I think i might have ADHD but not really sure what to do?

I have always found the actually revising part of school basically impossible to do but fortunately I've been lucky enough to make it through my gcse's and a-levels without very much at all. But I've now come to uni and i find it really difficult to do any self study I already feel like Im falling behind after one term.
Ive always had a bit of a suspicion that i might have adhd but hadn't really felt like i needed to take action about it. Ive looked up the signs and stuff of adhd and it sounds like me to a T so i wanted to see if i can get tested?

So i was wondering how do i go about doing this should i go see my Gp at home, go to the student health service gp or talk to one of councillors from the unis mental health service or should i just ask my tutor ? Or is there some other way??

Reply 1

claireestelle

22

Original post by shortncurly

I have always found the actually revising part of school basically impossible to do but fortunately I've been lucky enough to make it through my gcse's and a-levels without very much at all. But I've now come to uni and i find it really difficult to do any self study I already feel like Im falling behind after one term.
Ive always had a bit of a suspicion that i might have adhd but hadn't really felt like i needed to take action about it. Ive looked up the signs and stuff of adhd and it sounds like me to a T so i wanted to see if i can get tested?

So i was wondering how do i go about doing this should i go see my Gp at home, go to the student health service gp or talk to one of councillors from the unis mental health service or should i just ask my tutor ? Or is there some other way??

Go and speak to your universities student support team, it's very difficult to get NHS diagnosis as an adult so you might want to see a psychologist privately to speed things up.

Reply 2

monkyvirus

13

Student services should direct you to their disability department who should be able to send you to an educational psychologist for an assessment. I was charged £50 for my dyspraxia / dyslexia assessment which the university set up after I spoke to a disability advisor.

My partner was diagnosed by his GP as having ADD in his second year and that was accepted by the university as sufficient evidence for adjustments to be made in terms of exams, lectures, etc. Though I'm not sure if it's an "official" diagnosis as he was never referred anywhere for a psychiatric assessment. GPs will usually charge around £30 for a letter stating any sort of diagnosis, your uni may ask for this sort of document before they provide disability support.

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by shortncurly

I have always found the actually revising part of school basically impossible to do
...
But I've now come to uni and i find it really difficult to do any self study
...
So i was wondering how do i go about doing this

Mate...
I somehow danced through school and college and actually flunked a year and a half of a different degree before starting a course I adored.
I realised I had ADD and had to deal with this if I was gonna actually finish this degree.

First - go to your university student services.
Tell them you want to be tested for ADHD/ADD to start the process for DSA (disabled student allowance) - whole thing will take about 6 months.

This won't really help much. The only thing that helps is medication.

DSA gave me a laptop, printer, dictaphone, consumables (paper/ink etc), software, and 3 hours a week with my own learning support assistants (LSA).

I find that the greatest thing is my LSA as they keep me on track (ADHD - no prioritising ability) and my printer (I can't explain this one!).
The rest of the support is probably better for dyslexics but you may find it benefits you so just take it if it's advised.

Second (and at the same time) - go to your GP and say you want a referral to a psychiatrist for ADHD screening.
This will take maybe a year or more. Don't be afraid to bug your doctor about referral progress. If you have the money - go private.

Don't panic!
I read up a lot about ADD/ADHD when I found out (it's interesting!) so I'm aware of the things I have trouble with and have learned little mechanisms to help live with it.

I got help half way through my second year of uni, you can pass first year without help, just wing it!

Advice in the meanwhile...

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If you're anything like me - you probably don't listen to anything the lecturer says. Writing what they say keeps you engaged, focused, and importantly - saves the information on paper for you.
It's hard but you got this!

I think i might have ADHD but not really sure what to do?

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