As I explained in my intro I finally after two years mentioned the possibilty that I have ADD to my therapist. She gave me a test to take home.

I have been seeing her for two years for some other situations in my life that have caused be anxiety so those issues took up my sessions. Also I have been accustomed to living with the symptoms and they can be quite difficult. Also I am sure most of you can related to the fear of having your syptoms and beliefs dismissed because you will be unable to communicate them effectivlely. I have been reading about adult ADD (especially in non H women) for about five years and it explains a lot of my struggles. But I know that it does not mean 100% that I have it.

One time I did tell her that I enjoyed talking to an ADD acquaintance at work(male) because I was "like that" but she really didn't jump on that or or engage me about it.


After I mentioned that I felt I had it (this was near the end of our session) and as she was getting the test and before I really fully explained my symptoms she said "I really don't think you have it -- the syptoms are of usually more pronounced, and the same symptoms can be brought on by stress" She also referred to it as ADHD and said that it was less common in adults. I explained that I have had these symptoms all my life and just not when I was under stress. She gave me thes test to take home. I didn't have much time to discuss anything .


She is an expereienced and competent therapist. But that does not mean that she has the the full scoop on ADD. She seemed to give out the same old textbook thoughts on ADD, such as it being less common in adults, referring to it as ADHD, and saying the symptoms were usually more pronounced. FRom what I hear and have read some symptoms , especially in the non H type can be subtle.
Also she does not see me at home and the struggles I have.

Is it presumptuous of me to gather that she may not be as informed about it as others?


I'm not sure if you can accurately say " I don't think really think you have it" with out first hearing someone out.

Also I fear that if I answer some of the qusetions the"wrong" way, that will cause her to say I don't.

It has been her opinion all along that I have anxiety issues , so maybe that it adding to her bias.

But I didn't say I think I have ADD instead of anxiety because I know they can co exist.

I want to be assertive in presenting my case without making her feel as thought I am doubting her knowledge.

any thoughts? thanks.

Welcome to the forums. I am sorry you are getting this vibe from your therapist. How frustrating. :(

I would take the test and answer the questions with honesty.

If you want to learn more about ADHD, get "Delivered from Distraction" by Dr. Hallowell. Great book.

Please take the test first, before reading the book though.

Keep us updated.

Please take the test first, before reading the book though.


This is good idea!!!

It is possible your therapist is prefectly compatent in her area of expertese but isn't an expert in ADD/ADHD. ADD/ADHD are often inchanged in speeking even by experts in the feild of ADD.

I would take the test and answer the questions honestly. I personally would find your therapist comments amusing however I would not take too much stock in them as she is not really qualified to daignosis ADD (or any other medical dis-order). I would find a doctor who is not only qualified but expereiced in ADD as well as being able to differiant between ADD and other dis-oders that can mimick ADD symptoms!!!!

You do need to see some one who is able to rule out other possibilities for your symptoms as well as some one who knows ADD from, bi-polar, anxiety, hyper throidism, and a brain anyourism!!!!!! This is more important that what a therapist thinks. She should have let you know she can recommend or comminucate to a doctor what she sees or believes based on her observations of your behavior. Unless she is a doctor of some sorts she can't diagnosis any thing including but limited to ADD/ADHD.


Hope this helps!!!

Im so sorry that shes making you feel this way.I went through the same thing for two years.I heard the same exact things from diffrent psychiatrist and psychologist.I refused to take no for a answer.I felt like how do they know what is in my head?They only speak to me for a hour a month!!They always dismissed what I was trying to say to them promptly which if I wasnt so stubborn probably would have swayed me to keep my mouth shut and held it all in.Ill say one thing that the show desprate housewives really hurt the a.d.d community.Do you remember the one where the mother was stealing her sons medication?GOOD GRIEF!!!!!After that stupid show aired thats all I heard!I actually had my husband turn to me and ask me if I got the idea from that show so I could get ridalin or adderal.(Of course I wanted to backhand him)to help me clean!!I felt the same vibe from the doctors.DONT BACK DOWN.This is your life.Its very simple to find out.I went to a family M.D. and I finally was able to try adderal and there was my answer.Since then my life is much,much better.If YOU feel you have it than you probably know best.Sorry,this kinda stuff gets me goin'!And also,WELCOME.There are wonderful people here at this site who will answer any questions you might have.

