ADHD symptoms fall into two main categories: inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Some people experience one set of symptoms more strongly, while others experience both.

Inattentive symptoms include:

• Easily distracted or forgetful
• Trouble organizing tasks or following instructions
• Difficulty starting or completing activities
• Daydreaming or zoning out
• Missing important details or making mistakes

Hyperactive-impulsive symptoms include:

• Fidgeting or difficulty sitting still
• Interrupting others or blurting things out
• Acting or speaking without thinking
• Needing immediate rewards to stay motivated

• Making sudden decisions
• Lacking self-control

If you have combined ADHD, you likely have a mix of some inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity symptoms.

Our Arizona- and Colorado-licensed psychiatric nurse practitioners use a combination of clinical interviews, testing, and behavior rating scales to understand your symptoms, challenges, and goals. We’ll look at when your symptoms started, how they show up day-to-day, and what impact they have on your work, relationships, or routines.

They’ll also rule out other conditions that may mimic ADHD, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, or trauma. Diagnosis is a collaborative process — one that helps ensure you're getting the right care, not just fast answers.

If it makes sense for you, we'll prescribe medication to help. Otherwise, if therapy is determined as the better option for you, we’re happy to provide a referral.

At Peak Mental Healthcare, our primary approach to treating ADHD is through psychiatric evaluation and medication management. For many people, the right medication can make it easier to focus, stay organized, and feel more in control day-to-day.

Most often, we prescribe stimulant medications, which help regulate attention and reduce hyperactivity by increasing key brain chemicals. If stimulants aren’t effective or aren’t the right fit for you, we can explore non-stimulant options that also support focus and impulse control.

In some cases, we may use brief psychotherapy as a supplement, especially when emotional regulation, time management, or motivation are ongoing challenges. But therapy isn’t a requirement — we only include it when it adds meaningful value to your care.

With the right medication plan, ADHD becomes much more manageable — and life feels a lot more doable. We’re here to help you get there.

While it's not our core service, long-term talk therapy can be an effective means of helping children and adults manage the emotional and behavioral problems that can arise from ADHD. In those cases, we also offer referrals for trusted therapists to our patients.

You might still hear people say ADD, especially when referring to ADHD without hyperactivity symptoms. But technically, ADD is an outdated term.

Today, the official diagnosis is ADHD — attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder — which includes different symptom patterns like inattention, hyperactivity, or both.

Not exactly. Symptoms may shift over time, but most kids with ADHD continue to experience some challenges into adulthood.

The good news? With early intervention, medication, and support, kids can learn effective ways to manage their symptoms and thrive.