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Can you be diagnosed over the computer with ADHD or narcolepsy?
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
It is tempting to "self-diagnose" using questionnaires that you may find on the internet. These can be useful in that they may help you to become aware of a potential illness and point you toward consulting a professional. However, these conditions are complex and require a full diagnostic work-up by a qualified health care provider. This is important because other illnesses or problems may be the cause of the symptoms, not necessarily ADD or narcolepsy. Also, proper treatment sometimes requires professional help, using medications, behavioral treatments, and/or psychosocial counseling. Ideally, if ADD is suspected, one should consult with a psychiatrist. For narcolepsy, a neurologist, sleep specialist, or psychiatrist should be consulted. Both of these are serious, often life-long conditions that warrant professional treatment!
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
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Can you have a short attention span without having ADHD?
Absolutely. ADHD and ADD are so over-diagnosed, especially in young boys who genetically can't sit still and actually concentrate better when messing with something.
Who is affected by add?
According to some sources, ADD and ADHD affect somewhere between 3% and 5% of all children. It actually gets diagnosed in up to 16% of all school aged children, which suggests that it may be over-diagnosed. While the conventional belief for years was that a person would "outgrow" it, more recent research suggests that up to 50% of children with it will continue to have symptoms into adulthood. Since behavior modification has been shown to be an effective component in treatments with ADD/ADHD, it is quite possible that the reason more adults who were diagnosed with ADD/ADHD as kids don't show symptoms as adults is that they learned to cope with it, not that it went away. It has also been noted genetics seems to play a role in ADD/ADHD. Close relatives of people with ADD/ADHD are much more likely to also have ADD/ADHD than the general population. Males are roughly 2 to 3 times as likely to be ADD/ADHD as females. The gender difference may be due to higher susceptibility of males to ADD/ADHD or just a result of females being less likely to be diagnosed.
How many children are over diagnosed with ADD?
less than is commonly believed. more often other mood or learning disorders can be misdiagnosed as add/adhd. see www.chadd.org for more information
Can you have ADD but still talk a lot?
Yes, most psychiatrists will suggest that there is no true 'ADD', just 'ADHD'. ADD is a form of ADHD and most cases still carry over a side of hyperactivity but are not severe enough to suggest ADHD. You'll find that most children diagnosed with ADD tend to do the traditional zoning off, inability to complete complex tasks, however they can still have a touch of hyperactivity on occasion.
Is bipolar over-diagnosed?
probably under-diagnosed.
Why has the use of medication to treat children with ADHD created controversy?
The controversy surrounds the most common group of drugs used to treat ADHD, psychostimulants. Psychostimulants can be addictive and abused, and some groups have feared the unknown side effects they may have. However, most medical research has shown that treating a person who has ADHD with stimulants lowers their risk of drug abuse. There is also controversy of the legimitacy of ADHD diagnoses. Some believe it is over-diagnosed while others believe that doctors are just more informed and able to recognize it.
What is a difference between hypersomnia and narcolepsy?
One significant difference is that people with narcolepsy experience a sudden onset of sleepiness, while people with hypersomnia experience increasing sleepiness over time.
If your misdiagnosed for years with adhd what harm has been done to your brain?
This question is not specific enough, its too vague: "http://wiki.answers.com/Q/If_your_misdiagnosed_for_years_with_adhd_what_harm_has_been_done_to_your_brain" If someone is misdiagnosed, were they diagnosed with something else? if so what? or is it that they were not diagnosed, when they should have been? or is it that they were diagnosed with ADHD and were not ADHD?, they answer to that would be nothing, as a diagnosis itself will not effect the brain in function terms, psychologically maybe but not functionally. Unless you were prescribed some medication for treating this diagnosis, though this question is not clear. There is controversy surrounding the facts of how medication effects the brain with people diagnosed with ADHD, though in my experience, as a mother of a child with ADHD, an undiagnosed adult with ADHD and someone who has studied both psychology at degree level and work with children who have ADHD and their families, in simple terms: I believe some medications stimulate areas of the brain which is otherwise not stimulated, and lessens stimulation in other parts which are over stimulated, and these particular areas are what people with ADHD need to be leveled out for normal daily 'acceptable' functioning. There are stimulants people take daily without prescriptions such as caffeine or nicotine. Its not the nicotine in ciggarettes which cause cancer but the other chemicals they contain. Caffeine would not kill anyone unless an overdose was taken. You would have to drink around 50 cups of coffee in one go for it to kill you. If someone wants to know what a particular medication does to the brain they should be doing their searches and ask questions on sites which are researching this.
What are the negative social implications for an adult being diagnosed with ADHD?
Why would you have any negative social implications as an adult? You certainly have control over who finds out that someone has put a label on you. If you get on meds that are right for your condition, it will only help any social dilemmas. I was diagnosed and treated as a child and after neglecting it for 25 years, I was again diagnosed, Adult ADD. My social interaction with people and co-workers has been much, much better.
Can schools inadvertently enhance adhd behavior?
There is some evidence that schools can inadvertently enhance ADHD-like behavior. For example, one study found that children who were in environments with more stimulating and complex visual displays (e.g., classrooms with lots of posters and materials on the walls) were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. It is possible that these children are simply more sensitive to their environment and that the stimulating environment may be over-stimulating for them. In addition, schools often require children to sit still for long periods of time and to pay attention to lectures, which can be difficult for children with ADHD. Thus, it is possible that the school environment can exacerbate ADHD-like symptoms in some children.
Is Narcolepsy progressive?
Yes, Narcolepsy is a progressive disorder. The pace of the progression depends on the individual. Some people will see more narcoleptic symptoms over the course of years while some will see them in only a few months.
Can schools inadvertently enhance ADHD-like behavior?
There is some evidence that schools can inadvertently enhance ADHD-like behavior. For example, one study found that children who were in environments with more stimulating and complex visual displays (e.g., classrooms with lots of posters and materials on the walls) were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. It is possible that these children are simply more sensitive to their environment and that the stimulating environment may be over-stimulating for them. In addition, schools often require children to sit still for long periods of time and to pay attention to lectures, which can be difficult for children with ADHD. Thus, it is possible that the school environment can exacerbate ADHD-like symptoms in some children.
