I Think I Have ADHD. Now What?
“I think I have ADHD, but I haven’t been officially diagnosed.” We hear this often at Serebro Health. I was one of those people until recently.
As a psychotherapist, I have the diagnostic criteria at my fingertips, and the self-assessments I completed confirmed what I already suspected. Even so, it took me a while to pursue an official diagnosis. If you’re sitting in that same in-between space, this post is for you.
October is ADHD Awareness Month, so let’s unpack what ADHD actually looks like, why it’s so often missed, and why getting answers can matter.
“Everyone is a little ADHD”
I’ve heard this from well meaning health professionals and from the community at large. And sure, everyone forgets where they put their keys. Everyone gets sidetracked mid conversation or struggles to finish an assignment on time now and then. Those moments are frustrating for anyone.
ADHD looks different because of the pattern. Symptoms show up consistently, they begin in childhood, and they affect more than one area of your life, like work, school, relationships, and home. It’s the combination of how often, how long, and how much it gets in your way that matters.
What ADHD looks like
ADHD is a childhood-onset condition, and research shows that about two thirds of children with ADHD continue to have impairing symptoms in adulthood (Faraone & Larsson, 2019). Many adults never got noticed or diagnosed as kids, which is part of why so many of us are figuring this out later.
The DSM-5 describes two symptom groups: inattention, and hyperactivity and impulsivity. Adults need to show at least five symptoms in a group for at least six months. Several symptoms need to have been present before age 12, they need to show up in two or more settings, and they need to clearly interfere with daily functioning (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022).
There are three presentations:
Predominantly inattentive. This can look like missing details, trouble sustaining attention, losing things, avoiding tasks that need sustained mental effort, being easily distracted, and forgetting appointments or deadlines. It’s often overlooked because it tends to be less disruptive to others. Many people with this presentation get described as “spacey,” “disorganized,” or “not living up to their potential.”
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive. This can look like fidgeting, difficulty staying seated, feeling driven by a motor, talking excessively, interrupting, and having a hard time waiting your turn (APA, 2022). In adults, hyperactivity often shows up internally. It can feel like constant mental noise, an inability to relax, or needing to always be doing something.
Combined. A mix of both groups.
ADHD can also show up in ways people don’t expect: emotional overwhelm, time blindness, a pile of late fees, opportunities that slipped by, chronic lateness despite your best efforts, and starting a hundred projects but struggling to finish them.
“But I was fine before”
Many adults tell us, “I was okay until recently.” If that’s you, take a moment to think about what has changed.
A child signed up for multiple sports may have been running off their energy daily without anyone noticing a problem. Years later, that same person is in a sedentary office job and suddenly struggling. At Serebro Health, we’ve seen military members thrive in active, boots on the ground roles, then struggle when they move into a supervisory, administrative, or strategy position. The work is less hands on, and there’s a lot more bureaucracy to manage. ADHD was always there, you were born this way (cue that Lady Gaga song). What changes are the demands on your life. A new role, becoming a parent, perimenopause, or burnout can unmask the struggle or make it harder to manage.
Does it run in families?
Often, yes. Family, twin, and adoption studies all show that ADHD runs in families. Across 37 twin studies, the average heritability of ADHD was 74%, and siblings of people with ADHD had a ninefold increased risk compared with siblings of people without it (Faraone & Larsson, 2019). Heritability describes how much of the difference between people is linked to genetics. It doesn’t predict whether any one person will have ADHD, but it does explain why so many adults first recognize themselves after their child, sibling, or parent is diagnosed.
Why get an assessment?
Do you need a formal diagnosis to start understanding yourself better? No. But there are some solid reasons people choose to pursue one.
Accommodations at school and work. In Canada, human rights legislation protects people with disabilities, including ADHD. In Ontario, the Human Rights Code requires employers, schools, and service providers to accommodate disability-related needs up to the point of undue hardship (Human Rights Code, 1990). Once you disclose, they have a duty to work with you. Documentation from a health professional is typically needed, and that’s where a diagnosis can help. Accommodations might include extra time on tests, a quieter workspace, flexible deadlines, or written instructions.
The Disability Tax Credit. The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a non-refundable federal tax credit that can reduce the income tax you pay. It isn’t automatic with an ADHD diagnosis. The Canada Revenue Agency looks at how much a condition restricts your everyday mental functions, and the application includes a certificate (Form T2201) that a qualified practitioner must complete (Canada Revenue Agency [CRA], n.d.). For mental functions, that can be a medical doctor, a nurse practitioner, or a psychologist. The best place to start is the CRA’s Disability Tax Credit page.
If you’d like help working through this process, our Director of Operations, Giovanni, can walk you through the paperwork. Because if you have ADHD, you probably don’t love paperwork either. :)
To book a free consult with him for help with DTC go here: https://serebrogroup.com/
Validation. This was the biggest one for me. I wanted to know that it wasn’t because I wasn’t trying hard enough. There is a biological, physical difference in my brain that makes some things harder. Having a professional acknowledge that, and tell me it’s okay and that there are options, was emotional for me. I am that professional, and I’ve told this to others many times. It was still reassuring to hear.
How Serebro Health can help
At Serebro Health, we don’t diagnose ADHD, but there’s a lot we can do while you figure out your next step. We can:
- Help you identify whether ADHD might be a fit through a self-assessment and conversations with one of our clinicians
- Point you in the right direction and talk through your options for a formal assessment, which comes from a physician, nurse practitioner, or psychologist
- Help you unpack the years of shame that so many adults with ADHD carry
- Equip you with tools to accommodate your lovely ADHD brain
A note on grace
I get how frustrating this is, because I live it too. The missed deadlines, the lost opportunities, the late fees that add up over the years. Even now, when another one of those moments happens, I feel it in my throat and my eyes fill with tears. ADHD is a real disability, and it often gets overlooked, which makes those moments even harder to carry. I’ve learned to be kinder to myself and to build in buffers, but that takes effort too.
So if you’re reading this and recognizing yourself, please give yourself some grace. This is a real thing you’ve been navigating, often without the right tools or support. You’re not alone, and you’re not lazy.
If you’d like to take the first step, reach out to Serebro Health.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Canada Revenue Agency. (n.d.). Disability tax credit. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/segments/tax-credits-deductions-persons-disabilities/disability-tax-credit.html
Faraone, S. V., & Larsson, H. (2019). Genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Molecular Psychiatry, 24(4), 562–575. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0070-0
Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19 (Ont.). https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h19
