Finding the right ADHD Doctor is not a simple task and it should not be taken lightly. While most doctors believe they can accurately assess, diagnose, and treat ADHD, this is simply not the case. And choosing the right ADHD doctor can ultimately make all the difference between your continued struggle versus your success in overcoming your ADHD challenges.
Not All Doctors Are ADHD Doctors
For most of the world, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD, is diagnosed by either a child’s pediatrician or an adult’s general physician. Most people won’t think twice about it. After all, you see your primary care physician or general practitioner for most medical problems.
Isn’t that why they are general practitioners? Aren’t they trained to recognize, assess, evaluate, diagnose, and treat most conditions?
Unfortunately, ADHD is a lot more complicated than most medical conditions. It is greatly misunderstood, and sometimes controversial due to medications that are used to treat the disorder.
To make matters worse, ADHD has become represented by it’s primary symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention. While these symptoms are characteristic of ADHD, they are also misleading because they are common among numerous other medical conditions and mental health diagnoses. A skilled ADHD doctor knows this, and is an expert at identifying what is really going on.
One colleague of mine even says, The symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention is the equivalent of going to a doctor and saying, “I have a fever.” She explains that these symptoms are a body’s reaction to tell us something is going on, but we need to do a lot more investigation to find out exactly what is going on.
How often have you heard that? A talented ADHD doctor has the ability to recognize when something is something else other than ADHD.
That’s when seeing the right ADHD doctor matters the most. Don’t just see any doctor, see an ADHD doctor who specializes and has experience in the condition and knows what to be watching for.
Steps To Finding The Right ADHD Doctors
An obvious good place to start the process is by seeing their pediatrician or general practitioner (GP), but this should be a first step. Ideally, you want to either have your child or yourself evaluated by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or physician who really knows and treats ADHD..
Here are some simple steps you can take to identify an experienced ADHD doctor.
Step #1: Ask For A Referral
There is nothing more powerful than a word of mouth recommendation from someone who is working with an ADHD Doctor. This is the most powerful step you can take. Feedback from others will get you all that you need to know about your potential ADHD doctor.
Step #2: Look For A Specialist, Not A Generalist
A true ADHD doctor will have a practice or clinic that focuses on ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other related conditions. In most cases, as I have already mentioned, this is not your child’s pediatrician or your general practitioner. You want a specialist. You want to be seen by someone who has studied and keeps up on the latest treatment for ADHD.
Step #3: Check The Doctors Website Or Brochures
An ADHD doctor will stand out immediately. The website will talk about attention, concentration, focus, and not just general everyday conditions.
If you studies and content specifically on ADHD either written or provided by the doctor you see you are in the right place.
Step #4: Interview The ADHD Doctor
Finding the right ADHD doctor is just as much about you liking them as it is about them knowing what to do. Viist or call the doctor and ask lots of questions relating to their specific experience with ADHD. Are they providing new information to you about ADHD? Do they make you feel welcome? out the door?
Step #5: Listen To How They Talk About ADHD
An important step in finding the right ADHD doctor is paying careful attention to how they talk about ADHD as a condition. For me, I want to work with an ADHD doctor who is positive. In other words, I want someone who will encourage me or my clients in a positive manner instead of an ADHD doctor who is negative and focuses on the bad.
This might be the last step I talk about, but it is in fact one of the most important steps. Your ADHD treatment outcome is greatly influenced by how your doctor educates you and talks about ADHD.
Not All ADHD Doctors Are The Same
I wish that following these steps were an assurance that you’ll find yourself a true ADHD doctor who will take care of you or your child, and have a positive impact on your treatment. Unfortunately, this is NOT a guaranteed recipe for success, but rather a place for you to start. And if you follow these steps, you will likely end up finding someone who will have a greater impact on your life than by just going with any old ADHD doctor.
Content provided by Dr. Rory Stern.
To learn more about ADHD, register to receive your complimentary ADHD Essentials Audio Course. In this power packed digital program, you will join Dr. Rory Stern as he literally flips ADHD upside down and shares with you several secrets that most people don’t know about ADHD.
