ADHD Psychiatrist Manhattan – Expert Adult ADHD Diagnosis & Treatment
People who visit an ADHD psychiatrist in Manhattan have often been asking themselves for years why some things are harder for them than they seemed to be for other people – why they don’t know how to stay organized, follow through on tasks, manage their time, etc. If this resonates with you, you’re not the only one and there’s a plausible reason to investigate.
Active board-certified Psychiatrist Dr. John C. Shershow, M.D. serves adults seeking comprehensive evaluations and tailored treatment for their ADHD in New York and New Jersey for over two and a half decades. Here in this page, you can find what this process is like, who it can help, and what you can expect.
When ADHD Goes Unrecognized, Life Often Feels Harder Than It Should
ADHD is often considered a childhood condition – one that is diagnosed when a child goes to school, and is treated by the end of adolescence. Many adults have been left without answers, assuming that.
Several adults with ADHD were smarter than their symptoms, and for years they were able to compensate. Demand or a high functioning academic program, strong intelligence, structured school environments, or supportive families may all hide the underlying condition. The challenges could have emerged gradually – on campus, in the early stages of a career or after a big life change like starting a business, having kids or stepping up to a bigger job.
When adults request an evaluation, many of them have already received treatment for their anxiety, depression, or both – treatment that may have lasted for years. Others have consulted therapists, experimented with different pills, and strived to make healthier changes, with little success. In many of these instances, the missing element is an accurate diagnosis of ADHD.
What Happens During an Adult ADHD Evaluation
You will not be able to get an ADHD diagnosis by completing a self-report questionnaire or accessing an online checklist. To receive a diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a detailed psychiatric assessment and evaluation by a trained and experienced clinician who has experience in adults with ADHD. Let’s see what that training entails with Dr. Shershow.
Comprehensive Personal History
A thorough developmental, academic, occupational and personal history is reviewed first. Knowing the profiles of symptoms in other settings, and across different stages of life, is fundamental in making a correct clinical impression. ADHD is a developmental disorder that affects the way the brain works; it may occur from a young age, even if the effects are not detected until much later in life.
Functional Impairment Assessment
Symptoms never equate to diagnosis. If the symptoms of ADHD interfere significantly in two or more important areas of life, like work, relationships, financial or personal organization, they become clinically significant. The evaluation is based on how well your difficulties are impacting your life and functioning.
Differential Diagnosis
One important component of a good evaluation for ADHD is the exclusion of other causes of symptoms. Careful attention should be paid to possible anxiety disorders, depression disorder, sleep disorder, history of trauma, thyroid disorders and other psychiatric or medical disorders which can give a similar clinical picture. For many, both ADHD and one or more co-occurring conditions are present and both need treatment.
Review of Previous Treatment History
If psychiatric symptoms are present in past history (from therapy, medication or both) that is important and helpful. Previous treatment responses, medication trials and clinical notes can be useful diagnostic aids and assist in planning a more effective approach to treatment in the future.
Clear Discussion of Findings
Finally, at the end of the examination, Dr. Shershow will discuss his clinical impressions with you directly – that is, what the diagnosis is, what it is not and what are the next steps that should be taken. You have time to ask questions, get this explanation and discuss treatment. The idea is to get out of the appointment with a good grasp on the clinical situation and a definite course of action.
Medication Management
For most adults who have ADHD, treatment involves medication, which is an effective and proven treatment. The most commonly studied, well-established drugs are stimulants (extended release amphetamine and methylphenidate) used correctly and under careful supervision. Patients that don’t tolerate stimulants well, are contraindicated or opt not to use stimulants can also use atomoxetine or other noradrenergic activity antidepressants.
Treating ADHD and Anxiety Together
ADHD is often co-occurring with anxiety disorders so treatment plans may need to include both. They have a complex interaction: untreated ADHD can be a source of considerable secondary anxiety, and anxiety can also exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Dr. Shershow brings to the clinic extensive experience with the clinical interface and in creating treatment strategies that work for both.
Telehealth ADHD Psychiatrist for New York and New Jersey
Dr. Shershow provides telemedicine follow-up visits for existing patients in New York & New Jersey. It is a great way for busy professionals, parents and adults that have busy schedules to continue getting psychiatric care consistently without the hassle of having to travel to an office to go to all the appointments.
First assessments are made in the flesh at his New York headquarters. Dr. Shershow’s office will work with you directly to ensure that ongoing ADHD medication management and follow up is available through telehealth, as per the current state and federal prescribing laws.
Why Adults Seek an ADHD Psychiatrist in Manhattan
Adults often seek an ADHD evaluation for a variety of reasons, but there are common motivations that occur frequently:
- Persistent habit of procrastination in spite of being motivated and intelligent
- A hard time with boring or under-stimulating tasks, despite their high involvement level
- Absences, failure to meet deadlines, unforeseen loss of time
- Repeated attempts to set up systems, but people are not organized at work or at home
- Trouble holding attentions in meetings, on documents or when talking to others
- Frustration, irritability, feeling overwhelmed easily
- Relationship issues related to forgetfulness, inattention or emotional reactivity
- Insufficiently responsive neurotic anxiety
- A parent who has just been informed that their child has ADHD and has begun to realize that they have the same characteristics
- Contact your child’s coach, a friend, or family member who has ADHD and shares personal experiences to help your child understand the condition
For many adults it isn’t an excuse-seeking opportunity, but an opportunity for a diagnosis. It’s questioning what is unclear.
