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MY SPECIALTIES
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Nash
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Attention Deficit in Adults
How do I know if I have attention deficit disorder?
No single test or series of tests can establish conclusively whether you
have attention deficit disorder, or ADD, although they can provide helpful
information. Rather, the diagnosis is made by examining your childhood
history for signs of ADD that may have gone undiagnosed and by trying
to eliminate alternative explanations for your symptoms, such as depression
or an anxiety disorder. Whether or not you
have ADD, something is presenting a problem for you, and the goal would
be to ascertain how to help.
If I do have ADD, what can be done to help?
ADD is treated with either medication, therapy, or a combination of both.
A psychiatrist familiar with treating ADD will suggest the appropriate
medications, and I can refer you to such a person. Therapy focuses on
developing better organizational and self-control skills, as well as dealing
with your feelings about having ADD. Some people prefer not to use medication
and to learn to cope with ADD with therapy alone.
As the spouse of an ADD person, I feel like I am being driven crazy.
How can you help me?
Being in a relationship with an ADD person can be challenging. It is easy
to become angry, especially if you find it hard to understand why the
ADD person doesn't "just think" or if you take the ADD behavior personally,
as in "If he loved me enough, he . . ." I work with spouses to help them
understand and accept the ADD phenomenon and to protect their own well-being
in the relationship. To this end, it can be helpful to learn to use humor
and to create a supportive environment. The spouse of an ADD person needs
to learn how to avoid the trap of taking on the parent role, and instead
to become a partner in dealing with the ADD symptoms.
For more information on attention deficit disorder in both children and adults,
visit the web site for Children and Adults with
Attention Deficit Disorders (CHADD).
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