ADDitude and ADHD: using information wisely

Online material can help you recognise experiences, learn useful language and prepare for an appointment. Diagnosis requires a clinician to assess the pattern over time, its effect in more than one setting, developmental history and other possible explanations.

ADHD can present with ongoing difficulties involving attention, organisation, impulse control or activity level. Difficulty concentrating is not specific to ADHD: poor sleep, anxiety, low mood, substance use, medication effects and physical illness can also interfere with attention.

A clinician looks for a consistent pattern rather than one difficult week or a single questionnaire score. They may ask about school, work, relationships, daily tasks and childhood experiences, and may seek information from someone who knows you well when appropriate and with permission.

Write down concrete examples: missed deadlines, unfinished tasks, lost belongings, impulsive decisions or restlessness, including when they happen and what they disrupt. Note sleep, mood, anxiety, caffeine, medicines and substance use because these details help separate overlapping causes.

Book a primary-care or mental health assessment if the pattern is persistent and interferes with daily life. Bring any online questionnaire as a conversation aid, not as proof. Avoid using another person's stimulant medicine or buying treatment without a legitimate prescription.

Arrange timely help when attention, impulsivity, anxiety or irritability is causing unsafe driving, serious work problems, escalating conflict, substance misuse or inability to manage essential tasks. Sudden new confusion or a rapid change in behaviour is not a typical basis for self-diagnosing ADHD and needs medical assessment.

Seek urgent help for thoughts of self-harm or suicide, intent to harm someone else, severe agitation, hallucinations, or behaviour that places you or others in immediate danger. Contact local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department.

Ask which parts of your history support ADHD, what alternative explanations need checking, and whether information from childhood or another setting would help. If treatment is discussed, ask how benefits and unwanted effects will be monitored.