Question: Can my physician diagnose and treat ADHD in adults or is a specialist required?
Answer: In a recent survey the majority of primary care doctors felt comfortable diagnosing and treating anxiety disorders (85%) and depression (95%) in adults. Only 15% were comfortable diagnosing and treating ADHD. The main reason the majority of primary care doctors have not become comfortable with ADHD is that the best medications are stimulants that in many states require a special prescription and are more likely to cause problems with regulatory agencies or diversion of medication for non-medical purposes. Unfortunately some doctors will prescribe non-controlled medications such as Strattera, Wellbutrin XL or other medications as the first line treatment. Multiple studies have shown that stimulants are about twice as effective as other medications for ADHD. Some people may wrongly assume that their suboptimal response to non-stimulants means they’re not really ADHD or that treatments are not particularly useful.
