One in four American adults suspect they might have undiagnosed ADHD, according to a new survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine. And 13% are concerned enough that they've shared their suspicions with their doctors.

Currently, just over 4% of adults aged 18 to 44 actually have a diagnosis of ADHD, according to Ohio State clinical assistant professor Justin Barterian.

This disparity may be due to the prevalence — and popularity — of videos about ADHD on social media, university researchers speculate. On platforms like TikTok, videos like "5 signs you have ADHD" and "How to spot an ADHDer in public" have over 100,000 likes and even more views.

Mental health professionals worry that self-diagnosing can lead to over pathologizing and potentially labeling "the spectrum of normal behavior as ADHD," says Adrian Owen, a professor of cognitive neuroscience and imaging at Western University in Canada.

Psychologist and author of "The Happy High Achiever" Mary Anderson agrees. "We all might have times where we have difficulty with focus or get distracted easily," she says. "But just because we have that occasionally doesn't mean that we meet criteria for ADHD."

The potential harms of self-diagnosing ADHD

ADHD shares symptoms with a number of other conditions including anxiety, depression and some learning disabilities, according to Owen. "By self-diagnosing, a person may overlook these underlying issues leading to inappropriate, ineffective treatment," he says.

People who self-diagnose may "seek out treatments like stimulant medications, for example, without professional guidance, and that can result in misuse or overreliance," he says. These medications can cause side effects like increased heart rate and sleep disturbances.

Owen and Anderson emphasize the importance of seeing a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, to receive an accurate diagnosis if you believe you may have ADHD.

"I've definitely seen people come in where they think it's ADHD, but it's actually anxiety," Anderson says.

The traditional process for getting an ADHD diagnosis involves connecting with a health professional beyond your primary care physician, filling out questionnaires and receiving different forms of neuropsychological testing.

Reach out to your primary care physician, who can make referrals to in-network providers, Anderson recommends. "We want to have accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment for what people are coping with," Anderson says. "That's really the ultimate goal, so that people can feel and be their best."

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