How do doctors test if you have add?

[paki123]

i have a real short attention span, and i am alot of the things it says in the sticky. but i am wondering how do the docs test it?

[JJJ]

i wer wonderin bout that to. Anyone no?:confused:

[Physicist]

I have ADHD and OCD, and I can tell you diagnosing a mental disorder falls somewhere in the spectrum of talent between tying your shoes and not suffocating to death by forgetting to breathe. The basically just hand you a questionnaire that makes you rate your symptoms on a scale (usually 0-4/not at all - severe) and if you exceed a certain score you're officially diagnosed. So basically, if you really are unsure and want to know if you have it you can't trust a doctor who has never met you. Look within yourself, and how others perceive you. Now, if you are convinced you have it and want meds, all you have to do is do a little research, repeat the symptoms back to your psychiatrist in the first person, and bs your way through the test, mixing up the answer a little bit so that you don't pick "severe" for each one. One thing that may come up with diagnosing ADD at a late age (teen years) is that they say your lack of focus is depression not ADD that wasn't caught early. If you don't think this is the case, when they start asking you things like "are you really tired all the time?" or "have things that used to make you happy not been interesting anymore?" or "do you ever feel like you will never be happy again?"
make sure you are adamant about none of these things being the case.

[atebo93]

it's wierd, i was tested through my school in like third grade, but they said that i didnt' have ADD. but in 6th grade, i was diagnosed with ADD. wierd, no?

[ThePhantom]

It is usually reported by the teachers to the parents. The parents are requested to fill out a diagnosis form.

[matts13]

i got tested a few years ago and the doc asked me to do really basic stuff like catching a ball, arranging shapes so they fit to make a preset shape. they wont laugh if u do it wrong and make u feel stupid and stuff.

[kovert43]

wel they test u by math and sum confuseing matha nd other stuff

[western ninja]

usually just requires a form being filled out

[Patchy]

I think its a mix between the parents and teachers view then I think you do some tests and they diagnose you on your behavior plus your test results.

[byee]

According to my Dad the Shrink, there are alot of different ways to incorrectly diagnose any mental problem, but only one really correct way to do it: With a comprehensive psychodiagnostic evaluation by a competent psychologist with alot of good training and experience. A teacher/school/pediatrician/parent cannot accurately diagnose these issues, (although they can certainly identify some symptoms that may or may not be caused by them, there are alot of things that may look like ADHD but aren't) in much the same way that being a surgeon does not mean one is fully competent at diagnosing and fixing the family car.

[Aηdy]

Please don't bump old threads.

:locked: