Adult ADHD
Psychiatric assessment and medication advice for adult ADHD are available now, as part of virtual adult psychiatric care.
Available now
Psychiatric assessment and treatment
Assessment, diagnosis and medication advice, in English or Farsi, through a referral from your family doctor or treating clinician.
In development
Structured psychotherapy for adult ADHD
Cognitive behavioural therapy adapted for adult ADHD is being developed. It is not yet available for booking.
What adult ADHD can look like
ADHD starts in childhood, even when nobody noticed it at the time. In adults it often looks less like hyperactivity and more like trouble starting things, finishing things and keeping track. Deadlines arrive as surprises. Conversations lose their thread. Your head can feel busy even while your body is still.
Many capable adults build workarounds that hold for years, then stop working when life becomes more demanding: a new job, a child, a move, a loss.
These problems are not specific to ADHD
Depression, anxiety, poor sleep, substance use, trauma and some medical conditions can produce very similar difficulties, and they often occur alongside ADHD. This is why an assessment takes time.
What an assessment involves
A psychiatric assessment usually includes:
- A careful history of your difficulties, now and in childhood, across work, home and relationships
- Questionnaires, which you may be asked to complete before the appointment
- With your permission, information from someone who has known you for a long time, such as a parent, sibling or partner
- School reports or earlier assessments, if you have them
- A review of other conditions, sleep, substance use, physical health and medications
You may leave with a diagnosis of ADHD, a different explanation, or both. An assessment does not guarantee a particular diagnosis or a particular prescription. A clear answer that it is not ADHD can still change what you do next.
How it is treated
Medication
Stimulant and non-stimulant medications can reduce core symptoms for many adults. Choosing one means weighing likely benefit against side effects, heart rate and blood pressure, sleep, other conditions and your own preferences. Who continues prescribing after the consultation is discussed with you and your family doctor.
Skills and structure
Medication does not build routines by itself. Practical strategies, environmental changes and psychological treatment can help. Cognitive behavioural therapy adapted for adult ADHD has been studied, often in people who are also taking medication.
Everything else that is going on
Untreated depression, anxiety or sleep problems can undo good ADHD treatment. They are often part of the plan.
Common questions
I was never diagnosed as a child. Can I still have ADHD?
Yes. Many adults were not diagnosed as children, particularly if they did well at school or were quiet. An assessment would still look for signs that difficulties began in childhood.
I already had a private assessment. Do I need another one?
Ask your clinician to send the report with the referral. Dr. Shariati will review it and may still want to do an independent assessment before recommending treatment.
Will I be prescribed a stimulant?
Not necessarily. It depends on the assessment, your health and what you want. Medication is one option, and the decision is made with you.
Do I need someone to come with me?
No. Information from someone who knew you when you were younger is often helpful, but it can be gathered in other ways, and it is not required to begin.
I keep missing appointments and losing forms. Will that count against me?
Please tell the office. It is often part of the problem being assessed and is worth planning around.
For more about ADHD in Canada, CADDAC, the Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada, has information and programs for adults.