Symptoms of Adult ADD

Ivan Goldberg, MD

The diagnosis of ADD both childhood and adult is a clinical diagnosis. There are no "tests" that have been shown to be reliable and valid for the diagnosis of this disorder.

The diagnosis of ADD is made by interviewing the patient and one or more individuals who are familiar with the patient's behavior. In some instances, psychiatrists find it useful to send for school records, to obtain more objective data regarding early life behavior. In addition to taking a history of childhood and later behavior, the other purpose of the interview is to determine if the individual is suffering form any oither psychiatric disorder, (such as depression, mania, or severe anxiety) that may mimic ADD. In the interviews I conduct for the purose of diagnosing ADD the following are the behavioral manifestations I look for:

Symptoms of Adult ADD

1. Persistent Motor Hyperactivity
   1. Restlessness
   2. Inability to relax
   3. Always "on the go"
   4. Talking Excessively
2. Attention Deficits
   1. Distractibility (possibly with hyperfocusing at times)
   2. Lack of "stick-to-itiveness"
   3. Forgetfulness --- losing or misplacing things
   4. Inability to concentrate on conversations and/or reading
   5. Frequently feeling bored.
3. Affective Lability
   1. Definite spontaneous and reactive shifts from normal mood to depression or excitement
   2. Boredom
4. Disorganization
   1. Disorganization - inability to complete tasks (home, job, school)
   2. Haphazardly shifts from one activity to another
5. Temper Outbursts
   1. Frustration leading to explosive short-lived outbursts
   2. Transient loss of control
   3. Easily provoked
6. Impulsivity
   1. Makes decisions quickly and without reflection
   2. Unable to delay speech or action without experiencing discomfort
   3. Impulsive spending, changing of plans, etc.
7. Stress Intolerance
   1. Stress sensitivity
   2. Easily flustered or "hassled"
   3. Difficulty resolving conflicting demands
   4. Loss of organization with stress
   5. Despite stress sensitivity may do fine during major emergencies

Ivan Goldberg, MD
N.Y. Psychopharmacologic Inst.
1346 Lexington Ave. NYC 10128
Voice: +1 212 876-7800
Fax: +1 212 737-0473

Last Modified: Thursday, October 02, 1997 9:34:45 PM