ADHD Assessment and Your Family Doctor’s Role

ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition requiring a thorough assessment and medical diagnosis made by either a psychiatrist, a Registered Psychologist, or a family doctor. In this blog post I focus on the latter, laying out some tips to help you prepare for your appointment.

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Despite the internet giving us access to many pre-screening tools and quizzes about ADHD, we cannot diagnose ourselves, no matter how compelling the results may be. A counsellor, social worker, teacher, or nurse cannot diagnose ADHD, either.  Speaking for those in my profession as a counsellor, if we suspect a client may be living with ADHD, we can share our concerns and perhaps have them complete one of those pre-screening tools, and then steer them towards resources and next steps. 

1.       Start with an appointment with your family doctor (or a physician at a walk-in clinic).

2.       Consider these tips or suggestions to help prepare for your appointment to prevent feeling overwhelmed or flustered during your time with the doctor – the time (usually 10-15 minutes!) will go by quickly:

·       Consider bringing a checklist of reasons why you suspect you may have ADHD (websites like CADDRA and CADDAC can help with this - print off your results and bring to show the doctor). 

·       Bring a bullet-point list of how your symptoms are affecting your daily life. 

·       If you're able, bring along a friend or family member who has known you for a long time and observed ADHD-like behaviour. ADHD assessments ideally include input from another person (teacher, employer, colleague, friend, family member) and you may appreciate the moral support. 

Your appointment with your general practitioner may result in one or more of the following scenarios:

1.       They may agree that you seem to have ADHD and offer to begin a trial of ADHD medications if you both agree that is an appropriate step.

2.       They may refer you to a psychiatrist if (a) you would prefer to be treated by a specialist doctor and/or (b) if they do not feel they have the capacity to properly assess and/or diagnose you with ADHD.

3.       They may seem reluctant to seriously consider ADHD.  They may be more concerned with other symptoms (or none).  Often, family physicians treat anxiety and/or depression before addressing ADHD. 

4. They may suggest you seek counselling for your symptom management.

Here is a list of some benefits and challenges of working with a family doctor:

Benefits

Challenges

·       No financial cost. ·       Shorter wait time to get an appointment. ·       Briefer wait time between appointments (for follow-up). ·       If you already have a positive relationship with your doctor, you will benefit from receiving their ongoing help.  ·       Family doctors can prescribe medications (when appropriate) to treat ADHD. ·       Family doctors may be able to connect you with other community- based resources. ·       If you want to be seen by a psychiatrist, your family doctor (or a doctor at a walk-in clinic) needs to refer you.

·       Many people do not have their own family doctor and will need to find a walk-in clinic. ·       The length of time for each appointment is brief (15 minutes) so it is on you to arrive prepared to present your concerns clearly (help your doctor to help you as best you can). ·       Some family doctors are reticent to seriously consider ADHD.  Your options in cases like this are: -try seeking another at a walk-in clinic, for instance, or -ask if they would be willing to refer you to a psychiatrist for an evaluation. ·       You may need to be persistent (with respect, of course) and hone your approach with your doctor.

Our family doctors can play a very important role in our ADHD journeys, for diagnosis, for medication, for ongoing appointments for prescription refills and perhaps for help with connecting to other health professionals (psychiatrists, occupational therapists, etc.). Ideally we will have positive connections with ours and feel supported and validated, whatever we are seeking help with. Preparing in advance is a great way to set yourself up for a satisfying appointment.

If you suspect you live with ADHD, finding out you have it (or not) can be very enlightening and informative, giving you direction for better managing aspects of your life. It is all well worth the time and effort.  I'm in your corner!

Thanks for reading and bye for now!

Warmly,

Tara 😊

P.S. My next blog post is about working with a psychiatrist for the assessment and treatment of ADHD (in Canada).  

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Tara Hope is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Educator in private practice in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, BC. She offers a range of therapeutic services for diverse populations with specializations in Positive Psychology for Entrepreneurs, Adult ADHD, Late-in-Life ADHD Diagnoses, ADHD & Addiction/Impulsivity, and ADHD Parents Parenting ADHD Kids. http://www.tarahope.ca