Do most psychologists know about sct?

[Jeremiah3]

Hello,

I'm looking to see a therapist soon to see if I have ADHD-pi, and I was wondering if most psychologists are knowledgeable of SCT? What has been peoples experience of this? Have they even heard of it if it isn't in the DSM-iv? I won't be seeing an ADHD specialist so I don't want to complicate matters if most have not heard of SCT. If it's still pretty obscure I will stick to getting an ADHD-pi diagnosis for now.

Thanks for any info!

[mctavish23]

The answer is a definite ... NO.

Did I mention ... NO ?

Hope that helps.

tc

mctavish23

(Robert)

[PoppnNSailinMan]

Condidering that a lot of psychologists and psychiatrists aren't even very knowledgable about adult ADHD, most of them probably know even less about SCT. And from what I've been reading, it doesn't seem like there's much agreement among experts about how SCT is related to ADHD. I don't think enough research has been done yet

[Sazzums]

I must be really stupid, but what is SCT?

[PoppnNSailinMan]

what is SCT?

SCT = Sluggish Cognitive Tempo. According to Wikipedia:

"Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) is a descriptive term used primarily by researchers to refer to a group of individuals having attention problems that may be distinct from those seen in ADHD. These individuals are often characterized as being daydreamy, mentally foggy, easily confused, and staring frequently. They are also believed to have symptoms of hypoactivity, lethargy, slow movement, and even sleepiness. Originally, this group of individuals was thought to be a subtype of ADHD Primarily Inattentive Type. However, SCT is not recognized as a mental disorder in any of the medical manuals, such as the ICD-10[1] or the DSM-IV,[2] neither is it part of the proposed revision of this manual, the DSM-5."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sluggish_cognitive_tempo

[Fortress]

I'm always surprised when people say they were diagnosed with SCT because it doesn't seem like it's really known.

You're better off talking about inattentive.

[BADDID]

No they don't,it was one of the last questions I asked my therapist she looked at me like I spoke chinese ,this forum gives me the creeps some times you people are just in sync with my everyday struggles.

[minuss]

Not to go off topic again, but it really sounds like SCT and ADHD-i are the same thing?

[sarahsweets]

I know some people have had success with a psycologist diagnosing them but in my experience a qualified psychiatrist has been most effective simply because the should (some dont) know more about adhd subtypes and they should also know what medications would work best should you choose to take them. A psycologist is great for therapy.

[Fuzzy12]

I think most (well, at least too many) psychologists hardly know anything about ADHD and definitely very little about ADHD-PI, let alone SCT. In the UK, as far as I know ADHD-PI isn't recognised officially either. You've either got ADHD, ADHD-C or you are perfectly fine

Keep in mind though that this is based on my extremely limited experience with psychologists (and psychiatrists too )

[PoppnNSailinMan]

sarahsweets wrote:

I know some people have had success with a psycologist diagnosing them but in my experience a qualified psychiatrist has been most effective simply because the should (some dont) know more about adhd subtypes and they should also know what medications would work best should you choose to take them. A psycologist is great for therapy.

On the question of whether someone would have better luck being diagnosed by a psychiatrist or a psychologist, it appears that a child psychiatrist or a psychologist is more likely to know about ADHD than an adult psychiatrist. In his book Driven to Distraction, Edward Hallowell says the following:

"Various professionals are qualified to diagnose ADD. Child psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians have the most training in this area. Child psychiatrists diagnose and treat both children and adults. Developmental pediatricians deal only with children. Unfortunately, both child psychiatrists and developmental pediatricians are in short supply...

If you want an evaluation for an adult, and you can't find a child psychiatrist in your area, then you might get help from an adult psychiatrist, although adult psychiatrists are notoriously weak in this area as ADD is usually not part of their training. You might consult with an adult psychologist; most psychologists do have some training in ADD."

[PoppnNSailinMan]

Actually the above quote by Hallowell is from Delivered from Distraction.

[mctavish23]

Just as an fyi,

SCT is strictly a theoretical construct right now, as it has not yet been proven to be a

separate disorder. Therefore, there is no diagnostic classification for it. The 2 or 3

times I've actually come across it in kids (in the last 9 years), I've diagnosed them with

314.00 ADHD - PI Type, with features of "Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT)." Hope that

helps.

tc

mctavish23

(Robert)

[BADDID]

Originally Posted by mctavish23

Just as an fyi,

SCT is strictly a theoretical construct right now, as it has not yet been proven to be a

separate disorder. Therefore, there is no diagnostic classification for it. The 2 or 3

times I've actually come across it in kids (in the last 9 years), I've diagnosed them with

314.00 ADHD - PI Type, with features of "Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT)." Hope that

helps.

tc

mctavish23

(Robert)

I feel like I won't get any practical construct in this lifetime,the whole psychiatry is theoretical and moslty B.S.

[T-Rex65]

I was diagnosed as SCT by someone who specializes in ADHD. Well, actually, the official diagnosis was ADHD PI, but he told me during our session that I was SCT. Do some shopping around before you pick a therapist or psychiatrist, and find out if ADHD is something they specialize in.