"Their lives look successful from the outside-strong careers, family responsibilities, and social connections-but privately they feel exhausted, disorganized, or emotionally drained. They may say things like: "I can meet every professional deadline, yet at home, even laundry feels impossible." "I look like I have it all together, but I spend evenings trying to calm my mind enough to start dinner." "I have ambition and potential, but no mental energy left for myself.""
"Some rely on a brief interview or a few checklists, but a thorough, collaborative, and multi-source evaluation provides far greater accuracy and impact. Because a diagnosis can influence self-understanding, treatment decisions, and family dynamics, the process deserves time and care. A detailed evaluation allows clinicians to distinguish ADHD from conditions that mimic it, such as depression, anxiety, or chronic stress, and to identify co-occurring issues that affect functioning. The goal is to understand the person-not just label the symptoms."
Many high-achieving adults appear successful while feeling exhausted, disorganized, and emotionally drained, often due to undiagnosed ADHD. What appears as time-management problems can be a long-standing attention-regulation issue. Assessment practices vary, and brief interviews or checklists can miss complexities. A thorough, collaborative, multi-source evaluation—including standardized tools like CAARS 2—provides greater accuracy by distinguishing ADHD from depression, anxiety, chronic stress, and identifying co-occurring conditions. A detailed process influences self-understanding, treatment choices, and family dynamics, so it requires time, care, education, and shared understanding between clinician and patient. Accurate diagnosis supports individualized intervention and improved functioning across work and home domains.
Read at Psychology Today
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