are there any tests you can have for autism or add and adhd, if so where do you go to be tested ?

Question

im a 3o year old borderline personality disorder sufferer....but one of the symptoms i get is racing thoughts...crowded thoughts....cant hold train of thought, thoughts fleeting....i keep forgetting...like lapses in time....and my thoughts flip from one worry.....to another worry....to another worry....to another worry....to another worry.....to another worry.....to another worry etc..
thought comes...seconds later its gone...replaced by other anxities, worries and insecurities.. then they escape me......and i cant remember..
ive had this symptom for along time and ive been wondering what it is.

can anyone advise ?

its not a child its me

Answer 1

Hi--It can be even more challenging to identify ADHD in adults than in children. The signs and symptoms in adults are often especially subtle and subjective, and no single test can confirm the diagnosis, including self-report tools such as the Copeland Symptoms Checklist for Adult ADHD or the Brown Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scales.

What's more, adults may have a hard time remembering whether their problems date back to childhood. And yet a persistent pattern of signs and symptoms, beginning no later than age 7, is essential for a diagnosis of adult ADHD. For that reason, your doctor is likely to ask for your old school records and to gather information from teachers, parents and anyone else who knew you when you were young. If your difficulties are recent or occurred only occasionally in the past, you're not considered to have adult ADHD. In addition, your doctor will carefully assess the impact of your core symptoms on your current life — your performance at work or in school and your relationships with friends and family.

As with children, your evaluation should include a thorough physical exam to rule out other reasons for your symptoms. This means ruling out not only medical conditions that can mimic ADHD, such as hyperthyroidism and hearing loss, but also psychological problems such as bipolar disorder, which are much more common in adults than ADHD is. Substance abuse, for instance, can cause mood swings and affect memory and concentration. Severe depression can also affect attention and memory and can make it difficult to concentrate or complete tasks.

To help arrive at a diagnosis, some specialists use tests that objectively measure your cognitive ability, your short-term memory, your concentration and your problem-solving skills. Even so, many factors can affect your performance on these tests, and by themselves, they're not necessarily good indicators of the presence of adult ADHD. Combined with extensive medical and behavioral histories and school and job records, however, they can help provide a fuller and more accurate picture of how you function in the world.

Good Luck & take care!

Answer 2

Speak to your usual doctor or psychologist, just because you have these racing thoughts does not mean you are autistic or have ADD or ADHD - it is more likely to be psychological. This happens to lots of people, and can be a symptom of anxiety, (it happens to me too, so I know how frustrating it can be), but it is very likely that you can learn to control this. If you have BPD then you probably already have access to this kind of help, speak to someone about this and they will help you to learn to deal with it.

Answer 3

The only way to be properly assessed for for ADD or any disorder on the Autistic Spectrum is to be referred by a GP to a specialist. Good Luck.

Answer 4

There are tests, but I honestly don't think you have autism. (I've answered some of your questions before, and have also worked as a therapist for autistic people in the past doing Applied Behavioural Analysis).You would need a referral to see a psychiatrist to see for sure. I really think you suffer from social anxiety disorder as well as depression. Please go and see a doctor and get checked. This is just my honest opinion. Please don't be offended. I have similar issues myself. xxxx

Answer 5

There’s two online tests here.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/newsweek/autism_quotient/default.asp

You may also have heard of Asperger’s syndrome (some of the elements of Autism, usually milder.). A test here.
http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

Tests such as these shouldn’t be trusted implicitly however. You can find out more on Autism or Asperger’s here:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=autism+uk&btnG=Search&meta=

ADD/ADHD test:
http://www.oneaddplace.com/add-test.php

PS: I score midway on the Asperger’s syndrome tests.
It’s OK. Like my own company, good at detailed work and so on. Close friends/partner know about it (My brother is too) and adapt to it.

Answer 6

Well, first of all, human beings worry, it's normal. And they do get distracted as well.

I have never really been a huge believer in ADD or ADHD because I think it is made up, it was never around 50 years ago.

However, maybe you have anxiety? Go see a psychiatrist if you feel it is neccesary.

Answer 7

Look a lot of people have a mild form of autism, I do. You learn to deal with or go crazy. Mine has to do with numbers. I have friends who read everything, include license plate. You don't talk about to everyone but you learn who has a problem and they are the people talk to.

Answer 8

Sountds like anxiety disorder to me (depression related).

Answer 9

What you need to do is go to a doctor/clinic and ask for psychologist that could diagnose you.

Answer 10

This is not the kind of question you ask on the internet. Go see your GP and they will refer you.