ADHD – Who Me?

Cheryl Gowin and Dennis Gowin.  Call us at our counseling practice with your feedback, comments, issues, or questions at 434-808-2637.

Would your friends describe you as a procrastinator?  How many times on a job performance review have you been told you have trouble focusing on a task?  Do you feel like you struggle with a lack of motivation?  You may have ADHD and not know it.  What is your first step?  The World Health Organization created an ADHD self-assessment tool where you only need to answer 18 easy questions.

Want to take the self-assessment?  Just answer the questions below, rating yourself on a  range of 0 (Never), 1 (Rarely), 2 (Sometimes) 3 (0ften) or 4 (Very Often).  Base your choice on how you felt and conducted yourself over the past six months.

1. How often do you make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project?

2. How often do you have difficulty keeping your attention when you are doing boring or repetitive work?

3. How often do you have difficulty concentrating on what people say to you, even when they are speaking to you directly?

4. How often do you have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project, once the challenging parts have been done?

5. How often do you have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?

6. When you have a task that requires a lot of thought, how often do you avoid or delay getting started?

7. How often do you misplace or have difficulty finding things at home or at work?

8. How often are you distracted by activity or noise around you?

9. How often do you have problems remembering appointments or obligations?

10. How often do you fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?

11. How often do you leave your seat in meetings or other situations in which you are expected to remain seated?

12. How often do you feel restless or fidgety?

13. How often do you have difficulty unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself?

14. How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?

15. How often do you find yourself talking too much when you are in social situations?

16. When you’re in a conversation, how often do you find yourself finishing the sentences of the people you are talking to, before they can finish them themselves?

17. How often do you have difficulty waiting your turn in situations when turn taking is required?

18. How often do you interrupt others when they are busy?

Now add up all your scores for questions 1-9 and then for questions 10-18.

If your self-assessment score for each section is  0-16, you are unlikely to have ADHD; if your score is 17-23, you are likely to have ADHD; and if your score is 24 or greater, you are highly likely to have ADHD.  Now you ask why two sections.  The first section is ADHD with Inattention and the second section is looking at Hyperactive/Impulsive.

Your next step is to see a counselor or health care professional.  Bring your self-assessment to your appointment.  Yes, aggression, forgetfulness, and boredom are some of the signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and it affects millions of Americans. The good news is with help, you can develop a plan to control your symptoms.  Life can get better!

By your endurance you will gain your lives.  Luke 21:19

Cheryl Gowin and Dennis Gowin.  Call us with your feedback, comments, issues, or questions; our phone number is 434-808-2637.