ADHD in Adults Slideshow Pictures Take the ADHD Quiz ADHD Symptoms in Children Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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When to Seek Medical Care

Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can have a negative impact on the life of the sufferer. Some commonly reported problems include the following:

• Friendship, dating, and marital instability
• Academic, vocational, and extracurricular (for example, in athletic, club or volunteer activities) success below what is expected based on intelligence and education
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Atypical responses to psychoactive medications
• Antisocial personality
• Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem

To be diagnosed with ADHD, you need to see your doctor. Adult ADHD is diagnosed based on determining the presence of symptoms during childhood, establishing a long-term pattern, and demonstrating current impairment. This information can be gathered from interviewing parents, friends, siblings, and spouses or partners, as well as from self-reports.