First Dr. Apt

[OrangeOstrich]

Hello,

I have my first Drs visit tomorrow regarding my ADHD/mental health. I am wondering what treatments are out there and what I should even ask about or mention. I am a young adult now and haven't been treated for my ADHD since elementary school and am not sure what to expect or gain from the appointment. I just feel like my mental health and happiness are being brought down by what seems to be my ADHD Symptoms, so if there's a way to manage that I'd like to explore it but in what ways?

Any advise or insight would be helpful, thanks!

[Netjester]

First off, make sure you are on the right medication. Hopefully your psychiatrist will have you do a DNA test, if you haven't already. Genomind is a great company for doing this. You will get a report of what medications will and will not work on you. This is instrumental in the success of your treatment.

Here are some other things to think about. Understand why you think you are struggling because of ADHD. Did you always have a messy and unorganized backpack? I ask this question, because a child's backpack is representative of their brain. If yours was disorganized and messy, then your brain was most likely in the same state. If the "adult" version of your backpack is still messy and disorganized, then it's important to let the dr. know.

A question that you need to ask is how many ADHD patients are they treating? You don't need a number, but a percentage is a good indication if this person really treats for adhd or they just list it on their bio. When you get with someone who really treats for ADHD...you know.

What are your hypersensitivities? Do you have problems with tags on your clothes? How about different scents?

Do you have anything that you hyperfocus on? (we call this a super power)

Do you have impulse control problems? (Naltrexone is good for this)

Do you often get into arguments or intense discussions with people? (Namenda is good for this)

Treatments don't always need to be stimulants. I'm off stimulants now and feel great and thriving. Exercise, Meditation and Supplements can be extremely helpful in the fight against ADHD, if you don't want stimulants. Good Luck

[STEM_Dad]

Welcome to the forum!

I would recommend that you write down what your struggles are, what you are experiencing. Also, write down what you recall about your childhood history with ADHD.

• Were you on medication as a child? How did it make you feel? Did that medication seem to help your ADHD? Did it feel like a positive experience, or did it make you feel like a zombie?

Consider what your needs are, and what you want.

• Most people with ADHD are helped by medication, and there are more medication options than ever before.

• Exercise is important, and can make a difference in how well you function with your ADHD.

• Meeting your body's nutritional needs is also important. You may need to add supplements. A good multivitamin, Omega-3's, possibly extra vitamin D if you're deficient. (Your doctor can order blood work to test if you are deficient in any particular nutrients, like iron or vitamin D.)

• Some people also also use herbal supplements, but you would have to ask your doctor if they are familiar with them or not.

Managing stress, anxiety and depression are important. Anxiety and depression are common comorbidities with ADHD, and left unchecked, they can grow out of control. My experience is that they make ADHD struggles worse.

• If you struggle with anxiety or depression, you may need medication to help treat them.

• Therapy with a psychologist or counselor can be very helpful. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be very beneficial.

• Practices like mindfulness, meditation, CBT techniques, or yoga can be helpful for reducing anxiety.

I know that I've mentioned a lot. Consider what your needs are, what your struggles are, and what you are willing to try.

By writing things down before your appointment, and bringing those notes with you, then you will be more prepared for the conversation with your doctor.

• Your doctor probably has experience with treating other patients who have ADHD, so you can ask what strategies (besides medication) have worked for some of them.

[Shihttzulover]

I wish you well in getting answers for your ADHD.

I was diagnosed in 2010 but didn’t get treatment until 2020. I was under the care of a nurse practitioner, who did ADHD medication management. I also saw a behavioral counselor to help me with tips and tools to deal with Adhd.

Getting help for my ADHD and managing it was the best thing I did for myself.

I highly recommend behavioral therapy.

This has helped me greatly in my daily life and work life.

[Mamamichl]

welcome! Any social issues you seem to be having or cycling/doom saying or major negative thoughts. For me, I had write ups and didn’t know why other than I couldn’t control some things I was saying but couldn’t explain why. Other troubles is communication with friends family or romantic relationships.

[wtfadhd]

hey Orange Ostrich,

sounds like you already have an ADHD diagnosis from your youth so probably not likely that you need to gather any type of info from your past to prove/ explore rather or not you have ADHD. Its not like ADHD goes away, there are just sometimes periods in our life that we manage it differently depending on what is happening. all experts in ADHD at least agree on that point.

from what you wrote it seems like however you were managing your symptoms in near past, just arent effective anymore or at least not where you are in life right now.

i think you answered your own question in your own post! you have identified that however you were managing your adhd symptoms before are not working right now and you would like a medical providers opinion on what options and resources are available to help treat/ manage your adhd effectively again. no need to over complicate it

good luck☀️