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Imagine that you struggle every day with simple tasks: paying attention in class, getting your chores done and focusing on one thing at a time is harder for you than for your friends. And yet, you have trouble convincing anyone that you have a genuine disorder that is causing you difficulty with these things. This is the reality for people that struggle with ADHD. ADHD is a disorder that affects your brain and ability to perform many seemingly simple tasks. It is misunderstood, ignored, disregarded and overlooked. Obtaining a professional diagnosis for ADHD can be difficult for many people because of the stigmatization around the disorder, which has led to a rise in young adults self-diagnosing.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is defined in a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association called the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Illnesses (DSM-5). In DSM-5, ADHD is defined as “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.”

The most well-known types of ADHD are inattentive and hyperactive. People with inattentive ADHD are more prone to getting distracted and having trouble with concentration or organizational skills. Whereas Hhyperactivity often rears its head in the form of fidgeting, hyper behavior and troubles with completing tasks.

According to Healthline.com, a health and wellness website, among the people that receive an ADHD diagnosis, it is common that “13 percent of men will be diagnosed with ADHD. Just 4.2 percent of women will be diagnosed.”.

Annabelle Morris, a second year psychology major at CWU, says, “Especially in women it’s a lot harder to diagnose, because women are so good at masking. So people just don’t think about women having it- it’s kind of more a men’s thing, you know.”. Often, because of the difference in presentation with ADHD between men and women, it can be hard to notice when someone is struggling with it.

ADHD is an illness that tends to be overlooked, misunderstood or misrepresented. However, many people who struggle with the disorder feel that it has a sizable effect on their daily life.

Many people with the disorder feel that scheduling their events and organizing their lives are one of the hardest tasks to complete. Morris says, “the fact is that if I don’t put everything onto the calendar right away, I’m not gonna go.”

Some people with ADHD find that they need to develop specific tools and coping mechanisms to help them through regular daily tasks. Dexter Seuberlich, a sophomore education and history double major at CWU, says,“ if I put on my phone, I’m going to forget about it. So I use my whiteboard in my room. If it’s something important I put it on there.”

While these tools can help throughout daily life, the disorder can take a toll on someone’s overall mental health. Many people diagnosed with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder. Often, stigmas surrounding the disorder only make it harder for those diagnosed with it to feel comfortable in their own skin.

Dexter says, “it feels like you’re stupid when you don’t understand things that a lot of people understand. Because you just function differently.”

Self-Diagnosing ADHD

When you think you may have ADHD, it can be helpful to do research on your own about the condition. Researching some general facts from credible websites can be a great first step in selfevaluation. A part of mental health is the ability to self-evaluate and recognize when something is hindering your daily success.

CWU student and psychology major Megan Bunn says that when she first was diagnosed with ADHD that she

“liked to research a lot so I could really understand myself”. Researching can be a helpful tool in understanding more about yourself and tendencies.

There is a difference between researching ADHD and self-diagnosing ADHD though. Research helps identify personal traits that are commonly linked to the condition, but does not provide a concrete diagnosis.

CWU psychology professor Dr. Greenwald says, “self diagnosing is tricky”. He goes on to explain how the internet can be both a positive and negative source, but can ultimately help people figure out things.

The research process can give a person a better sense of what is going on with themselves, but can also be overwhelming. With so many different websites, data, and information, it can feel like a lot to process. A helpful hint when researching is to look for official and credible sites. A lot of these sites will have .org instead of .com to indicate credibility.

Although there are benefits to research, it is best to remain slightly biased with yourself until seeking a professional opinion. Greenwald stresses the importance of this saying, “it’s always best to verify [ADHD selfdiagnosis] with a trained mental health professional”.

Professional Diagnosis

Once you have identified that you may have ADHD, it is best to seek a professional opinion from a doctor or psychologist. There are benefits to doing this. Greenwald explains how “there are things that can be done both behaviorally, and in terms of medication to help that individual” if they seek a professional diagnosis. Medical and mental health professionals are knowledgeable and safe people to go to when figuring out personal mental health.

Doctors also have the ability to evaluate all sorts of factors in a person’s health. This is important because psychical health and family medical history is factored into a professional diagnosis. A professional gathering the full picture of your health can increase accuracy of the diagnosis.

Asked about college students wanting to seek a professional diagnosis, Greenwald observes: “I think we’re living in a time now where people understand that mental health issues are real. They’re out there and they’re a problem. People do need to seek help to get better”. The most accurate way to determine if you do have a condition is to check things out with a professional.

Personal Account

CWU psychology student Megan Bunn offered to share about her own ADHD. Although she was not professionally diagnosed with ADHD until age 15, she says “I struggled with this my whole life”. Bunn mentions experiencing memorization problems at a young age. Early on in life Bunn observed “I couldn’t remember a paragraph. You know what I mean? It didn’t feel normal”.

When visiting her doctor for an unrelated reason in her mid-teens, her doctor was able to evaluate and professionally diagnose Bunn with ADHD. She says after starting medication and consulting with her doctor, she was able to see a big improvement, even realizing things about herself that she previously did not know. Receiving a professional diagnosis from a doctor greatly benefited Bunn.