What can be misdiagnosed as ADHD?

Can ADHD be wrongly diagnosed?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, misdiagnosis can happen because many of its symptoms overlap with those of other conditions. The symptoms of ADHD — such as difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and finding it hard to respond to instructions — can all arise from a wide variety of causes.

What mental illness can be misdiagnosed as ADHD?

Bipolar disorder.

Studies have shown that symptoms of bipolar disorder often overlap with those of ADHD, making it hard to diagnose both of these disorders. Bipolar disorder is marked by mood swings between periods of intense emotional highs and lows.

What is commonly mistaken for ADHD?

Symptoms of bipolar disorder, including high energy level, excessive talking, racing thoughts that make it difficult to concentrate, impulsivity, risk-taking, and intrusive behaviors,7 can also be confused with symptoms of ADHD.

How do I know I have ADHD and not something else?

ADHD misdiagnosis?

How common is it to be misdiagnosed with ADHD?

Overall, the study found that about 20 percent – or 900,000 – of the 4.5 million children currently identified as having ADHD likely have been misdiagnosed.

What are ADHD mood swings like?

Symptoms of Mood Swings in ADHD

Switching from excited one moment to sad, angry, or anxious the next. Fluctuating between having trouble paying attention and hyperfocusing on an activity. Having bursts of energy and fatigue through the day. Feeling emotions intensely and having difficulty regulating them.

What is the most accurate way to diagnose ADHD?

The most effective way to determine whether a person has ADHD is a well-conducted interview with the individual (and, if possible, with one or two people who know that person well) by a medical or mental health clinician who is familiar with ADHD and with the other medical or psychological disorders that produce ...

How do you rule out ADHD?

One step of the process involves having a medical exam, including hearing and vision tests, to rule out other problems with symptoms like ADHD. Another part of the process may include a checklist for rating ADHD symptoms and taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, and sometimes, the child.

What is masking ADHD?

1. ADHD masking may also be called "camouflaging." This is when someone with ADHD tries to cover up their symptoms by copying the behaviors of people who don't have it. ADHD masking may be a way for some people with ADHD to fit in socially, avoid being stigmatized, or feel more accepted.

What are the three possible diagnoses of ADHD?

Three Possible ADHD Presentations

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) lists three presentations of ADHD—Predominantly Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined.

What are the two most common diagnoses that co occur with ADHD?

Most commonly, ADHD comorbidities include: Depression. Anxiety. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Can anxiety look like ADHD?

On the surface, ADHD and anxiety can look similar. It's not uncommon for people with anxiety to be misdiagnosed with ADHD, or vice versa. Take trouble with paying attention, for example. Both anxiety and ADHD can cause people to tune out and get caught up in their emotions — just for different reasons.

How do you prove ADHD diagnosis?

There is no single test used to diagnose ADHD. Experts diagnose ADHD when symptoms impact a person's ability to function and they've shown some or all of the symptoms on a regular basis for more than 6 months and in more than one setting.

Can a brain tumor mimic ADHD?

Abstract. Purpose: Survivors of pediatric brain tumors often have neurodevelopmental late effects, such as inattention. Symptoms may mirror those of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects ~ 5-8% of the general population.

What other mental disorders come with ADHD?

What causes overdiagnosis of ADHD?

Overdiagnosis of ADHD could happen because of diagnostic inflation^10,19 by widening the definition to include ambiguous or mild symptoms, by explicitly changing the diagnostic definition,^10,20 or by implicitly medicalizing behavioral patterns that previously would not have been considered abnormal^1,21 (eg, those ...

Why do stimulants calm ADHD?

Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.

What are the 3 core symptoms of ADHD?

What do psychologists look for when diagnosing ADHD?

According to the latest DSM-V guidelines, in order to be diagnosed with ADHD, a patient has to have shown at least six of the nine symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity prior to age 12. In addition, these symptoms must impair the person's functioning in more than one setting — home, school, or work.

What is the gold standard for diagnosing ADHD?

Regardless of the healthcare expert charged with diagnosing/evaluating potential ADHD, a well-regarded and arguably gold standard approach is using an evidenced-based assessment that involves adherence to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria along with the inclusion of multi-informant/multimethod methods.

When is ADHD most difficult to detect?

It is difficult to diagnose ADHD in children younger than 4 years. This is because younger children change very rapidly. It is also more difficult to diagnose ADHD once a child becomes a teenager. There is no single test for ADHD.

Are you born with ADHD or can it develop?

ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.

Are ADHD episodes manic?

Manic episodes are not a symptom of ADHD, but a person with ADHD may experience some of the symptoms of a hypomanic episode. Although there may be some symptom similarities, the underlying causes of bipolar disorder and ADHD are different.

Do mood stabilizers help ADHD?

According to research, psychostimulants — which are medications that increase the activity of the central nervous system — are the first-line medication for ADHD. Other nonstimulant medication options for ADHD can include certain high blood pressure medications, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.