How do I know if I have ADHD? How do I know if it's Social Anxiety Disorder and not ADHD?

Hi AA! Thank you so much for asking this valuable question on the BetterHelp platform! It sounds like you have come to the right place! It seems like you are contemplating what your specific mental health diagnosis might be! I can tell that you have a lot of self awareness, which is truly a wonderful trait.

It is really great that you are doing what you can to participate in the journey of self exploration. I can imagine how much you must want to figure out if you have an anxiety disorder, such as social anxiety, or a diagnosis of ADHD. A co-morbid diagnosis could be a possibility, as well. It appears that you are looking to rule out a diagnosis in order to clarify your own mental health experience. All in all, I am very grateful that you have chosen to reach out for support on the BetterHelp platform in order to explore more about yourself and your specific goals!

First and foremost, I want to inform you that the therapists who are contracted to provide therapy and counseling services on the BetterHelp platform are not able to provide subscribers with a formal mental health diagnosis. The therapist that you work with may be able to assist you in exploring the possibility of a diagnosis and help you to come up with strategies to manage the symptoms that you are having.
That being said, I will share with you this: a diagnosis is a cluster of symptoms that are representative of numerous people in a variety of populations. I advise you to check out reliable and valid resources by the American Psychological Association about the aspects of differential diagnosis. The Diagnostic Statistical Manuel provides the most up to date information regarding symptom presentation and statistics for specific diagnostics.

There is still always an option for you to meet with a therapist for therapy sessions. The individual counseling services on better help may be very beneficial for you! You also may want to check out the group counseling options, as well as the groupinars, that are available on the better help platform! It is completely up to you what you decide on when it comes to the options for therapy services.

It sounds like the video that you watched in the special education class at your university was triggering for you. What aspects of the video stand out to you as important? What aspects of the participant's experience did you have a connection with? What did your professor or the other students in the class say about the video? Perhaps processing this video with some one else who had also seen the video might be a helpful experience for you. If that is not going to be an option, you may choose to journal about the experience about watching the video.

It sounds like your struggle with communicating with others, utilizing interpersonal skills and making new friends has been an ongoing issue for you for quite some time. It seems like you were able to relate to the person in the video who had been diagnosed with ADHD. I can tell that you have a lot of empathy and compassion for this individual in the video. This is absolutely a strength of yours! 

I like to send the following two resources to my clients who are concerned about a possible or preliminary diagnosis of ADHD.

Below is the like to the BASC 3, which is an AHDH information tip sheet:

http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/basc-3/basc3resources/DSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_ADHD.pdf

Here is the link to a PowerPoint presentation that provides more detailed information about the diagnosis of ADHD. It is forty seven pages, so it may be a good idea to set some time aside to review this resource.

http://downloads.pearsonclinical.com/videos/100317-BASC3/BASC-3-ADHD-Diagnosis-Evaluation-and-Treatment-of-ADHD-Webinar-Handout-100317.pdf

I hope that some of these resources are helpful for you in some way! In addition to participating in psycho education and learning more about the ADHD mental health diagnosis, you may want to practice some mindfulness techniques. I recommend trying progressive muscle relaxation, guided visualization exercises, and sensory grounding techniques. You will be able to learn these various strategies on your own through a simple internet search. The idea is that you can connect with your physical, emotion and even spiritual sense of self! You can absolutely be present in the moment, no matter what your mental health diagnosis turns out to be.

In addition to mindfulness based meditation and other relaxation techniques, I recommend journaling, art making and utilizing positive affirmations. Journaling on a daily basis about your thoughts, feelings and experiences can certainly be helpful, healing and therapeutic. Pairing the journaling experience with a hot cup of tea or some relaxing music, may also amplify the effects of journaling. Art making as a fuel for healing can be incredibly powerful. I recommend trying a collage activity, making a puzzle, creating a drawing or painting. Try drawing or painting your inner peaceful place. Maybe you can make a collage about your mental health symptoms. In addition, positive thinking can be life changing. Start your day with a positive quote that truly resonates with you. Check out the author Louise Hay for some  positive affirmations. Her book, "You Can Heal Your Life," might give you some guidance on how to personalize affirmations and shape your world view.

I recommend that, if you are seeking out a formal mental health diagnosis, that you reach out to a psychologist for psychology testing. You may be able to ask your primary care physician for a referral to a local psychologist in your area. There are specific, standardized tests and psychological assessments that can be administered to obtain an objective diagnosis.

Thank you again, AA, for your time in asking this valuable question on the "Ask a Licensed Therapist" forum. I want to take a moment to wish you all the best on your therapeutic journey now and in the future! I hope that my response has been helpful for you and that you have a great day!