For a few years I've been struggling with anxiety and depression. A week or two ago I came upon an article linking ADHD to anxiety and depression and as I read the article lights began to go off inside my head. So much of what the article was talking about was me.
As someone who is currently without insurance and broke (a long story and part of my current struggle) is anyone aware of resources to get an official diagnosis?
How will you benefit from an "official" diagnosis?
Confirmation of what I'm thinking - Also useful in work situations and other issues I'm dealing with from past employers.
You are still dealing with past employers?
I don’t have any suggestions on resources without insurance. I just wanted to encourage you to follow through anyway you can. If you read that article and felt that it was written for you, I bet you have ADHD. The first time I stumbled upon a ADHD community I cried because I felt their stories deep in my soul! And knowing that there is help, and there are other people like me was life-changing. I wasn’t a failure. Getting the right therapy and medication was a godsend for me. I wish you well 🙏
A few ideas that might be of help. First, stimulant medications have proven to be helpful for maybe 80% of people with ADHD. The younger you are when you start helps as well. However, most countries require an "official" diagnosis to be able to get and use these, since the meds are typically illegal for general use. Do you live in the US? Different countries and even different states and cities can be different in requirements.
For getting a diagnosis, if you live near a university with a Med (or Nursing) School or an academic Psychology Department (granting graduate degrees) it might be possible to get tested for training purposes or as part of a study.
For your own benefit, you could look up online for a copy of Brown's Executive Function/Attention Scale self report form for adults. This is a set of self answered questions that gauges how ADHD might have affected your adult life. If you answered a lot of the questions as a Medium Problem or Big Problem then chances are very good you would pass a medical diagnosis. I believe I got my copy of the Report Form from the publisher Pearson.
I believe many people on this site recommend seeing a Psychiatric Nurse for diagnosis cause it is easier to get appts.
Good luck.
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