Diagnosis

[her42]

What should I do about being dismissed as having anxiety instead of ADHD from cognitive testing? I was referred by my neurologist for the test and see her tomorrow. I do believe the doctor she sent me to was biased and judgemental due to my gender and age. He asked none of the questions pertaining to my daily life and told me not to "lay it on thick" before the test, which I interpreted as he expected me to lie.

[jaybird00]

This professional needs to be ignored. Anxiety is a major symptom of ADHD in women.

[her42 in reply to jaybird00]

Agreed! Thank you for the feedback. I will definitely share my results after seeing my neurologist today. There isn't much about epilepsy and ADHD on here, so hopefully, my experience can be helpful.

[BatWoman87]

To clarify, you see a neurologist, and your neurologist referred you to another doctor (what specialty?). That doctor tested you for ADHD, but concluded you have anxiety, with no ADHD?

What type of testing?

But also, agreed, what respectable doctor tells people not to lay it on thick, unless they're stating it in a joking manner and in context which asks you to respond with an average answer instead of the most extreme examples?

[her42 in reply to BatWoman87]

I see a neurologist for my epilepsy and she referred me to the neuropsychologist for cognitive testing. Today I had my follow-up appointment with the neurologist and explained my experience with the testing and doctor. She was not happy with his behavior or diagnosis. After looking at his notes in detail, she said it actually shows signs of ADHD. She prescribed atomoxetine for now because she wants to be careful with my epilepsy meds, but wants me to get a diagnosis with a psychiatrist that specializes in ADHD as well. She also said to not even show the testing results to them, because they are incorrect. So good news, but the process continues.

[BatWoman87 in reply to her42]

Great that your neurologist knows her stuff. That's disappointing that you saw such a dismissive neuropsychologist.