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Anyone been diagnosed with ADHD?

I think I might have ADHD, I've got an appointment with a GP this week but I was wondering how I'd go about explaining it to them...

I'm aware that there are people who abuse the medicines that get prescribed to treat ADHD and because I wasn't diagnosed with it when I was a child, I'm worried that the GP will just think I'm after a prescription which isn't the case.

Also, the NHS website mentions that there are types of therapy available, but then describes things only useful for parents whose children have ADHD, like talking to teachers etc... so if anyone has any experience with that kind of thing I'd really appreciate your input

Thanks!

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ADHD? Nothing to be ashamed about, you're just a bit more hyper than usual which is great when managed properly, I think that's what any therapy you get should be aiming for :smile:
Reply 2
I have ADHD and I was diagnosed as a child. I was just given pills which I ended up flushing down the toilet. If they give you meds... please don't take them. They will give you meds for everything and anything these days.
Reply 3
Original post by Amonute
I have ADHD and I was diagnosed as a child. I was just given pills which I ended up flushing down the toilet. If they give you meds... please don't take them. They will give you meds for everything and anything these days.


What were you prescribed? And if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you like it?
Reply 4
Original post by Anonymous
What were you prescribed? And if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you like it?


I was prescribed concerta. All I knew is that it wasn't really helping me much and they gave me headaches. When my mum told the doctors that the pills didn't seem to be very effective, they just kept increasing the dose and as a result my headaches became worse and worse. I was 13 years old when I secretly stopped taking them (I was afraid that my mum would force me to take them) and as soon as I stopped taking them my headaches disappeared.

It's true that ADHD makes things more difficult for me when it comes to remaning focused, still, etc, but I believe that medicines should only be taken when strictly necessary. If they give you pills you will probably be expected to take them for life... and I chose to live with it as it is than being medicated for it. Unless it is something that really, really, really makes your life difficult and you can't go on like this... I would say look for alternatives.
Pretty sure I have ADHD but they also say that the symptoms of stress in children are very similar to ADHD... Whichever it was I had a lot of the symptoms growing up and I'm still quick off the mark/impulsive and rubbish at organising stuff and sticking to a task. I need a very specific environment to be able to accomplish things I set out to do. I've always done well when this was the case in school or any other environment but when things weren't as I needed I could literally go full speed the other direction, completely off the rails and completely mess up whatever it was. Not diagnosed though.

I think any kind of supervision or therapy that involves you better organising your life so that you have a structure to things will help. Also making sure that you gear things towards what you're interested in so that boredom doesn't make it's way into the picture should help.
(edited 8 years ago)
I was diagnosed at 15 and started meds at 21. If you have any questions let me know.
Reply 7
Original post by Noodlzzz
I was diagnosed at 15 and started meds at 21. If you have any questions let me know.


What were you prescribed and how did it affect you? And why the big gap between diagnosis and medication?

Thanks :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
What were you prescribed and how did it affect you? And why the big gap between diagnosis and medication?

Thanks :smile:


Ritalin

I was having heart investigations at the time of diagnosis so couldn't have anything prescribed, then once they were clear I was doing great in sixth form so they didn't think I needed anything.

Then I bought it up when I was struggling in my 2nd year of uni and was prescribed strattera for a few months due to some mental health stuff at the time which meant stimulants were a bad idea, but that did nothing for me so was eventually prescribed ritalin.
Original post by shawn_o1
ADHD? Nothing to be ashamed about, you're just a bit more hyper than usual which is great when managed properly, I think that's what any therapy you get should be aiming for :smile:


(i didn't make this thread lol) and helpful answer xD
If anyone's interested in my predicament... I saw a GP, it turns out GPs aren't allowed to diagnose adult ADHD but I've been referred to a specialist which will take at least a month. Anyone got any advice for how I should approach my appointment with them if I get one?
Original post by Anonymous
If anyone's interested in my predicament... I saw a GP, it turns out GPs aren't allowed to diagnose adult ADHD but I've been referred to a specialist which will take at least a month.QUOTE]

i'm kinda in the same boat as you-i have an appointment with the GP in two weeks so that i can hopefully be referred to a specialist who can diagnose me. I've been wondering if i should bring anything with me-like a list of symptoms and how they affect me? or a school report? what did you take to yours?

I have also been wondering how to act. I don't want to either appear like i dont have any symptoms, but i also dont want to look like im faking it 'just so i can get the drugs' (because all i want is just a diagnosis for now). your session with the GP was obviously successful, because you got referred on, so how did you act and what did you talk about and what did you bring?
sorry for all the questions :wink:
My GP was pretty understanding, and I don't think you need to worry about not being referred - strictly speaking by refusing to refer you they would be diagnosing you as not having ADHD, which only a specialist can do. A list of symptoms would be useful, even if it's just on your phone so you can go through them and list whether or not they affect you.

What's a lot more important is the appointment with the specialist. After I was referred I was told by my GP that the waiting list for an appointment is typically 8-9 months (and the appointment might be several months after this), although this is specific to your area. I'm in one of the UK's bigger cities so you'd have thought I'd be lucky with this but outside of London things apparently aren't great, because adult ADHD was only formally recognised by the NHS around 2008.

I don't think I'm going to be able to wait this long so I've looked into seeing private specialists, which is super expensive so I'm not 100% sure how I'm going to approach it yet.

aadduk.org has been a helpful site for me so far, the forums are useful but there aren't a lot of people who use them.

