Getting diagnosed with ADHD

[Tanman312]

I'm reasonably certain I have ADHD primarily inattentive type, and I want to be diagnosed. However, my lack of knowledge regarding the process makes me rather anxious. My main questions are: Where do I begin? Do I need to see my primary doctor to be referred to someone who can diagnose? Is it something a college supplied insurance is likely to cover? What are people's experiences with different medications like?

[Maximizer]

I was diagnosed with ADHD while in college. The counseling center at my school refers students to a local neuropsychologist to get tested for ADHD. My college covers testing for students. I don’t think you need to get a neuropsychological exam to get diagnosed with ADHD, but from my understanding, you need the testing if you want accommodations at school (like extra time for exams). If you’re on your college’s insurance plan, I would start by contacting the counseling center or student health center at the beginning of the semester.

If you want a diagnosis before school starts/your school doesn’t cover the diagnosis, seeing your primary care doc is a good first step if you’re not currently working with a mental health practitioner. I think primary care docs technically can diagnose ADHD, but mine was not comfortable with doing so. They’ll refer you to someone who has experience diagnosing ADHD if that’s the case. If you want/need to get neuropsychological testing using your own insurance, call your insurance provider to see if they cover it and if you need to do something specific to get that coverage.

I’m fairly new to meds, so I won’t chime in on that. If you use Reddit, r/ADHD has plenty of threads on people’s personal experiences with meds. Keep in mind that people respond differently to ADHD meds. Psych meds are kind of trial and error.

[LookTheSquirrel]

Hi! It depends on where you live. If you are in the UK you can ask your GP for a referral to diagnose (huge waiting list) or ask them to contact Psychiatry-UK as part of the Right to choose policy (the referral letter it's on Psychiatry-UK's website) and as they're fully specialised in diagnostics of ADHD and other neurological conditions, it will be much faster for you to get your diagnosis. They will send the info to your GP and coordinate the pharmacological treatment. All covered by the NHS.

I'm starting my meds today so I can't say anything about it yet

I hope you can get your diagnosis so you have a better idea about how to feel your best and enjoy your life. Whether you have ADHD or not.

All the best!

[Hidden]

I think the response from Maximizer has some great suggestions and advice that would probably be very helpful.

I’m older and was having trouble at work so I went to my primary care doctor and told him my symptoms, which included poor performance at work, my worst performance review ever and a real possibility of losing my job if I didn’t act. I couldn’t focus, was impulsive and didn’t take the time to thing through things, and my memory was shot. My doctor gave me a couple assessments, diagnosed me with ADHD and then started me on Ritalin. I noticed an immediate difference and improvement at work, but didn’t feel the Ritalin was doing as much as it should. It wore off fast. My doctor and I tried different doses of Adderall and it’s much better. Doc just switched me to the long acting formula of Adderall, Which doses only once per day and it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. One pill when I wake up and it lasts my whole work day. The dose he gave me of the ER version is half the IR and is a little low so I’m working on having it adjusted right now. Once that’s been done and we’re sure my dose is correct, I’m sticking with it. Medication saved my life, my career, and my relationship.

[BatWoman87]

GhostBean some responses here