Adult ADHD diagnosis
Assessment for adults · in English
Adult ADHD Diagnosis in Berlin
At our private psychotherapy practice in Berlin-Friedrichshain, we offer a thorough ADHD assessment in English for adults who suspect they may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Book online and get started right away
Licensed psychotherapists
Comprehensive assessment with a detailed written report
At a glance
4–5 appointments (usually 5)
50 minutes per session
Friedrichshain or online
Detailed written report
In short – 20 seconds
1
ADHD in adults is often recognised late – the signs are quieter than in children.
2
Our assessment comprises 4–5 sessions of 50 minutes each (usually 5).
3
At the end you receive a detailed written report with treatment recommendations.
4
Privately insured or self-paying – we do not bill statutory health insurance.
On this page – jump straight to what interests you:
ADHD in adulthood
Why is ADHD often recognised late?
Many adults live with ADHD for years or even decades without ever receiving a diagnosis or appropriate treatment. The reasons are often a misinterpretation of ADHD symptoms, a habituation effect, or more or less successful strategies for coping with the symptoms. In addition, ADHD symptoms present differently in adulthood than in childhood:
Mistaken for stress
Signs are put down to pressure at work or at home.
Read more
Symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, inner restlessness or quickly feeling overstimulated are often interpreted as typical side effects of pressure at work or in the family. In a hectic everyday life, these signs are therefore often dismissed as “stress symptoms” – a proper assessment for possible attention deficit hyperactivity disorder usually does not take place.
Compensating for symptoms
Routines, self-control or a quick mind mask the difficulties.
Read more
Another reason for a late diagnosis is the considerable adaptability of many of those affected. Over the years, adults with ADHD often develop individual strategies to compensate for their difficulties – for example structuring routines, particularly strong self-control or compensatory creativity. A quick grasp of things can also mean that parents do not notice the symptoms in childhood, for instance because school results are satisfactory despite attention problems. As a result, ADHD symptoms can go undetected in everyday life for a long time, even though they noticeably affect quality of life.
Getting used to symptoms
The symptoms feel like part of one’s personality.
Read more
Because many people with ADHD have lived with inner tension or concentration problems since childhood, they often no longer perceive their symptoms as something that needs treatment. They experience them as part of their personality – and people around them who suggest they should simply “pull themselves together” often add to the reasons for not seeking an assessment.
Symptoms in adulthood
In adults, ADHD is quieter than the familiar image of the fidgety child.
Read more
ADHD in adulthood often goes unrecognised because society mainly knows the stereotypical childhood symptoms: the fidgety child who cannot sit still, calls out or keeps interrupting others. This image often shapes the idea of what ADHD “has to” look like. In adults, however, ADHD is often less visible – for example as inner restlessness, forgetfulness, disorganisation or difficulty finishing tasks. People affected can therefore appear calm on the outside while still being under considerable strain in everyday life.
Why this matters: If ADHD is recognised late or not at all, the symptoms or the strategies used to compensate for them can lead to additional mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression. A professional ADHD assessment in adulthood therefore offers the chance to gain clarity about your own situation and to find a well-directed start to suitable therapy.
Symptoms
ADHD symptoms in adults
The following symptoms occur to varying degrees in adults with ADHD. They usually affect several areas of life at once – such as work, family, everyday life or relationships – and lead to a noticeably higher burden.
Attention problems
Concentrating is hard, especially on tasks of little interest.
Distractibility
Short attention span
Forgetfulness
Hyperfocus
Read in detail
In adults with ADHD, reduced concentration shows especially with boring or uninteresting tasks. Activities that require perseverance are often difficult and tend to be avoided. At the same time, strong interest or time pressure can lead to hyperfocus. Also typical are a short attention span, distractibility, difficulty staying on topic in conversations, frequent forgetfulness and problems organising everyday life.
Hyperactivity
Often more inner drive than visible fidgeting.
Inner restlessness
“Always wired”
Urge to move
Hard to relax
Read in detail
In adults, hyperactivity in ADHD is often much more subtle than in childhood. Instead of marked physical restlessness, there is often a lasting sense of inner drive or restlessness – feeling constantly “wired”. Typical signs are an urge to move, fidgeting, nervousness, inner restlessness, impatience and clear discomfort during seated activities. Many people feel the need to keep getting up or walking around and have a general need for activity and freedom of movement. Relaxing is often hard for them; instead they feel permanently tense or “wound up”.
