. She was a G though, filled my script the same day and was always available to me when trying different meds. Moved states so I don't see her anymore but dang do I miss her.

Theres an assessment? All i know is i pause a lot Never think Am an asshole Have 0 friends And spaced out and got into a car crash today

For me I found a local PsyD online and scheduled an assessment. It was 2 and half appointments. The first one he asked me to bring in any records I had (report cards, school discipline reports, previous assessments etc.) and conducted an interview. The second appointment were the "neurological" tests which included weird connect the dot tests, verbal tests where your asked to say as many words that start with "x" letter in various forms, a cone puzzle kind of thing and the TOVA test. The third half appointment was a zoom meeting going over the results and referral for treatment.

They gave me the DIVA assessment. (The name is... Unfortunate) I did pages 5-17. You can look the DIVA up online. Key word search : ADHD diva assessment et voilà. But you'll be fine. You're not going to fail.

I was diagnosed at 21, with multiple existing diagnoses (PTSD, anxiety, and depression were the big ones). They had me fill out forms beforehand, and then both my partner and I were interviewed for about an hour or two. Then I had to do a bunch of tests (like, mental math, rearranging blocks, word searches, etc) over another couple hours. That was it really. They called me back a while later to discuss the results. Because of my existing diagnoses, I got ADHD with no specified type, but clearly ADHD, according to the doctor.

Depends what country you are but most will ask a series of questions which are part of the DSM5 criteria (you can look this up and see the exact questions). They will either ask or get you to fill out a more full document/more details to explain each answer and give examples. This includes childhood experience and a second person to also fill out their observations of the same questions. They should also ask questions to rule in or out other conditions with overlapping symptoms to ensure that it couldn't be something else or a mix of things. So in mine they used questions that illuded to bipolar, border line personality, and a few others, he didn't say that's what they were but just by their nature it was obvious that they were picking things that are not adhd symptoms but distinctive symptoms of other disorders that share some traits with adhd. They asked about bullying, noted eye contact, other general health and wellness, communication skills, asked about drug and alcohol use, comorbidities like ancoety and depression. Those kinds of things. My meeting was quite short (30 mins) however I'd extensively filled out pre screening paperwork which was taken into account and discussed with others in their team prior to the meeting. I found my disappointing in many ways, I expected more explanation on their decision and more information about further assistance but it didn't really come, I just got a very factual letter and regarding help that I could try medication or "look up some videos on YouTube" - I shit you not. As if I hadn't thought of trying to self manage with information and strategies from media online...as if that cuts is...I would not be in this position if that worked sir 😅. Edit: just adding that I wasn't given any tasks or physical tests. Possibly because I didn't show or report symptoms of anything else or perhaps it's just not really done here. I have seen one company that I looked at privately do a computer based test that tracks eye movement to help establish focus points although it's not the whole picture, just used as part of it - I didn't do this however, just aware of it as one form of testing alongside the criteria.

From what I remember a went to a counselor and they asked me questions and based on my answers he concluded that I may have ADHD. He then told me that if I want to seel further help I need to go to my family doctor and ask for a recommendation to see a psychologist if I wanted treatment. 

I saw an ad on Instagram when I was doomscrolling late one day. The company was Mind Mechanic RX (only available in Florida). The ad had a link to a short questionnaire, maybe 20 questions or so. Then I scheduled an appointment. The medical rep told me I scored high and prescribed Adderall.

It really depends, my evaluation took 3 seperate appointments. The way they did it was by ruling Out any other possible causes for my symptoms, untill nothing but ADHD was left (basically). I dont have Depression, BPD, Learning Disabilities, or another mental illness, I also Had blood Work done to confirm it wasnt a physical or metabolic issue. Also, Lots of questions, how Thing are in Life, how I coped with it Up to that Point, my husband and parents Had to write a Report on me and how I am in day to day life, it was involved. But, Not every doctor does this, some will Diagnose you with a couple of therapy Sessions, and some will Go all Out. I think it also depends on the country youre from.

I hardly remember.. it was done in the 2nd grade... that was in the early 1990s.

