ADHD

Sveapsykologerna investigates ADHD. We have very short waiting times, which means that you can usually start a neuropsychiatric assessment within a week.

In terms of price, we are lower than most other private clinics in Sweden. The price for a neuropsychiatric assessment at Sveapsykologerna is from SEK 29,995 and upwards. The price varies depending on several factors, such as how complex the investigation is, the client's age and which city the client is in. There is a possibility of partial payment.

Sveapsykologerna investigates adults, adolescents and children. We do not investigate people with ongoing substance abuse. Our competent psychologists and psychiatrists/doctors have extensive experience of working with neuropsychiatric assessments. If you are diagnosed with ADHD, you have the option of continued medication and psychological treatment.

People seeking neuropsychiatric assessments in the private sector are often people who are fed up with the long waiting times in the County Council. Contact us via the contact form - by clicking the button below - and we will get back to you within a few hours for a free consultation.

If you have ADHD, you may find it difficult to concentrate and perform in certain situations or environments. You may have difficulty keeping things organized and getting things done.

ADHD is a so-called neuropsychiatric disorder. It affects your ability to concentrate, direct and control your behavior. ADHD can also affect how active or intense you are as a person.

Difficulties usually arise in certain situations or environments. For example, you may find it difficult to focus and keep your attention on the task at hand if it is messy or cluttered around you, or if the task does not feel motivating to you.

Having ADHD does not mean that you are sick, but that you function in a different way from what is usually expected in society. Because of the difficulties you have, ADHD is called a disability.

Your way of being can also bring strengths that others may not have. Therefore, if you prefer, you can call ADHD a disability.

ADHD has nothing to do with intelligence, but with how your brain and nervous system work. For example, you may find it difficult to sit still for long periods, listen to long lectures or get started on a task.

Feeling that you sometimes don't function or perform like others can have a negative impact on your emotional life and mental health. Support and help is available for ADHD.

It is important to accept help, otherwise the difficulties can easily lead to low self-esteem and other problems such as anxiety, depression or addiction.

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Not everyone who has these problems is clearly overactive. Instead, if you mainly have problems with attention, it may be a form of ADHD called ADD.

This means that your difficulties may be less visible to others, which means that it often takes time for you to be assessed and diagnosed.

There are three different forms of ADHD, and sometimes you can have more than one.

- Combined form:

You have difficulty focusing and maintaining attention, managing impulses and are overactive. This is the most common form of ADHD.

- Mainly inattentive form:

In particular, you have difficulty focusing and maintaining your attention, but you may also have problems with overactivity and impulse control. This form of ADHD is often called ADD.

- Mainly hyperactive-impulsive form:

In particular, you have difficulty managing impulses and are overactive. You may also have some attention problems. This form is less common than the other two and is most common in pre-school children.

If you have ADHD or ADD, you may recognize yourself in many of these descriptions:

You have many thoughts and ideas in your head at the same time. You find it hard to get started on tasks and hard to finish them. You find it difficult to follow long instructions.

You may find it difficult to keep order around you. You may find it difficult to keep appointments. You often forget or lose things. You often put off doing things until it is too late.

Sometimes you may also recognize yourself in one of the following:

You find it difficult to write or read. You have a strong need to move around, or feel anxious. You may do things without thinking beforehand.

You may have difficulty regulating your mood. It is common for you to have difficulty sleeping. This can cause you to reverse your day, having difficulty getting up in the morning and going to bed at night.

Although there are some typical difficulties with ADHD, the way you are affected can vary depending on your environment and the demands placed on you.

For the diagnosis of ADHD to be met, the following is required:

- That the difficulties have existed for a long time.

- That the difficulties cause major problems in coping with everyday life.

- That the difficulties cannot be better explained by anything else.

- The difficulties are noticeable in at least two settings, for example, both at home and at work or at school and at leisure.

It is common to also have dyslexia or other learning disabilities or a diagnosis on the autism spectrum. Language and speech disorders, or so-called defiance syndrome, are also common alongside ADHD. You may also have some form of tics such as Tourette's syndrome.

Another diagnosis that sometimes occurs with ADHD is Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). This means that you have difficulty coordinating certain movements. This can be needed in team sports, for example, or when learning to ride a bike or drive a car. In the past, this was also called dyspraxia.

Seek help if you or your child is experiencing major difficulties in everyday life that you suspect are due to ADHD. To get the support and help you or your child needs, you may first need to undergo an assessment.

