Expert ADHD Diagnosis
Dr Pawan Rajpal (Consultant Psychiatrist)
Do you Think You struggle With Any Of these?
ADHD & Depression
Struggle to maintain attention to details and make careless mistakes?
Have difficulty sustaining attention to mundane tasks?
Are easily distracted by external stimuli?
Other people complain that you seem to listen only when spoken to directly?
Struggle to follow instruction or rarely complete tasks?
Have difficulty organising tasks and activities?
Find administrative tasks like paying bills boring?
Are unable to sit through boring meetings?
End up speaking before it's your turn?
Worry about getting addicted to alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, shopping?
Have difficulties in managing emotions?
Suffer from uncontrollable mood swings?
Can get irritable quickly?
Struggle to sit still or fidget with your hands and feet?
Do you have excessive energy?
Does strenuous physical activity like going to the gym and playing sports make you feel calmer?
You may also have any of the following issues:
Anxiety
Depression
Low self-esteem
You might be suffering from ADHD
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a disorder that can present with the above symptoms, causing havoc in one's life at home, at work and in managing day to day issues.
In the majority of cases, it's diagnosed in childhood, however the symptoms can still persist or present as new in adults. It is presented as a reduced ability to concentrate and form attention with added impulsivity and executive function deficits.
In adults with ADHD, particularly those with hyperactive presentations, there is often an observed increase in activity within specific brain networks. These networks can be overactive, leading to symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity. Additionally, the default mode network, responsible for mind-wandering and daydreaming, can show increased activity in those with ADHD, which may contribute to a feeling of racing thoughts or inattentive symptoms. This can mean that increased activity could be both an advantage and a disadvantage for many adults with ADHD, depending on the context. Stimulant medication is commonly used to treat ADHD and can have a paradoxical effect of helping ADHD patients with things like paying attention and hyperactivity.
Recent research shows that more than half of children with this diagnosis continue to fulfil the diagnostic criteria in adulthood. In some cases, it can present in adults as a new diagnosis. These symptoms, of inattention and reduced ability to concentrate, are responsible for the majority of problems in adulthood.
If these symptoms are left untreated, they can cause difficulties in educational achievements, poor job prospects, low salary, higher risk of addictions, depression and anxiety.
ADHD is associated with Executive Function Deficits (EFD) which cause a reduced ability to organise, prioritise, reduced behaviour flexibility and reduced ability to plan and analyse day-to-day issues. Failure leads to low self-esteem, low educational achievements, anxiety, depression and an inability to grow in a work environment.
Dr Rajpal is a specialist in diagnosing and managing ADHD and EFD in adults, and has achieved good results, including supporting young people to stay in university to finish their education, and to maintain and achieve more in their jobs and life.
Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child's circumstances change, such as when they start school. In adults, they are more subtle and require specialist assessments.
Adults with ADHD frequently exhibit heightened activity within particular brain networks and variations in structural connectivity. These differences manifest in difficulties related to impulse control and sustained attention. Studies indicate that individuals with ADHD may display augmented functional connectivity in certain brain regions, influencing their unique and rapid cognitive processing patterns.
What causes ADHD?
The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but the condition has been shown to run in families. So if other family members have had a diagnosis, it's worthwhile researching into it and contacting Dr Rajpal to see what can be done to help you.
How ADHD is treated
Treatment for ADHD has excellent outcomes with significant positive effects at work, home and on achievements. Educational results improve, home life becomes more stable, work is more rewarding and engaging and the overall quality of life improves significantly.
Medication is often the first treatment offered to adults with ADHD, although psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), may also help.
ADHD is categorized as a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects brain structure and function, rather than being viewed as a brain abnormality. While differences in brain size and functional connectivity are observed in individuals with ADHD, it is essential to acknowledge that having an ADHD brain does not indicate a deficiency; instead, it signifies a distinctive approach to engaging with the world.
Living with a PARTNER WITH ADHD
Being a partner, in life or at work, to people who have ADHD, especially who have not been diagnosed, can be very challenging and frustrating.
Mood swings, irritability, being unable to predict their behaviour, jumping from one project to another, their thoughts being shared with you at a million miles an hour, their starting projects but not finishing them, and poor organisation with all administrative tasks being avoided becomes very stressful. This can have a very negative effect on the relationship.
It's important to remember that they can be helped greatly and their family member's quality of life can be significantly improved.
ADHD is not indicative of a brain abnormality; rather, it is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts both brain structure and function. Although individuals with ADHD may exhibit variances in brain size and functional connectivity patterns, it is crucial to recognize that possessing an ADHD brain does not signify a deficit. Instead, it represents an alternate perspective through which the world is perceived.
In adults with ADHD, particularly those with hyperactive presentations, there is often an observed increase in activity within specific brain networks. These networks can be overactive, leading to symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity. Additionally, the default mode network, responsible for mind-wandering and daydreaming, can show increased activity in those with ADHD, which may contribute to a feeling of racing thoughts or inattentive symptoms. This can mean that increased activity could be both an advantage and a disadvantage for many adults with ADHD, depending on the context. Stimulant medication is commonly used to treat ADHD and can have a paradoxical effect of helping ADHD patients with things like paying attention and hyperactivity.
Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is frequently distinguished by amplified activity within certain brain networks and variances in structural connectivity. These differences manifest as difficulties in impulse control and maintaining sustained attention. Studies indicate that individuals with ADHD may exhibit augmented functional connectivity in specific brain regions, influencing their unique and rapid cognitive processing patterns.
“For me, reading a book can feel like a carousel ride with the book held by someone in the crowd. Tasks can feel like a car journey where my impatient self is in control of the pedals, but my curious self is holding the wheel.” - A person with ADHD