Impulsivity
Acting or deciding before thinking through the consequences.
Quick decisions
Interrupting
Impulse buying
Risk-taking
Read in detail
In adults with ADHD, impulsivity can put a noticeable strain on everyday life, work and relationships. People often act or decide quickly without fully considering the consequences. In conversations, this often shows as interrupting or reacting too quickly. Impulse purchases, careless handling of money or increased risk-taking can also be signs of it.
Mood swings
Rapidly changing moods and short, intense emotions.
Irritability
Emotional overwhelm
Short outbursts of anger
Read in detail
Adults with ADHD frequently experience mood swings, such as rapidly changing moods and short phases of low mood or irritability. Many also experience marked overexcitement or emotional overwhelm that can last for several hours or even days. Also typical are short, intense outbursts of anger with a “low boiling point” – they can be fierce but are usually not followed by a lasting grudge.
Low stress tolerance
Everyday demands become too much more quickly.
Easily overwhelmed
“Thin-skinned”
Inner tension
Read in detail
Many adults with ADHD experience low stress tolerance, which is often an important reason to seek an assessment. They often feel less resilient in everyday life than others without really understanding why things become too much for them more quickly. Even everyday demands can lead to restlessness, inner tension or feeling overwhelmed, leaving the impression of being chronically “thin-skinned” or easily thrown off balance.
Disorganisation
Keeping structure takes a lot of energy – in many areas of life.
Planning and prioritising
Deadlines
Clutter
Misplacing things
Read in detail
In adults with ADHD, disorganisation often shows in many areas of life – at work, in relationships, in the family or at home – and frequently leads to ongoing stress or a feeling of being overwhelmed. Typical are difficulties planning tasks sensibly or meeting deadlines, as well as erratic behaviour, lack of prioritisation and persistent clutter. Repeatedly misplacing things is also common – even when great efforts are already being made to bring more structure into everyday life.
Important: Not every restless or unfocused phase is automatically a sign of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A targeted ADHD assessment is only indicated when several of these symptoms persist over a longer period and cause difficulties in everyday life.
Process
Adult ADHD assessment: the process in 5 steps
There are 4–5 appointments in total (usually 5). In exceptional cases, the number of sessions may differ.
1
Book an appointment
You can book the first appointment of your ADHD assessment online or by phone.
Book online2
Your first appointment
You meet your therapist, we take your ADHD history and schedule the follow-up appointments.
Details
At the first appointment you get to know your therapist, we take an ADHD-specific history and you receive an overview of the assessment and the process. We also schedule the follow-up appointments – alternatively, you can book them online. The following assessment sessions take place either at one of our locations in Berlin-Friedrichshain or online.
3
The assessment
Interview, questionnaires, input from others and ruling out other causes.
4
Written report
You receive a clear written summary of all results.
Details
After the assessment you receive a written summary that presents the results clearly and comprehensibly. This gives you a clear overview of the diagnostic evaluation and the recommendations derived from it. If you wish, the report can also support further treatment, for example as a basis for a conversation with a psychiatrist about possible medication.
5
Treatment recommendation
Together we work out concrete, suitable next steps.
Details
Based on the results, we develop a recommendation for how to proceed together with you. We look at which kinds of support could help in your situation – for example a better understanding of ADHD, psychotherapy, suitable self-help formats or medication under medical supervision. The aim is to derive concrete next steps that suit you individually.
Step 3 in detail
What the adult ADHD assessment includes
Nine components ensure that the diagnosis is based on several sources of information and that other causes are carefully ruled out.
ADHD history
Your current situation in the first session
We take your ADHD history in the first session. This gives us a comprehensive picture of your current situation and symptoms. At the same time, we explain the assessment process transparently and answer any open questions together.
Clinical interview
Official diagnostic criteria, assessed in a structured way
We assess the official diagnostic criteria using a structured interview. This allows us to classify core and additional symptoms, severity and possible subtypes in a differentiated way and to make a precise diagnostic evaluation.
Questionnaires
Standardised questionnaires across life stages
We record your ADHD symptoms across different stages of life using standardised questionnaires. We also include assessments from people close to you. This creates a particularly comprehensive and well-founded picture of your individual symptoms.
Medical evaluation
Ruling out physical causes
As part of our adult ADHD assessment, we work with medical colleagues to check whether physical causes are linked to your symptoms. This ensures that the diagnostic evaluation is careful and professionally sound.
