ADHD - no diagnosis but I can't function

[SquashFeet]

I've shown all the signs of ADHD since I was a child. Professionals agree it's likely but say s diagnosis will not help me.

I can't function. I can't concentrate. I can't keep a job for longer than 6 months as I get bored and stressed with it. I'm shit at everything because I can't focus. I forget everything. I'm always in trouble. I just want to run awY and like a simple life with no responsibilities. Birthdays, Mother's Day, Easter - every occasion stresses me out because the task of organising anything, even buying a card seems HUGE to me. Don't even get me started on Christmas, how I made it through the last one I don't know. I can't do this anymore, I'm not happy, I'm stressed out. Everything is just too much and my head feels like it's getting mashed up with info

I know how you feel Clem! It's like ..."Oh, and I thought everyone else struggled with life as much as I do!"......

Crikey. It looks like you were sorted fairly quickly, but the whole waiting to see if you can now go on the waiting list malarkey, is excruciatingly slow.

Finally being listened to is wonderful and I hope that the rest of your care makes up for lost time. Thank you for the flowers. For you

I can relate so much to many of this, I have a sibling diagnosed with Aspergers, and a child with ADHD. My child is on Medikinet, and I can totally see the difference.

I know I have ADHD and would have been diagnosed if I was a kid now. My childs' behaviour is exactly as I was, and I totally get why my child does certain things, and can relate. Much more so than my husband who struggles to get it.

I wish there was something over the counter I can take to help me. My concentration is terrible and fidgeting is annoying to everyone. I procrastinate something awful and adulting is tough! Washing is my biggest problem I just can't do it! there's so much more!

My Dr wouldn't refer me when I asked a few years ago, said there was no point. But that was before my child was diagnosed. He has retired so might try again, by it took my sibling 3 years to get their diagnosis at 30!

gottaslowdown is right! DD has ended up in a tangled mental health mess, and while part of it is down to other factors, her emotional hyper-reactivity due to the ADD is a significant part of it; not helped by major self esteem problems from struggling with academic work, planning, organisation, socialising (due to failing to comprehend language she can't keep up with conversation), etc from the age of 12! They still can't make their minds up whether the emotional dysregulation is just ADD; or she has developed borderline personality disorder as well!

As for growing out of it, DH who appears to have ADHD, has learnt some coping strategies for it, over the last 40 years of adult life; but it still has significant effects on his functioning. He still struggles to comprehend what he reads; blurts out whatever is passing through his mind; talks over others in conversation; can't sit down and paces round the house most of his waking hours; can't focus on what is important unless he uses hyperfocus, in which case he can only keep his mind on what he is doing and can't cope with ANY distraction; and he can't cope with a lot of noise (music is nothing but an annoyance to him).

CHERRY your DC is fortunate to have you as her parent. If you weren't clued up about ADHD, they would drive you nuts! I know my behaviours are very hard to live with

My concentration, attention-span of a gnat and hyperactive behaviours definitely need medicating. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one here who's waiting to see if @Timmytoo comes back and tells us about Natura Cerbo

I have found the Ketogenic diet has helped my busy brain feel a little clearer and the brain fog from my illness has cleared. I also take fish oils (like EyeQ?) on recommendation of Dr Myhill's advice.

drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Hyperactivity_-_on_the_go_all_the_time,_no_peace!

And yes, I was a sugar and carb addict before I went Ketogenic which is the worst possible thing for ADHD. Apparently.

Hey @SquashFeet have you got distracted and wandered off forgetting you started this fantastic thread?

Have you got a new shiny toy?

If it's useful at all, NICE have just released their up to date guidance on ADHD and it covers adult ADHD too. Spotted it via the Addiss FB page.

www.additudemag.com/inside-the-aging-adhd-brain/

For those of us who have found 'adulting' difficult

I didn't realise that the menopausal drop in oestrogen later in women's lives can increase ADHD issues. That does it. Definitely got to get a private diagnosis before both my brain cells leak away!

Oooh I love a bit of damson gin

Addiss? I'm just getting Adidas!

Sorry, got it! Wasn't paying attention funnily enough............

It sounds very much like ADHD and the diagnosis and treatment would help enormously. And I've diagnosed hundreds of cases of Adult ADHD and for a huge amount of people no, it doesn't improve as you get older. I've diagnosed people in their 60s.

