ADHD Psychiatrist in Sydney

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a disorder of behaviour, which usually starts in childhood, and though, it often improves with time, may continue into adulthood. In fact, sometimes the condition is first diagnosed in adulthood. ADHD is characterized by inattention and hyperactivity. Some children, or adults could have issues with attention only, and they are then classified as having ADD or attention deficit disorder.

Often young children could be overactive and appear to have little ability to focus their attention. This does not necessarily mean they have ADHD or even ADD. The diagnosis needs to be made by careful evaluation by a trained clinician.

The most prominent symptoms in young children are lack of attention in the extreme and being excessively overactive. Inattention can manifest as being forgetful, distracted, seemingly not listening, disorganized behaviour, and taking a long time to do tasks, often left incomplete. Hyperactivity presents as extreme restlessness, being fidgety, being full of energy (always ‘on the go’) and seeming loud and noisy. These characteristics are seen in adults too.

Having ADHD can mean that a person cannot achieve their full potential in life as it is hard to concentrate adequately at school or work and it has a negative effect on relationships due to impulsive behaviour.

Dr Abeya, a well-known ADHD psychiatrist, Sydney, has many years of experience in diagnosis and treatment of ADHD and ADD in Sydney. She spends time listening to patients’ concerns and uses a scale or questionnaire to confirm a clinical diagnosis. It is important to gain a good understanding of your condition in order to make informed treatment decisions. It is necessary to exclude or recognize other types of conditions, which could masquerade as ADD or ADHD.

Treatment can consist of strategies to overcome symptoms and medication. There could be times when a strategy alone may be all that is required. Medication could be with stimulant treatment like Ritalin (Methylphenidate) and dexamphetamine or non-stimulant treatment like Atomoxetine (Straterra).

If you feel that you may indeed have ADHD or ADD, seek the help of ADHD psychiatrist Sydney as these conditions need to be correctly diagnosed and appropriately treated by an experienced clinician.