What is an investigation?

Undergoing a neuropsychiatric assessment as an adult means that you will meet with a doctor and a psychologist on several occasions and undergo several interviews and tests. Once the assessment is complete, you will be informed of the results and what help, support or treatment you can get.

It may be helpful to have a family member with you at the final interview. Read more about how an ADHD assessment works. An assessment involves you and your child meeting a psychologist and a doctor who ask questions.

Some examples of questions you may be asked are

How has the child developed? When did the child learn to walk and talk? What are the child's strengths and difficulties? Does the child have any problems with sleep or with food and eating? How does the child get along with other children? Is there anyone else in the family who has similar difficulties?

In addition to interviewing you and the child, school or pre-school staff usually help describe how the child is functioning in the pre-school or school.

Once the investigation is complete, you as a parent will be informed about what has been found and what support the child needs. The child will also receive information adapted to their age and maturity. It is good if the school is informed at a special meeting.

How it feels to receive a diagnosis is individual. It can feel both good and bad. For example, it can be good to have a name for the difficulties you or your child have and it can increase understanding from those around you.

At the same time, it can be hard to know that the difficulties you or your child are having are actually due to something that will not just go away by itself.

The more you learn about ADHD, the easier it tends to be to accept the situation. Knowledge often makes it easier to see opportunities instead of just difficulties. Finding out how you function can help you accept yourself.

It may be important to adapt your school or work situation so that it works well for you. It is the responsibility of the school or employer to adapt the environment to make it work for you if you have ADHD.

Children have a legal right to an individual education plan if they need one. This applies regardless of the school or class the child attends. It is the school's responsibility to adapt teaching so that all pupils receive an equal education.

For example, the adaptation may involve giving the child extra time for certain tasks, working in a smaller group, or having a support teacher or assistant present at school.

The child should be helped with dyslexia or other learning difficulties. Some children may benefit from seeing a speech therapist at a speech therapy clinic.

Many adults with ADHD have had problems at school and have therefore not been able to educate themselves to the level of their capacity. There are special folk high schools for people with neuropsychiatric disabilities such as ADHD, if you want to catch up on studies.

Komvux can also be an option. You may often need help to structure and plan your studies. Colleges and universities often have a coordinator whose job it is to support you if you have ADHD or other disabilities.

This support can include, for example, giving you more time for an exam, oral instead of written examination or access to a mentor.

You may need help to structure your tasks and organize your daily life at work. There are tools available to help you organize your daily life if you have ADHD.

Examples of tools include weekly schedules or apps on your mobile phone with a calendar function, which give you a signal when you need to do something.

You can obtain assistive devices by contacting an occupational therapist or an assistive device center, for example at the habilitation center. Read more about how to get assistive devices and find out what assistive devices are available where you live.

Treatment with medicines

Both children and adults can sometimes benefit greatly from medication in addition to other help. It can make it easier to concentrate and focus on a task, and reduce restlessness and impulsivity.

The most commonly used medicines are those called stimulants. They contain the active substance methylphenidate. Examples of such medicines are Concerta and Ritalin.

There are also medicines containing dexamfetamine or lisdexamfetamine, such as Elvanse and Attentin.

Stimulants can be used from the age of six. Another active substance is atomoxetine, found in the medicine Strattera, which is not a stimulant.

There is no known risk of becoming dependent on the medicines when used as a treatment for ADHD. Stimulants are classified as narcotics, but the treatment dose for ADHD does not cause dependence or intoxication.

When children receive medicines, they need to be combined with other support, such as information and advice for parents and extra support at school.

At the beginning of the drug treatment, the child should have frequent check-ups. Thereafter, at least every six months and also if the dose is changed. It is common for parents to feel that their child does not always need to take the medicine, but can take breaks during holidays and weekends, for example.

As a parent, it is a good idea to talk to the doctor about the breaks, to discuss the pros and cons. Pay attention to how things work during the planned breaks.

What causes ADHD?

The outer layer of the cerebrum is called the cortex. It is responsible for our consciousness, thoughts, emotions and memory. It also controls our conscious movements.

This system relies on substances called neurotransmitters. They are needed for different nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other.

Some neurotransmitters that are important for communication are dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. These neurotransmitters may work differently in you if you have ADHD.

ADHD is caused by the fact that certain parts of the brain work differently than in people without ADHD. This includes a difference in the part of the brain that allows you to voluntarily control your attention, impulses and reactions, and the ability to hold several things in your head at the same time.