And ADHD doesn't get worse as it isn't a fluctuating or deteriorating condition but it can seem worse in adulthood because of increased responsibilities and more self-awareness.

Ask GP for a referral to the Adult ADHD service covering your area.

Can you tell I'm the predominantly hyperactive end of the spectrum?!

@JackOConnellisstarredup Please can I ask, is this NHS or private diagnosis? In what capacity? I'm definitely ADHD and so is my husband (though his is formally diagnosed).

If I took part in written assessments, my family were consulted and I had a Skype assessment diagnosis would that be sufficient? I completed the DIVA a month back. High scores!

At this -muddled brain- stage, I'm wondering if there's anything else I have alongside ADHD and that it might not be picked up? Once you start questioning the lack of 'neurotypicalness' in your brain, you do start to wonder.....

A diagnosis will help becuase then you know what it is and can treat it and have adjustments as appropriate.

Get caffeine tablets, drink coffee and exercise, those things all help me

Ahem, me again. Just read this article and there were so many light-bulbs going off, I'll be able to light the whole street later! I definitely got MUCH worse when I hit puberty. It all makes sense now.

www.additudemag.com/women-hormones-and-adhd/

@Checklist how old is your DD? You could have been describing me there. That's interesting they are looking at BPD. I wondered a few years back if this would explain some of my symptoms, but it didn't seem to really fit. A tangle indeed! I hope she's young enough to receive better care and understanding than some of us older generations. {flowers] for living with ADD & ADHD. I'm like your DH

Sorry everyone. I'm here . Had a hectically bisy day so only able to reply now. This is the link for Natura Cerbo. I'm not in the UK. But this has bee extremely helpful to me

http://www.natura.co.za/BPStresss_Cerbo.asp

Aaahhh - busy **

Yay! Timmy's back. Thought I'd killed the thread Thanks for that link.

"Poor Concentration and Hyperactive Behaviour", yep that's me. I have tried homeopathic stuff before. I am curious about this one. Not sure it ships overseas...

Or, I can go straight for the diagnosis and hard stuff!

I have adhd but have just discharged myself from mental health because they will not out me on the stimulant meds I need because 9f my high blood pressure.,which 8s medicated and stable. They put me on alternative drugs which did not help and affected my job so I had to come off them.

I need equasym xl or concerta but I can't take the drugs I need the most so I am back to square one and struggling immensely. Even simple things like remembering to buy a birthday card and all he palava it takes like finding my cash card, getting dressed, driving to town, finding a parking spot, finding money for parking machines, actually buying the card and then getting home..the whole process confuses and over whelms me, I can't organise it in my head.

And yet I manage a full time job, but I drift from job to job, I get bored or restless. I've been a year in this one, I'm a production operator but not on a line, but I quite like it. I have a routine to follow and I'm in a small part of the factory whereeople are familiar.

Oh and to the person who said that adhd symptoms lesson as you get older. Do they hell! Mines worse than ever

Wow - my GP gave me a questionnaire immediately, the surgery rang the next week and I got an appointment a few days later and apparently it’ll be a month until I see the psychiatrist for a formal diagnosis and treatment but she said there wasn’t much doubt about it in her mind. Shocked to hear that isn’t standard practice!

blackhearts my BP has gone up with Concetta so I think I ll be coming off it. Back to square one!
I d just like to urge caution in thinking that a dx will be the panacea. I thought it would be but it has nt been. Yes I feel like ok this is why my brain works differently and everything else but meds have had a little effect but not a cure. Do get a dx. Just realise that there are things that help but there is NO cure.
Nobody imo grows out of true ADD/ADHD.

blackheartsgirl That all sounds tough.

Your medicated story is one I'm dreading. It's such a long bloody road at times to get the help you need. I do not have the energy to fight anymore. Can you consider a private/shared care system with a GP so you can get the right drugs? Or is is just a complete no no due to the high BP?

dammit bootygirl. Bummer about your BP.

I've been sliding back to square one so often, I don't want to me there again. I know you're right, in that a dx isn't always the solution. I just hope that I can get medicated and that I will respond. I want to get out of bed and live my life again without hyperactive crashes. And have people understand me!