Emailed a doctor about getting assessed for ADHD...

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Joe90
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12 Sep 2021, 1:53 am

Have I done the right thing?

I worry that I'll just get an email back saying that ADHD doesn't exist or that all my ADHD symptoms are just symptoms of my already existing ASD diagnosis that lurks on my medical records, and this may make me feel depressed and angry about myself.

If it does all go through, would my ASD diagnosis be revealed at all? For example, if I do receive a diagnosis for ADHD will ASD be mentioned in a letter in the mail or something that says I have ADHD? My biggest fear is ASD being revealed beyond my control to others who don't know I have it (I'm not so ashamed of ADHD as I am ASD).

I would really benefit having a diagnosis of ADHD because I can explain to people about it without feeling like I'm lying.

I have written down in a notebook all the reasons why I think I have ADHD, including childhood. The only thing is, I don't think I have kept any reports from school, and if I did most of them say that I was "a quiet member of the class", which will probably go against me because kids with ADHD are supposed to be loud and obnoxious.

Please, I hope this is worth doing.


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Edna3362
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12 Sep 2021, 2:36 am

It is worth trying.


If anyone says ADHD doesn't exists...
.. Then that person is the wrong person to talk to.


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Joe90
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12 Sep 2021, 12:27 pm

I'm a bit nervous, as I'm not sure how it's going to pan out. I don't know where the nearest ADHD test centre is, but when I looked it up it looked like it was London, which is too far to get to.

Also I don't quite know how or what to tell my boyfriend, as he doesn't really believe in diagnostic labels.


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12 Sep 2021, 2:05 pm

ADHD is somewhat linked to ASD ,
i told people for years i have ASD , few believed me and it was solidified by a Diagnosis .. so i feel where you're coming from

Obviously you know yourself to an extent so if you feel you're lying , hold more respect for your own opinion and experience



IsabellaLinton
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12 Sep 2021, 2:32 pm

Good luck, Joe!

I think you did the right thing!



Joe90
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12 Sep 2021, 4:01 pm

I've educated myself a lot on ADHD and most of my social awkwardness seems to be caused by ADHD symptoms. And where I once volunteered, I got picked on because of my social quirks, and some of them called me nosy because I used to jump my way into conversations. But I wasn't being nosy, I just had an impulsive desire to join in and feel involved in the group, which isn't a bad thing, because I never repeated private things to anyone else. But they decided to belittle me about it anyway, then after I'd left, a friend who used to work there told me that they said that I had some sort of attention hyperactivity disorder. Back then I never even considered I had ADHD, but nowadays I am so sure that I have ADHD and I wish I was diagnosed earlier as I did show a lot of ADHD symptoms. But if I don't have much back up from childhood then I might not get a diagnosis.


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The_Znof
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12 Sep 2021, 4:06 pm

Joe90 wrote:


I would really benefit having a diagnosis of ADHD because I can explain to people about it without feeling like I'm lying.



I have the ADHD diagnosis but not the autism one. I used to feel like dsm kiddie pop psycholigist when I said I had autism, but Im getting over it.

My last meltdown was f*****g classic!



League_Girl
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12 Sep 2021, 7:28 pm

Joe, I thought you got diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago :?


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Joe90
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12 Sep 2021, 7:32 pm

League_Girl wrote:
Joe, I thought you got diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago :?


No I wasn't officially diagnosed, just self-diagnosed.
This is the exact reason I want to get an official diagnosis of ADHD, to avoid conversations like this.


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League_Girl
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12 Sep 2021, 7:43 pm

Joe90 wrote:
League_Girl wrote:
Joe, I thought you got diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago :?


No I wasn't officially diagnosed, just self-diagnosed.
This is the exact reason I want to get an official diagnosis of ADHD, to avoid conversations like this.



I swore you got tested for it and saying the good news was you scored high on ADHD and the bad news was you scored low on AS so that meant the diagnoses was correct. I assumed you were getting tested for it and did the assessment.


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renaeden
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12 Sep 2021, 8:39 pm

You don't have to be hyperactive to get a diagnosis of ADHD. This is one of those diagnoses though, that is commonly thought as being a hyperactive little boys disorder, something girls rarely have. It's bull though, many girls have ADHD - inattentive type.

Might your Mum have your school reports?



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12 Sep 2021, 9:42 pm

I was formally assessed with combined-type ADHD last year. The hyper part can mean that you have a hyper mind that keeps racing. It can also mean that you fidget with your hands / feet a lot like stimming, as opposed to running about in circles. All these years I didn't think I was hyper but once they explained it to me, it made perfect sense. I can't even sleep well because my mind is always going, making connections, making conjecture, worrying, ruminating, or thinking about things I have to do. The testing was longer than my ASD diagnosis at about 20 hours, but I'm confident they made the right decision and my medication has helped a lot, even emotionally.

My daughter is in the middle of her own ADHD testing right now online. She's met with the neuropsychiatrist, the psychologist, and the psychometrist, and we've each done a slew of questionnaires. She has two more lengthy sessions. The doctor told her after the first appointment that she has ADHD based on her intake papers and their session together, but now the appointments are pinpointing which medication will be best suited to her needs. Incidentally she is also ASD. It's common for people to have ADHD if they are also on the spectrum.

Good luck, Joe! I hope you get a thorough exam!



IsabellaLinton
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12 Sep 2021, 9:48 pm

Joe90 wrote:
But if I don't have much back up from childhood then I might not get a diagnosis.


Backup from childhood helps, but it's not everything. They'll do psychometric testing on your attention span and ability to focus. It's like a bunch of computer games. There's also lots of interviewing and specific questions about your functioning levels today, in terms of relationships, goal setting, short term / long term memory, organisation, executive functioning, emotional lability, etc.



ilovepalmtrees
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12 Sep 2021, 10:09 pm

You did the right thing. If a doctor says ADHD doesn't exist, then they shouldn't be practicing.



IsabellaLinton
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12 Sep 2021, 10:18 pm

ilovepalmtrees wrote:
You did the right thing. If a doctor says ADHD doesn't exist, then they shouldn't be practicing.


Seconded.



EdCase
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12 Sep 2021, 10:50 pm

What kind of anti depressants are you on?


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