AMA: Do You Need an ADHD Diagnosis to Use ADHD Strategies?

TLDR: nope - self-accommodation is for everyone!

Hi folks! This is the first in a series I’m planning where I answer your submitted questions. Do you have a burning question about ADHD that you’d like to ask an ADHD coach?

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Thanks! Now on to this week’s question.

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Question: I've been long since curious about my ADHD status, I'm undiagnosed. I've never seen a doctor about it, because I have managed to get by, I'm curious about your opinion on undiagnosed people adopting coping techniques. Can mild to normally functioning people benefit from embracing ADHD? It seems most people seem to deal with it to one degree or another. — Anonymous

Hello Anonymous Friend,

This is a really excellent question, thanks for asking! My short answer - is yes! Use any and all ADHD coping strategies that work for you whether you’re diagnosed or not. An official diagnosis is required to access ADHD medication, as well as accommodations at work and school. But outside of that, I would love it if everyone would self-accommodate in whatever ways make sense to them.

ADHD symptoms exist on a spectrum, and ADHD is a definition created by the American Psychiatric Association which says an individual must have a minimum number of symptoms, severity of those symptoms, and persistence of those symptoms throughout their life in order to be diagnosed. Those criteria are used to draw a line in the sand in order to identify the folks who meet the criteria for "clinical" ADHD. However, these symptoms exist on a spectrum, so you can imagine that there are some folks who meet nearly all the criteria, but don't quite make the cut - we could call this the "subclinical" group. Chances are, if you self-identify with many of the challenges of ADHD, you either have ADHD or are in this "subclinical" group. If you were way over on the other side of the spectrum, you wouldn't be wondering whether you had ADHD in the first place, trust me!

Photo by Evie S. on Unsplash

When I was going through the diagnosis process myself, a kind therapist explained all this to me and it helped me get over the fear that I might find out that I don't have ADHD. At the time I felt a kind of reverse-imposter syndrome around diagnosis, like if it turned out that I didn't have ADHD then it would mean that I was mistaken in my self-understanding and maybe just looking for excuses for some of my behavior. It was comforting to know that if the diagnosis came back negative, it wouldn't mean that I was way off the mark, it would mean that I was just "subclinical." This therapist encouraged me to pursue any ADHD strategies that seemed like they might work for me, including coaching. So I began working with an ADHD coach before my diagnosis even came through. It turned out to be great advice and I like to pass it on to as many people as I can!

The other thing I want to say is that when I finally did receive my diagnosis, it allowed me to admit that certain things were really difficult for me and that I was generally just really struggling and exhausted. It made me kind of sad because I had always known that I was struggling and exhausted, but it took this external validation in the form of a diagnosis for me to actually give myself a break. I think if I'd cultivated a more caring attitude toward myself throughout my life, maybe it wouldn't have taken a psychiatric diagnosis to start listening to what was true for me and treating myself well. So I think that's the note I want to end on — whether you’re diagnosed or not — treat yourself well, pay attention to what's true for you, and use the heck out of any ADHD strategy that makes your life easier. Hope that helps!

— Keltie