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If you or your loved one struggles with Adult ADD, or if you think you or your loved one is suffering from Adult ADD, speak with your doctor or healthcare professional. Only your doctor can make a diagnosis. We include here some resources for you regarding talking to your doctor and treatment options you may have. Talking To Your Doctor Only your healthcare professional can make a definite diagnosis. If you think you might have Adult ADD, you'll want to speak with your doctor or healthcare professional. Here are some questions you might want to ask your healthcare professional at the first meeting. - How are the symptoms in adults different from the symptoms in children?
- How common is Adult ADD?
- How can Adult ADD affect me at work and at home?
- What kinds of medications are available to treat Adult ADD?
- What are the key differences among the different medications to treat Adult ADD?
- What are the side effects of these medications, and how common are the side effects?
- If I begin treatment, how quickly can I expect to see improvements in my symptoms?
Before you visit your healthcare professional you may want to print this page for easy reference. Treatment Current Adult ADD treatment practices focus on management of symptoms through a combination of treatment methods: - Behavior modification (including coaching and therapy)
- Medication
- >Combination therapy (medication and behavior therapy)
Treatment should be individualized for each patient. Treatment Process in Adults with ADD The treatment process has three basic stages: - Baseline evaluation. As part of the diagnostic evaluation, the physician or healthcare professional determines the target symptoms and the baseline degree of impairment.
- Treatment strategy. The physician or healthcare professional forms a treatment strategy by prioritizing the target symptoms and determining which treatment methods are best suited to reduce them.
- Symptom monitoring and strategy adjustment. A key part of Adult ADD treatment is monitoring of symptoms in various areas (such as learning, academics, family interactions, and peer relationships) and settings (such as home, workplace, social context)
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