Only a doctor can diagnose you. The doctor will diagnose you based on your history and present symptoms. No one else can diagnose you. Your symptoms must not be severe enough if you aren't willing to see a doctor.

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As Badger mentioned, only a doctor can officially diagnose it. Besides looking at your history and symptoms they have to rule out other possibilities.

If you needed eyeglasses or contacts that wouldn't make you feel as if something were wrong with you, would it? ADHD is not a moral defect nor anything to be ashamed of. Each of us has strengths and weaknesses. Some individuals have allergies or asthma or a thyroid condition. They are not defective. Your brain works differently than what society has determined is the "norm". Where would we be without individuals like Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein and Bill Gates? If having ADHD is something you have in common with those individuals, then you certainly shouldn't think any less of yourself.

I may decide I don't want to wear eyeglasses or contacts but it will affect my life, eliminating some opportunities that I would not be able to participate in. For some reason the Division of Motor Vehicles will not let me drive unless I wear my glasses or contacts. Treatment of ADHD, if you have it, will help you to perform better in school, at home and life in general.

My husband was diagnosed at age 45 and he didn't want to accept that he might have ADHD. Reluctantly, he listened to the doctor and tried medication. He later told the doctor he was amazed at how well he could concentrate at work on the medication even though he didn't think he had a problem before that. You may not even realize just how much it is affecting you and your life.

My son is 16 and plays baseball. We've discussed how important it is to have the proper bat and glove when you play ball. An ill-fitting glove or cracked bat will affect his ability to play baseball even though he may be an extremely talented player. Having the proper tools and equipment makes a difference. He understands that his ADHD medication is the same--it is a tool that helps him perform his best. It greatly improves his focus and as a pticher, that is an important quality to have. (He takes his meds without any prompting from me and even told the coach one day that he couldn't pitch because he had forgotten to take his medication. ) Last Saturday he pitched a game and had 11 strikeouts in 5 innings. He dreams about being a professional ball player and he realizes he needs to do everything he can in order to perform at his best. I'm very proud of him. The ADD is just part of who he is.

Elaine

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