Inattentive ADHD: Diagnosis and treatment

Getting a diagnosis for inattentive ADHD can be hard. This is because symptoms often go unnoticed or are passed off as personality traits rather than characteristics of ADHD.

But once you get a diagnosis, you can manage it with therapy and medication.

How is inattentive ADHD diagnosed?

Inattentive ADHD isn’t diagnosed by a blood test or a brain scan; instead, a psychiatric or ADHD specialist will evaluate your symptoms from childhood. They might ask for statements from teachers, parents, or colleagues, and even for school reports or assessments to get a better understanding.

How is inattentive ADHD treated?

You can’t cure ADHD, but you can manage it with medicine and therapy. The best treatment tends to be a ‘multimodal’ approach of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

Medications

There are two types of ADHD medication:

• Stimulants – these medications increase dopamine and norepinephrine levels to reduce the severity of symptoms. They work fast within a few hours of taking them.
• Non-stimulants – these meds usually increase norepinephrine levels to treat ADHD symptoms. They take longer to work – around a few weeks – and are usually prescribed when stimulants aren't effective or tolerated.

Both types of medicines are prescription-only as they’re controlled substances, meaning they’re tightly controlled and only prescribed when necessary. This is because unregulated use can lead to addiction and other serious side effects.

Therapies

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a highly effective treatment for ADHD. It's a form of psychotherapy that can help you identify negative thoughts and behaviours, as well as improve your executive functioning.

CBT can help you:

• Challenge negative feelings. People with ADHD often struggle with low self-esteem, which makes them believe they can’t do certain things, like achieve high grades. CBT can help combat these negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations.

For example, when you think ‘I can’t do this’, try replacing that thought with, "I will do this, even if it’s hard.”

• Improve organisation techniques. People with ADHD find it difficult to stay organised, both physically and mentally. This makes it harder for them to stay on top of things like their chores or to-do list. CBT can help you learn effective strategies to stay organised.

For instance, creating a color-coded chart system to track chores or developing and reviewing a weekly plan can be beneficial.

• Regulating emotion. ADHD can make you more emotionally sensitive, resulting in angry outbursts, frequent crying, or feeling overwhelmed by minor issues. These emotional challenges can be difficult to manage daily. CBT can help you process your emotions in a practical manner.

For example, learning some breathing techniques can help you stay calm and centered during challenging moments.

Lifestyle changes

Along with practical strategies for managing ADHD symptoms, improving your daily habits can significantly affect how severe your symptoms are.

Exercise can boost dopamine and norepinephrine levels, which might improve mood, focus, and attention.^[1] And having a structured routine or working towards a specific goal (like being able to lift a certain weight) can be highly engaging for your brain.

Getting into a regular exercise routine can also help ‘switch off’ mental noise – no thoughts, just movement – which can be relaxing and support emotional regulation.

But there’s also research that suggests that exercise might not have much of an effect on attention and brain function for some people with ADHD.^[1]

A well-balanced diet can also reduce the severity of your symptoms. A diet high in sugar, junk food, and fatty foods can worsen your attention span and increase hyperactivity. High-sugar diets have also been linked to poor cognitive function.^[2]

Additionally, nutritional deficiencies can lead to a lack of focus. Vitamins such as B, D, and magnesium support brain health. Ultraprocessed foods often lack key nutrients essential for proper brain function.

Certain foods can also increase inflammation in your body, which can worsen your symptoms and negatively affect your gut health. Poor gut health has been associated with ADHD.^[3]

Try to maintain a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and healthy fats. These foods may help improve focus and attention^.[4]

Back to:

Overview

Causes and symptoms

References:

1. Dinu, L. M., et al. (2023). The Effects of Different Exercise Approaches on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), 129.
2. Gillespie, Kerri M., et al.(2023). The Impact of Free and Added Sugars on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 16(1), p. 75.
3. Cickovski, T., et al. (2023). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the gut microbiome: An ecological perspective. PLOS ONE, 18(8), e0273890.
4. Moore, S., et al. (2022). The Association between ADHD and Environmental Chemicals—A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2849.