How does a psychologist tell the difference between a mental disorder and a minor inconvenience?

Question

Take for example ADHD. How can a psychologist tell the difference between someone who’s just super hyper and someone who has ADHD?

In: 2

Answer 1

Psychologists and therapists have a reference manual: The DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition). All named conditions (schizophrenia, anxiety, panic, narcissism, etc.) have a number of “boxes that need to be checked” in order to categorize any one patient as having this or that disorder. So, for example, Narcissism may have nine possible traits; if you have five of these, you can be considered to have Narcissistic Syndrome. This is the way Psychologists try to quantify disorders, rather than just “feel” this is the right diagnosis for a patient.