All therapists are definitely NOT equal. I have had two very good therapists and one who really didn't help me much. In retrospect, I should have been on antidepressants when I was seeing my first therapist, though (the one who didn't help me much).

If you think you have ADD, the best thing you can do right now is fill out the survey honestly and go from there. Your therapist is right that the same symptoms can come from stress (and are often made worse in ADDers when they are stressed). There are probably 20 different conditions that can produce many or all the same symptoms as ADD.

OTOH, I think brandilyn has a point. You are the only one who knows what exactly is going on in your head. I'm guessing you've read Sari Solden's books? (Is there more than one? I forget....) She does a good job of explaining how inattentive (non-H) ADD works and feels, along with putting a woman's spin on it. If you've read her stuff and feel you have ADD, then I would say it's a definite possibility.

If it turns out you do get diagnosed with ADD, definitely get on meds. I can't tell you the turn around meds have helped me have. I'm sure I couldn't have done it without.

There are a number of criminals out there keeping people away from thinking they have ADD, I don't mean everyone should take stimulants but well my first doc watched me getting fired from university and after that she gave me ritalin, when she was writing the prescription she was saying "take this and when u see it doesn't help you, you will return to me with this in mind that u are not really ADD", after there was a positive response to ritalin she was quite shocked. If I see her somewhere in the street a fist on her nose will be the impulse i won't be able to control really.

If I knew that a child doc knows much more about ADD and knows how it appears in adults I'd have never wasted my time visiting her, my second doctor put me ritalin first and then on Dexamphetamine at my own request, things are now much better.

One issue with ADD is the troublesome nature of it like every other pshyciatric issue, the other issue is the more you've suffered from it (the older you are) you'll have less chance that they believe you have it.

By the time you're an adult you've generally found numerous ways of coping and dealing with ADD/ADHD. I used to be so good at hiding it...but I also hid my true self.

They (teachers, medical professionals, etc.) have always said I have ADD but we never really addressed it until college. So I can't speak on the diagnosis part but I've seen a good number of therapists that could never really get a good grasp on understanding me. There are different kinds of therapists, it's hard to find one that you connect with, and even harder to find one that can help you. I hate to say this but in my experience the therapists with master's degrees don't seem to have enough training (at least in my experience, or maybe they just need more training to deal with me...lol ;) ) The therapist that finally got to the meat of my issues is a psychologist, and he helped me immensely. I'm not ripping on those without
Ph Ds I'm just giving you my exerpience...anyway this is just a thought....
take care...:)

Also I am sure most of you can related to the fear of having your syptoms and beliefs dismissed because you will be unable to communicate them effectivlely. I absolutely identify with this! My Doctor in Ohio was not experienced with ADHD, and I just came out and said to her "I think I should try Adderall or Ritalin". At first she demurred, but I brought with me a list of specific problems that had plagued me my whole life, along with report cards from elementary - high school. She was open minded and agreed with the diagnosis. After some testing I was put on Adderall XR. The problem then came not from making the actual diagnosis, but from her inexperience with treating the disorder. This includes doses and dosing schedules, possible augmentation strategies, as well as ways to cope behaviorally and resources. All this ground I had to cover on my own, which is fine with me.

To answer your questions specifically: Not all therapists are equal, and they obviously do not all have experience with the same issues and disorders. Some therapists suck. Some are awesome, but may not suit your personal temperament and needs. Some just don't have experience in your particular constellation of problems.

I was actually involved with a really good therapist who I respected greatly. Problem was, he and I clashed in our approaches and styles. Basically, he didn't fit me, and in my opinion, didn't have the knowledge necessary to help me with my particular problems. I sought one that did, and he ended up helping me tremendously.

Don't try to stick a triangular peg into a square hole. Find someone that can work with your issues specifically. Take the test honestly and do some reading about the disorder.

Much luck to ya ;)