Do I have ADHD?

Google can’t tell if you have ADHD or not.

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If you search “Do I have...” on Google, the first suggested phrase you’ll see is “Do I have ADHD?” And it’s easy to see why. The quizzes and self-diagnosing tests (I’ve gone through a few of them) are extremely relatable — especially when you do them while putting off chores. But here’s the thing: ADHD can easily be misdiagnosed.

There are two sides to this argument. Are there too many people being diagnosed with ADHD? Or too few? First, we spoke to Dr. Allen Frances, who believes ADHD is being overdiagnosed. He pointed to the number of studies done in the US, Taiwan, Iceland, and Canada showing that the youngest kid in a classroom was consistently more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest kid. He says this problem is also due to time constraints faced by doctors.

On the other hand, Dr. David Goodman argues that ADHD is being underdiagnosed — especially for women. ADHD is harder to diagnose in women because while hyperactivity is common in men and boys, inattentiveness is more common for women and girls. He also argues that there is a pattern in psychiatry where mental disorders are dismissed before being taken seriously.

One thing’s for sure: A professional evaluation will always be better than Googling for self-diagnosing tests for ADHD, because misdiagnosis happens often and can be dangerous. For more information, check out the video above.

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