Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently persists into adulthood. There are practice guidelines that outline…
Where ADHD and Bipolar Disorder Overlap
Where ADHD and Bipolar Disorder Overlap
BY WILLIAM DODSON, M.D., LF-APA
It can be difficult enough to obtain a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), but to complicate matters further, ADHD commonly co-exists with other mental and physical disorders. One review of adults with ADHD demonstrated that 42 percent had one other major psychiatric disorder. Therefore, the diagnostic question is not “Is it bipolar disorder or ADHD?” but rather “Is it both?”
Can You Have Both ADHD and Bipolar Disorder?
Perhaps the most difficult differential diagnosis to make is between Bipolar Mood Disorder (BMD) and ADHD, since they share many symptoms, including:
Mood instability
Bursts of energy
Restlessness
Talkativeness
Impatience
It’s estimated that as many as 20 percent of those diagnosed with ADHD also suffer from a mood disorder on the bipolar spectrum — and correct diagnosis is critical in treating bipolar disorder and ADHD together.
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