ADHD help: assessment, treatment and everyday support

Support should reflect the person's age, daily responsibilities, health history and the particular ways that attention, restlessness or impulsivity affect life. A plan may include changes at home, school or work as well as clinical treatment.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition. An assessment looks at current difficulties, how long they have been present and whether they occur in more than one setting. Clinicians may also consider sleep, mood, anxiety, learning needs, substance use and physical health because these can overlap with or intensify attention problems.

Treatment is individual. It can include education about ADHD, skills-based or psychological therapy, environmental adjustments and medication prescribed with appropriate monitoring. A diagnosis is not made from a single symptom or online checklist alone.

Record a few recent examples of missed tasks, impulsive decisions, restlessness or problems organising time, including where they happened and what the consequences were. If possible, gather school reports or observations from someone who knew you in childhood; developmental history can help an assessor understand the pattern.

For daily management, put appointments in one calendar, break large jobs into short visible tasks, reduce competing notifications and keep essential items in fixed places. Take ADHD medicine only as prescribed, and discuss sleep changes, appetite changes, palpitations, mood changes or other concerns with the prescriber rather than adjusting the dose yourself.

Arrange a routine appointment when attention, impulsivity or restlessness is repeatedly disrupting learning, work, relationships, finances, driving or self-care. An assessment is also worthwhile when coping strategies take so much effort that exhaustion or anxiety is building.

Seek urgent help if there are thoughts of self-harm or suicide, severe agitation, hallucinations, dangerous behaviour, chest pain, fainting or a suspected medicine overdose. Use local emergency services if there is immediate danger, and do not leave a person at imminent risk alone.

You could ask which other conditions should be considered, what information would help the assessment, which non-medication approaches fit your difficulties, and how any treatment will be monitored. If medication is discussed, ask about expected benefits, possible side effects, interactions and what to do after a missed dose.