Biographical history
Your life story and development
Particular attention is paid to your individual life story, your background and the risk factors that favour the condition. During the assessment, we gather information about how your symptoms developed across different stages of life.
Input from others
An outside view, including primary school reports
A careful and well-founded assessment also includes how others perceive your symptoms. We use observer questionnaires and biographical information, and pay particular attention to the written comments in primary school reports.
Differential diagnosis
Is it ADHD – or something else?
An important part of our assessment is careful differential diagnosis. Because other mental health conditions can also come with ADHD-like symptoms, we check carefully whether ADHD is actually present or whether the difficulties are better explained by another diagnosis.
Comprehensive report
All results brought together clearly
After the assessment you receive a detailed written report in which all diagnostic results are brought together in a structured and understandable way. As a rule, physicians also use the report as a basis for deciding on possible medication, if you wish. It can also serve as the basis for a conversation with a psychiatrist.
Treatment recommendation
Concrete next steps for you
Based on the diagnostic results, we put together a treatment recommendation for you. Together we discuss whether, for example, psychoeducation, psychotherapy, self-help or medication would be helpful. In this way we derive concrete, suitable next steps from the assessment.
Costs
What does the ADHD assessment cost?
Privately insured
Usually covered by private health insurance
The costs of the ADHD assessment are usually covered by private health insurers.
We bill according to the German fee schedule for psychotherapists (GOP).
On request, you receive an overview of the expected services and number of sessions in advance.
Self-paying
Billed per session (50 minutes)
You pay for the assessment directly per session (50 minutes).
The fee is €153 per session.
For both: The full assessment comprises 4–5 sessions (usually 5). In rare cases – for example if you arrive late or the diagnostic situation is complex – additional sessions may be necessary.
Statutory health insurance? We do not work with statutory health insurers and cannot bill them. The ADHD assessment also cannot be reimbursed through the cost reimbursement procedure (Kostenerstattung). People with statutory insurance therefore pay for the assessment themselves.
FAQ
ADHD assessment: frequently asked questions
Your question isn’t listed? Our practice office is happy to help.
ADHD self-help (German)
Practical tips for everyday life with ADHD.
How long does the adult ADHD assessment take?
At our practice, the ADHD assessment comprises 4–5 sessions of 50 minutes each (usually 5). In more complex cases – for example with a very extensive history or uncertainty in the differential diagnosis – an additional session may be needed. If sessions are shortened because patients arrive late or hand in documents late, a sixth session may exceptionally be necessary. Our aim is always a well-founded diagnosis that you can understand.
How reliable is an ADHD assessment?
A structured ADHD assessment in adults provides a high degree of diagnostic clarity – especially when it draws on several sources of information (e.g. self-report, input from others, school reports, clinical interview, questionnaires). A confirmed diagnosis is also the basis for targeted treatment, such as psychotherapy, psychoeducation or a referral to a specialist if medication is to be considered. The assessment itself is not a therapeutic step – but it is the most important starting point for understanding your own patterns and defining individual therapy goals.
Is ADHD diagnosed differently in adults than in children?
Yes – although the basic structure follows the DSM-5 and ICD-10 criteria, the process differs clearly from that for children. In adults, the focus is less on physical restlessness and more on disorganisation, emotional dysregulation and attention problems. Biographical aspects and childhood symptoms are also assessed retrospectively, for example through school reports or information from others. The aim is the most complete picture possible of how the difficulties have developed across the lifespan.
Is the assessment covered by health insurance?
Privately insured patients can usually claim the costs from their insurer. We bill according to the German fee schedule for psychotherapists (GOP). People with statutory health insurance pay for the ADHD assessment themselves, as our practice does not bill statutory insurers and the assessment is not available through the cost reimbursement procedure.
What role does medication play?
Our practice focuses on the assessment and, if needed, subsequent psychotherapy. Medication, including ADHD-specific medication, can only be prescribed by suitably qualified physicians such as psychiatrists or neurologists. After the assessment you receive a comprehensive written report, which physicians usually use as the basis for deciding on any medication.
What happens after the diagnosis?
Once a diagnosis is confirmed, you receive a detailed report on the severity of your symptoms, notes and recommendations for treatment and – if you wish – information on possible next steps. These may include psychotherapy, coaching to structure everyday life or a referral to a physician. We plan the next steps together with you – based on your needs, your life situation and the individual result of the assessment.