Why Patients Choose Dr. John Shershow
- Committed Board-Certified Psychiatrist with over 25 years of clinical experience
- Licensed Practitioner in New York and New Jersey
- Experience with ADHD, anxiety disorders, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders
- Detailed, diagnostic assessments – not checklists
- Careful monitoring, individualized medication management
- Office Location: Manhattan, NY
- Follow-up care for existing patients via telehealth
- Accepted out-of-network with United Healthcare
Why an Accurate ADHD Diagnosis Matters
ADHD comes with a price tag not its own. It shares significantly with a number of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, burnout, sleep disorders, PTSD and bipolar disorder. This overlap is one of the main causes for the frequent misdiagnosis and/or under diagnosis of adult ADHD.
For instance, anxiety and ADHD have a few commonalities: attention issues, hyperactivity, insomnia, and always feeling like they’re behind. Both depression and ADHD are characterised by low motivation, lack of initiation, and lack of follow-through. Burn out may seem quite similar to adult ADHD from the outside. Inattention and/or hyperactivity caused by trauma and/or PTSD may also resemble inattentive and/or hyperactive symptoms.
It can be easy to treat the wrong problem, or treat only the part of the problem if the differential diagnosis is not done, which is the systematic evaluation of what is and what is not causing symptoms. Hence the importance of the careful, clinically and scientifically based evaluation. The objective is not merely to establish a diagnosis, but to arrive at a precise one.
Schedule an Appointment with an ADHD Psychiatrist in Manhattan
Dr. Shershow has an office in Manhattan, NY and provides tele-health follow up visits for those patients already established with him in New York and New Jersey.
If you suffer from unexplained problems with attention, organization or emotional control, or if you have received treatment in the past but it has not been completely effective, a thorough psychiatric assessment can help provide you with the clarity you’ve been searching for. Accurate diagnosis isn’t a label for an experience, it’s a pathway to more effective treatment, one that is specific and based on evidence.
Dr. Shershow’s office can be reached directly to schedule a consultation appointment with a dedicated ADHD specialist, Manhattan.
Frequently Asked Questions - ADHD Psychiatrist Manhattan
1. What does an ADHD psychiatrist in Manhattan do?
Adults receive an ADHD diagnosis from an ADHD psychiatrist in a thorough psychiatric exam. This involves obtaining current, past, and occupational history, evaluating disability level, excluding other diseases which manifest similar symptoms, prescribing and managing medication where appropriate. The ultimate aim is to obtain a proper diagnosis and a treatment program specifically tailored to the clinical and personal situation of the patient.
2. Can adults be diagnosed with ADHD?
Yes. Most individuals with ADHD continue to have the syndrome in adulthood. Many adults were not diagnosed as children – especially females, those with primarily inattentive presentations, and those who adapted well via intelligence and/or structured environments. An extensive psychiatric assessment can detect ADHD in adults at any life stage.
3. How is ADHD different from anxiety?
Symptoms of ADHD and anxiety overlap, for example difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, or insomnia. The mechanism underlying this difference is what’s at play–executive functioning and attention control in ADHD and hyperactivity of worry/threat assessment in anxiety. Reliable differential diagnosis is important, based on a longitudinal history of onset of symptom and circumstance.
4. How long does an ADHD evaluation take?
The ADHD screening process for an adult will take 60-90 minutes (or more) in at least one appointment. This process involves a careful personal history, examination of symptoms across life domains and various explanations for the presenting problem. Dr. Shershow takes the proper steps to get to a clinically satisfactory decision, not a quick decision.
5. Do I need neuropsychological testing?
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6. Can ADHD develop in adulthood?
ADHD often starts in childhood, although may not be diagnosed until adulthood. It does not emerge in adulthood, but may be more apparent at that stage because of the growth of the organisation, the greater responsibilities of the individual in adulthood and lack of external organisation. Commonly those who have never been evaluated or when they do have symptoms, are diagnosed as having other causes are diagnosed as adults.
7. Can ADHD and anxiety occur together?
Yes, and, this is quite common. Numerous studies document that anxiety disorders are commonly comorbid with ADHD in adults. The clinical picture is complicated, because the presence of secondary anxiety secondary to untreated ADHD can manifest, but also anxiety can worsen the attention and concentration problems. Properly treating both diseases usually requires doing both, so it’s important to diagnose each disease properly.
8. Is telehealth available for ADHD treatment?
Established patients in New York and New Jersey can have follow-up appointments via telehealth services. First assessments take place face-to-face in Manhattan. Telehealth may be used to monitor medications and mental health care for patients with a completed in-person evaluation, in accordance with state and federal prescribing laws. Contact Dr. Shershow’s office for information about current availability of telehealth.
9. Do I need a referral to see an ADHD psychiatrist?
No, in most cases a psychiatrist will accept a referral from another medical physician to make an appointment. Bringing records from past psychiatric treatment and/or evaluation may be helpful. Dr. Shershow’s office can direct you in what information to provide prior to your first appointment.
Satisfied Patients
“Professional and thoughtful in his practice. Good listener. Genuinely wants the best for his patients..”
“I could not have asked for a better first visit with Dr. Shershow. He was kind, funny, intelligent and cared about my medications and what plan was best for me. “