Adult ADHD often goes unrecognized for years — especially in high-achieving people who learned early to work twice as hard to get the same results. I offer comprehensive ADHD evaluation, diagnosis, and ongoing care in San Francisco. Not just a prescription — a real understanding of how ADHD shapes your work, relationships, and sense of self, and a treatment plan built around your specific life. An estimated 6% of U.S. adults have received an ADHD diagnosis, with about half receiving that diagnosis for the first time in adulthood (American Psychiatric Association, 2024). Many more remain undiagnosed — a national survey found that one in four adults now suspect they may have ADHD they've never had evaluated (Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 2024).
Request a ConsultationDifficulty sustaining attention on tasks that aren't immediately stimulating
Chronic disorganization despite real effort to get organized
Losing things regularly — keys, phone, wallet, documents
Starting many projects but struggling to finish them
Impulsivity in decisions, purchases, or conversations
Emotional dysregulation — frustration and overwhelm that feel out of proportion
Time blindness — difficulty estimating how long things take or getting started
Restlessness or difficulty sitting with inactivity
A pattern of underperforming relative to intelligence and actual effort
ADHD is not a problem of intelligence, motivation, or character. It's a problem with the executive functions — the systems that regulate attention, initiation, and working memory. High intelligence doesn't fix this; it masks it. Smart people with ADHD often spend years being told they're lazy, careless, or not living up to their potential — when in fact they're working harder than most of their peers just to keep up. Up to 70% of children with ADHD continue to experience impairing symptoms into adulthood, even when they no longer meet full diagnostic criteria — a recognition that has fundamentally changed how the field understands ADHD as a lifespan condition (World Journal of Psychiatry, 2025).
Medication is often the most immediate lever — stimulants and non-stimulant options can produce significant improvement in attention, impulse control, and executive function. But my approach to ADHD doesn't stop at prescribing. I work with patients on the behavioral structures, systems, and strategies that build sustained functioning: time management, task initiation, organization, emotional regulation, and the relational patterns that ADHD tends to create.
ADHD rarely travels alone. Anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders co-occur at high rates — sometimes as secondary effects of untreated ADHD, sometimes as independent conditions that interact with it. I evaluate and treat the full picture, adjusting the treatment plan as each piece comes into clearer focus. This comprehensive view is one of the key advantages of working with a psychiatrist rather than coordinating between separate providers.
Dr. Chacko is accepting new patients in San Francisco. The first call is complimentary — no paperwork, no commitment.
Request a Consultation"Worked with Dr. Chacko for over a year on my ADD and completely changed how I was doing in life. He's patient and tailors each session to whatever is going on in your life at the moment. Was struggling post-college and over a year later things have completely turned around."
"The fact that he's both a therapist and an MD adds another layer of trust, especially when navigating issues like ADHD and anxiety."
Anything else — the complimentary phone call is the right place to ask.