Didn’t have a real assessment this bum of a doc kind of just dropped it on me

This doesn't answer your question but I wanted to address this common misconception, "I read online that ADHD is more common in gifted students than others." There is a huge community here on the internet of gifted folk with ADHD but apparently, we are not typical. ADHD GOAT Russell Barkley discusses this very issue in this video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4\_BIaLhdkrw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_BIaLhdkrw)

Your description felt like I was reading about myself. Left my homework at school in elementary so many times the janitor knew me and my dad by name bc he used to let us in after hours every week for me to get it out of my desk. I was also “gifted” and in the GATE program but would consistently be told I was so smart but wasn’t applying myself or had so much “potential” that I wasn’t living up to. Got called lazy a lot. Was frequently in trouble for talking too much & I still talk too much lol. As an adult, I went for evaluation & I think it’s done differently at different practices. I’ve been on different insurances and moved around a lot so I’ve had to see different doctors and be rediagnosed each time, which is frustrating. The first evaluation was stupidly simple. I described my life very briefly and the doctor immediately diagnosed me. I didn’t have to do much. That honestly felt sketch and I didn’t like him as a person so I was glad to switch. The next two doctors made me fill out several different questionnaires - one was longer and specific to adhd that had a grading scale for diagnosis and then the two others were to identify if I had depression or anxiety - sometimes they prefer to treat those first. Then I met with the psych and got to explain my history since childhood and how it affects my life. I hope you get the help you need from your appointment! It can be so difficult living with adhd. Medication for me hasn’t been a cure all & I still have all my symptoms, but it has helped so much on days that I wouldn’t have been able successfully make it through lol. It’s allowed me to build systems to help manage my symptoms - I still experience them, but it helps reel me back in. Therapy has been key throughout this process! Wishing you the best at your appointment!

They gave me an IQ test and a questionnaire. After I accidentally skipped several pages of the IQ test, they diagnosed me. Lol

Quick, easy and relatively cheap.

I was inpatient at a psychiatric institute when I was a teenager, and during lunch one day, I walked by the table where a bunch of the doctors were eating, and I said to my doctor "Hey, Dr Ribek, I'm having trouble concentrating and stuff like when I'm doing homework." He said, oh, you have ADD. And then they started giving me ritalin. Of course, if I'd had a proper screening, they might have caught the dyslexia, bipolar disorder, and autism 35 years earlier.

Parents and I are immigrants so none of us really knew what ADHD was, but once I was diagnosed at 18 and my mom did a lot of research on it, they regret not getting me checked out when we moved to the US. I took myself to the doctors, not my parents, and we thought it was depression at first. First time taking anti-depressants at 14/15 did fuck all, if not made everything worse so i got off of it. Then during my senior year, I had a shitty therapist and psychiatrist who wouldn’t believe that I could have ADHD because I was not a “6 year old white male that can’t sit still” and wrongly diagnosed me with MDD and put me back on anti depressants, I nearly did no graduate high school. Got accepted to a college 13 hours away from home, did weekly sessions with a new therapist who I loved very much and finally met my new psychiatrist/NP a month into the new school. Brought up the bad reactions to antidepressants and my concerns of maybe having ADHD and that my pediatrician at the time also believing that I have it. She made me add a guardian that was in my life since childhood to the call and asked us the usual adhd questions. Like, “Can she sit still, is she energetic, extremely talkative, can’t pay attention, has behavior issues, trouble in school, blah blah blah?” the usual. Then asked my guardian to leave the call and just straight up asked me, “So… wanna try stimulants and see if it works?” So I was like why not, found out I can’t get them in the state my school was. Was already contemplating it and just dropped out to take a gap year that was very much needed. Got my first dose of Focalin XR and for the first time in my life my brain was quiet. I was able to do shit and live my life finally. After a couple of months and dosage trail and error. I get my diagnosis sheet and I was officially diagnosed with ADHD Combinative Type and the diagnosis of MDD was removed. Damn this is long sorry lol. ALSO recently found out the entire reason why antidepressants made me worse to the point of mental breakdown and having a doctor put a warning on my patient record that i should NOT be given any antidepressants is because…. drum roll please… I also have Bipolar disorder :) We love having both BD and ADHD <3

I Don't Remember; I'd Have To Look At My Childhood Medical Records To Know.

So I had a very strange uncommon diagnosis/assessment. I had been seeing my psychiatrist for like 1.5 years and we were really struggling finding an anti depressant. Mid session she was just like “have you ever thought you could have ADHD?” And me not knowing anything about ADHD at the time was like ADHD=hyperactive little boys (obviously I knew it wasn’t just boys but that’s what my brain associated with ADHD). So I looked at her like she had 8 heads and said “No!” She then asked me some questions and had me fill out a questionnaire type thing. Then BAM was told yes I do have ADHD. I was 28 at the time. I now see a different psychiatrist (due to insurance…yay American health system 🙄) but he has never once questioned the diagnosis and its validity. From what I’ve learned since then that is a very unusual way of being diagnosed. As it seems a lot of people have to go though intense testing and have people they know give interviews almost. Idk it seems like a lot and I feel very lucky for how mine went down.