What are ADHD and adult ADHD? Health care experts warn against self-diagnosis

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, is usually assumed as a childhood condition. However, the decreasing attention span amongst adults, lack of focus and restlessness could be undiagnosed ADHD amongst adults. 

Awareness videos on social media that talk about a few common symptoms may make one think that they have ADHD. A new survey says that 25 per cent of adults suspect that they have undiagnosed ADHD. Yet only 13 per cent of survey respondents shared their suspicions with the doctors, which is worrisome. 

What doctors are worried about 

The doctors are concerned that the unknown consequences of self-diagnosis can lead to wrong treatment. The risk of self-diagnosis has increased since people have started seeking help from viral social media videos. 

The three types of ADHD are: 

Inattentive ADHD – Inability to pay attention and distractibility. This is also known as attention-deficit disorder (ADD). 

Hyperactive and impulsive ADHD – Hyperactivity and impulsivity. 

Combined ADHD – This type causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. 

ADHD can be difficult to diagnose in adults, because some of the symptoms are like those in other mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. 

According to Psychologist Justin Barterian, PhD, clinical assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, “Anxiety, depression and ADHD – all these things can look a lot alike, but the wrong treatment can make things worse instead of helping that person feel better and improving their functioning.” 

What is adult ADHD? What is going wrong?

Adults struggling with ADHD will also have problems with paying attention, experience hyperactivity and impulsivity that are severe enough to cause ongoing challenges at school, work and home. These symptoms can often be traced back to childhood. 

“There's definitely more awareness of how it can continue to affect folks into adulthood,” which a lot of people are realizing. “Once their kids have been diagnosed, that they fit these symptoms as well, given that it's a genetic disorder,” Barterian said. 

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An estimated 4.4 per cent of people between ages 18 to 44 have ADHD, and some people aren’t diagnosed until they’re older, Barterian stated. 

While ADHD, anxiety and depression may have some common symptoms, they are completely different issues and are not dealt with in the same way. Any of these conditions require help from a medical professional or an expert. Videos on social media are aimed at spreading awareness and not focused on treatment.