These functions are important for a person's ability to control and plan their actions and regulate their emotions. The cause of ADHD is only partially understood, but it has to do with certain so-called neurotransmitters in one part of the brain.

These neurotransmitters are needed for different nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other. Some neurotransmitters that are important for communication are dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline.

These neurotransmitters may work differently in you if you have ADHD. It is common for several members of a family or extended family to have similar difficulties. Heredity is in most cases the most important factor, but other biological and psychosocial environmental factors can also play a role. This means that both heredity and environment influence how and how strongly the problems with ADHD manifest themselves.

Being a parent of a child with ADHD

Children are different. Some are lively and others are more sedate. How children develop and mature also differs. ADHD may be one reason why children have difficulty controlling themselves.

Problems with attention, impulse control and overactivity are often first noticed when the child starts kindergarten or school. There are higher demands on behavior, learning and performance.

Being able to control your behavior and not immediately follow your impulses is important for working with others and developing independence. Not being able to do so can lead to frustration and conflict.

Constant conflict with others can affect a child's self-esteem. Therefore, it is important to take the child's problems seriously and act as early as possible if the child is experiencing major difficulties in their everyday life.

The speed with which you act as a parent depends on how much help is needed. Preschool teachers and teachers also tend to react when they notice that a child is having difficulties.

It is common for children with ADHD to have difficulties with language development. They may have difficulty finding words, forming complete sentences and expressing themselves.

Conflicts can easily arise when the child cannot express him/herself. The child often has problems with sleep. It can be difficult to fall asleep at night and to get up in the morning.

Children often have rapid mood swings and react with violent outbursts, even to minor setbacks. In such cases, it is usually important to have an adult nearby who sees and understands the child's needs.

Dyslexia may be more common in children with ADHD. In this case, it is important to get extra support in reading and writing. It may also be that the child does not perceive certain sounds. This can make it difficult for them to pronounce certain words and learn to read.

Here you can read more about dyslexia and get advice on how to help your child. It is good to start helping your child early. Good help is available.

It can be difficult to do enough as a parent. In addition to supporting your child yourself, you should also try to find time to coordinate and maintain contact with other people around your child. This may be staff working in the school, municipality or health service, for example.

Then you can ask for a so-called SIP, coordinated individual plan. The purpose of a SIP is to make it easier for you and clarify who is responsible for what action.

ADHD can present different difficulties depending on your age and life situation. The difficulties you have can vary over time and often decrease with age. Your personality, temperament, traits, values and interests also influence how you are and function. The diagnosis can only partially describe who you are and what you need to be well.

Here is some general advice that may help you if you have ADHD:

You may often find it difficult to plan and organize tasks or activities unless you are highly motivated. You often put off things that you find difficult or boring, like cleaning or paying bills. Sometimes you also postpone important decisions. Once you are motivated, you may find it difficult to stop what you are doing.

Therefore, if you find it difficult to prioritize tasks and manage time, electronic tools that remind you when it is time to take a break can be very helpful.

Some things may seem impossible if you think of them as a single task. But if you do one thing at a time, you can succeed even with what you find difficult.

Break down what you want to achieve into sub-goals that are easier to achieve, rather than trying to do everything at once. Organizing your home and finding ways to stay organized can help you get things done.

You may need to find a system to sort your bills and make sure they are paid on time. When a person is often late or forgets things, it can cause a lot of irritation. It can be perceived that the person is not making an effort, when this is not the case.

It can be important for others to understand why you have difficulties with certain things. The more you understand and accept the way you function, the easier it can be to relate to other people and their expectations.

It will also be easier for you to explain to other people what you need to feel good, so that they can try to adapt to you, not just the other way around.

ADHD does not only mean that you have difficulties, but also strengths. For example, it can mean that you have a strong drive and perseverance when it comes to things that interest you.

You may feel like you never get tired and can devote hours to your interest. You can often be more imaginative and find creative solutions that others would not have thought of. Therefore, you can often develop well in what interests you.

Try to find ways to develop and use what you are good at. Difficulties you had as a child may diminish over time. As an adult, you may have found ways to solve things that were difficult for you then.

It is also common for overactivity to decrease with age. Your positive qualities and characteristics that may be related to ADHD often come out more when you are older.

Learning more about how you function and finding your own strategies will increase your self-esteem and help you cope with the demands of your environment.

The more you learn about how you work - and the more people around you learn - the easier life tends to be for people with ADHD.