Adult ADHD / ADD Treatment by Psychiatrists at Harley Therapy™ London
Definition of ADHD / ADD
ADD or ADHD is the acronym for Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a chemical imbalance in the management systems of the brain and experts now believe that this disorder has hereditary, psychological and biological factors. There are three main types of ADHD; ‘combined type’, which has both inattention and hyperactivity, ‘predominately hyperactive’, which has a much greater deal of hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour and ‘predominately inattentive’, which has the greatest impact on distraction in adults.
Signs and symptoms of ADHD
The symptoms of ADHD in adults can be far less obvious, despite their effect, than those in children. Adult ADHD symptoms can be divided into five broad categories:
- Hyper focus. Adults with ADHD may be very focussed on a task, particularly if the task is consuming and enjoyable to them. Impulsivity.
- Behaviour may be impulsive, such as spending.
- Emotional difficulty. Adults with ADHD may be unable to handle stress or they may loose their temper very easily.
- Hyperactivity. Adults with ADHD may be constantly fidgety, restless and may require less sleep.
-
Disorganisation. ADHD adults may loose things easily or forget important tasks.
These symptoms combined can make dealing with ADHD very difficult in adult life, and if left unchecked, those with ADHD could find themselves with range of difficulties, such as financial complications, problems at work, relationship problems and physical or mental health issues.
Treatment of ADHD
There is no ‘cure’ for ADHD, but treatment is centred around managing the symptoms of ADHD and enabling the adult to minimize the difficulties that can arise as a result of this disorder. Treatment for ADHD can be drug or therapy based or a combination of the two. An important part of dealing with adult ADHD is to learn self-management skills, which include eating correctly, regular exercise and implementing coping strategies (for example list making or colour coding).
Therapy for adult ADHD may take different forms: general talking therapy, marriage or couples counselling (if indicated), or commonly, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, where the goal is to identify and change the behaviours that are problematic in everyday life. Drugs are often used as treatment for ADHD, however these usually form part of a long-term treatment programme that involves therapy.
Services for ADHD at Harley Therapy™ London
- A full psychiatric assessment including an ADHD screening questionnaire.
- An accurate diagnosis and assessment report provided to you within 14 days a copy of which we recommend should go to your GP.
- Prescription service available as appropriate and indicated by assessment. This will not include medication that needs to be imported.
- Referral for CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) as appropriate.
- Regular follow up and adjustment of dosage and type of medication as clinically indicated.
Dr Stephen Humphries – ADHD Psychiatrist London
Dr Humphries, Consultant Psychiatrist, has 26 years of medical experience. He has practised General Adult Psychiatry at consultant level within the NHS for 17 years. He currently works at the West London Mental Health Trust at Charing Cross Hospital in London as Consultant Psychiatrist and as a Private Psychiatrist in London's Harley Street. He is experienced in the assessment, treatment and medication management for adult ADHD / ADD.
Dr Humphries is a recognised provider with the following: BUPA recognised consultant psychiatrist, CIGNA recognised consultant psychiatrist, Standard Life recognised consultant psychiatrist, Pruhealth recognised consultant psychiatrist, AVIVA recognised consultant psychiatrist and WPA recognised consultant psychiatrist.
Dr Humphries as Quoted in 'Mentally Healthy' magazine (November 2011):
What The Experts are Saying
According to one Harley Street doctor and psychiatrist, the UK is
slowly catching up with the US in acknowledging that the illness does
not go away with age and that ADHD brain changes do persist well into
adulthood.
Doctor Steve Humphries, a general psychiatrist at Harley Therapy, who
has witnessed the increase in adult ADHD sufferers seeking treatment,
said: “I have only really approached [ADHD] in my practice during in the
last few years. Prior to that, I was a little sceptical about the
condition. [But] I started to see alot of people asking for treatment,
particularly Americans who are more advanced in their awareness of the
condition than we are in the UK currently [and] a recent audit shows
that approximately 80% of adults with diagnostic symptoms of ADHD have a
positive response or an extremely positive response to the current
methods of treatment. People often learn how to manage their symptoms from childhood. But
when they are stretched in higher education or highly skilled jobs, they
find that their symptoms overwhelm them. It’s at this point that some
people seek treatment for the first time, even though the condition may
have been present since childhood.”
Humphries has worked with adult sufferers of ADHD for several years,
and believes that today there is a “sizable case load” proving that the
core symptoms can be significantly alleviated through a mixture of
therapy and medication.
Diagnoses and Treatment
To diagnose ADHD in adults most reputable doctors and psychiatrists
will first use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-IV) Criteria checklist, published by the American Psychiatric
Association. Humphries says: “I then use the Wender Utah Rating Scale (an aid to
assess adults' retrospective account of the childhood occurrence of
symptoms associated with ADHD) to identify childhood symptoms and
further understand the condition in the adult.
Once completed, I conduct a detailed psychiatric assessment face to
face. A possible diagnosis is then followed by an offer of a month’s
therapeutic trial of treatment. I principally treat people using medication, which aims to increase
brain dopamine levels, which relieves the core symptoms. This treatment
alone can be very effective but may also be backed up with Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy and diet and exercise.”
Some people have described the changes they’ve seen in themselves as
"miraculous" Humphries says. “They improve in their concentrational
levels, their procrastination reduces and in some cases treatment has
completely changed their lives."
Source: http://www.mentalhealthy.co.uk/home/featured-articles/adult-adhd.html
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