If you have any more questions or want to talk about anything feel free to message me :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
My GP was pretty understanding, and I don't think you need to worry about not being referred - strictly speaking by refusing to refer you they would be diagnosing you as not having ADHD, which only a specialist can do. A list of symptoms would be useful, even if it's just on your phone so you can go through them and list whether or not they affect you.


What's a lot more important is the appointment with the specialist. After I was referred I was told by my GP that the waiting list for an appointment is typically 8-9 months (and the appointment might be several months after this), although this is specific to your area. I'm in one of the UK's bigger cities so you'd have thought I'd be lucky with this but outside of London things apparently aren't great, because adult ADHD was only formally recognised by the NHS around 2008.

I don't think I'm going to be able to wait this long so I've looked into seeing private specialists, which is super expensive so I'm not 100% sure how I'm going to approach it yet.

aadduk.org has been a helpful site for me so far, the forums are useful but there aren't a lot of people who use them.

If you have any more questions or want to talk about anything feel free to message me :smile:



thank youuuuuu!
that's a real annoyance about the waiting time-and strange that the awareness hasn't spread even to some of the bigger cities....I live in a small town in Shropshire(west midlands)from the sound of it I won't be very lucky either...
if you have any luck with going privately let us know on here, for now good luck! :wink:
Original post by Amonute
I have ADHD and I was diagnosed as a child. I was just given pills which I ended up flushing down the toilet. If they give you meds... please don't take them. They will give you meds for everything and anything these days.


I don't think you should advise people not to take medication. Medication is sometimes very necessary.

Despite what you say, doctors do know better, and you should follow doctor's advice. If they advise you take medication, then take it. They try not to dish out ADHD medication because, as stated in this thread, it's easily abused. So they wouldn't just shove it on someone without being absolutely certain they need it. Also, you'll be referred to an ADHD specialist, who knows a lot better than your regular GP.
I was recently diagnosed (at 18) even though I've always been very hyperactive and extremely talkative in class and my thoughts have just always seemed like a lot. It was prescribed as a test and since it has worked so well that my dosage has been upped (Concerta btw). I never even realised it could be something like ADD / ADHD until recently. I was always against ADHD medication but it helps me to focus and to finish things, so for now I will definitvely continue on it. I would recommend talking to a specialist if you think you might have it, and to ask as many questions as you feel you need to. If a specialist believes you might require medication you can always try it out, or seek a second opinion.
Original post by clockworkbella
I was recently diagnosed (at 18) even though I've always been very hyperactive and extremely talkative in class and my thoughts have just always seemed like a lot. It was prescribed as a test and since it has worked so well that my dosage has been upped (Concerta btw). I never even realised it could be something like ADD / ADHD until recently. I was always against ADHD medication but it helps me to focus and to finish things, so for now I will definitvely continue on it. I would recommend talking to a specialist if you think you might have it, and to ask as many questions as you feel you need to. If a specialist believes you might require medication you can always try it out, or seek a second opinion.

Thanks for your reply, I'm glad to hear that medication has helped you!

How was your experience of being diagnosed? I've got an appointment with my local mental health service (not sure if it's with a specialist or if there will have to be another appointment) and I'm worried that they'll think I'm just after the medication, which it turns out a lot of adults worry about when they try to get diagnosed
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks for your reply, I'm glad to hear that medication has helped you!

How was your experience of being diagnosed? I've got an appointment with my local mental health service (not sure if it's with a specialist or if there will have to be another appointment) and I'm worried that they'll think I'm just after the medication, which it turns out a lot of adults worry about when they try to get diagnosed


Thank you, It really has helped. I have faced a bit of stigma as people have bad associations with ADHD medication, but generally the type of arguments they make against it isn't based on people who need the medication and for whom the medication has worked.What happened was that I was seeing the specialist in relation to anxiety and he remarked that a lot of my symptoms seemed to be rooted in an inability to concentrate. He then asked a couple of follow-up questions (I didn't know he was asking them to determine the possibility of ADHD / ADD at the time) before suggesting that we try a very low dosage of medication. They do this to see how your body reacts to the medication and whether you encounter any side-effects (which they usually monitor during follow-up appointments)

Secondly, I am so glad that you have an appointment and are going to it. Getting professional help is just that much better than trying to face it on your own :h:To answer your question I would say just focus on the symptoms you do have and how it affects your life when talking to the person at the service. You can even admit to being worried and / or nervous about considering medication, due to the amount of abuse of ADHD / ADD medication. Its absolutely okay to feel nervous about what one should say at these appointments or the type of things generally asked, but most of the time these appointments go a lot better than one might expect! So just show up and describe your life in relation to what you are struggling with (for example: concentration) and most likely the professional will either refer you or help you to get the right treatment according to you requirement! Good luck!
Thanks so much! I really hope my appointment is with a specialist and not just a general appointment again, it's getting harder to deal with it every day
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks so much! I really hope my appointment is with a specialist and not just a general appointment again, it's getting harder to deal with it every day


Just keep going and keep trying, you'll get the help you need :smile: It might not be immediate, and if you are prescribed medication it might take a while to get the dosage right for you, but the steps you take in getting help for it are absolutely steps in the right direction! It's hard when these things aren't diagnosed earlier, as they are sometimes only caught when they really start having an effect on our lives - but that doesn't mean that they can't and won't be treated. Good luck and wishing you all the best! (it does get better, it starts with getting help)