There is a noticeable trend where an increasing number of adults are receiving an ADHD diagnosis. What’s behind this phenomenon?
Many people have worked their way through childhood struggles and developed their own coping strategies to try to manage and suppress their behaviour and impulses driven by undiagnosed ADHD symptoms.
Greater awareness and acceptance of the condition, combined with facilities such as psychological testing in San Diego, for instance, are behind the rise in adult ADHD sufferers. It is not necessarily an increase in the number of people with ADHD compared to the past, but more a case of better testing and greater awareness of the condition.
Here is a look at some of the reasons why an ADHD diagnosis is only being made in adulthood for many with the condition.
Greater awareness and acceptance of ADHD symptoms
As strange as it might seem, some physicians have previously been reluctant to accept that a patient could be suffering from ADHD.
A fundamental reason for this is that they don’t always have the psychological training or knowledge to make the diagnosis. What is happening more these days is that referrals are being made more routinely than in the past.
It is this delay and lack of psychological testing that allowed so many to slip through the net and only receive an ADHD diagnosis as an adult. Someone displaying ADHD symptoms will be diagnosed correctly with the right psychological testing. For some, that has come later than it should have been and only by the time they are adults.
Stigma can dissuade someone getting a diagnosis
The stark reality for too many people is that they have struggled with classic ADHD symptoms throughout their lives but have not sought a diagnosis due to what they perceive to be a stigma attached to having ADHD.
Feeling that you are wired differently from others and trying to find other reasons for your behavioral traits can be exhausting and damaging to your mental health. Thankfully, talking about ADHD and getting the help needed once you have had a professional diagnosis is easier than ever.
It is also considered perfectly acceptable to confirm that you have ADHD. It means that you and everyone in your family and work environment can make adjustments and allowances to help you manage your symptoms.
The perceived stigma attached to ADHD prevented too many from seeking a diagnosis until adulthood. All of that is changing now, and we are in an era of greater openness and acceptance.
Misdiagnosis is also a key issue
Last but not least, it is important to note that many ADHD symptoms tend to overlap with certain mental health conditions.
If you are suffering from anxiety or mood disorders, for instance, the underlying reason for this could be due to trying to cope with ADHD. The cause of your anxiety could be as a result of having an overactive brain driven by your ADHD. This is a typical example of how misdiagnosis can happen, and your ADHD is not detected until you reach adulthood.
The fundamental reason why so many get such a late ADHD diagnosis is due to these highlighted factors and simply the fact that too many ignore their symptoms.
It is far better to get psychological testing and confirm your ADHD so that you can address the issues properly rather than suffering from the symptoms while trying to live a normal adult life.