Diagnosing and Treating ADD or ADHD

An attention deficit disorder can be a serious hindrance to success on the job or in school. It can also be accompanied by feelings of depression, and anger. And it often leads to low self-esteem. For the child it can cause family discord, underachievement in school, and difficulty making and keeping friends. For the adult it can put stress on relationships, disrupt job performance and increase the risk of drug or alcohol abuse. Many people with ADD or ADHD are very bright and talented but are prevented from reaching their full potential.

At Chestnut Hill Counseling Associates, we can assist in deciding whether or not you or your child have an attention deficit disorder and provide effective treatment that is tailored to your special needs and circumstances.

• To get started as quickly as possible, we mail you behavior checklists to be filled out by you and someone else who knows you (or your child) well.
• Then, a specialist in ADD/ADHD meets with you to go over the behavior checklists and talk about your unique history of difficulties dealing with this disorder.
• Your therapist then discusses with you the different treatment choices which can include making changes in the home, work or school environment and/or learning organizational strategies so that you or your child can better cope with the disorder.
• In many cases, medication can play an important role in helping relieve the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Your therapist helps you to make your decision by discussing fully the advantages and disadvantages of medication for you or your child. If the decision is made to go ahead, we refer you to one of our medical providers or to your family physician/pediatrician for a medical evaluation and treatment. This decision is always made with you as an active participant in the process. Your therapist welcomes active participation by your family physician/pediatrician whose judgment you have come to trust.
• Your therapist also asks you to talk to your pediatrician or family physician who can rule out any other medical problem that might mimic an attention deficit disorder.
• There is no physical test that can identify an attention deficit disorder, and it cannot be cured. But with the steps involved in our program, you or your child can generally expect to begin to feel in control of your life and stop feeling as though you can't handle tasks easily accomplished by others. You are likely to experience less stress and in general live a happier more fulfilling life.

Remember: ADD or ADHD isn't likely to just disappear. But with professional help you can limit its impact and begin to work toward your full potential in life and you can begin to feel much better.