Exactly how to get an adult ADHD assessment?

[DespairingHomeowner]

Inspired by tonight's 'overwhelmed by life' thread, a lot resonates

I've been wondering exactly how to get a reputable (private) assessment. I don't want to go via GP as I think it will take forever (I hold down a professional job etc so don't think i will be a priority).

I was trying to research the other night, but cost of assessments varies seemingly from £300 to a whopping £1200

I'm happy to pay but would like someone reputable/who has my best interests in mind, not someone who is happy to charge and has an agenda

Can I ask for any recommendations of clinics/specialists etc that anyone has used? I live in London if that helps

@CecilieRose, @Wombat49, @alfagirl73, @Jas1985, @Kennykenkencat, @Icecreamenthusiast, @Lanareyrey - did any of you have any ideas (did not want to derail the other thread by asking)

Many thanks in advance

For dd we used a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. You may find The Priory Group can help.

If you're happy to have an online assessment I would be able to recommend a lovely colleague. If you want a face to face assessment around London this is not going to be helpful though. I know he is an expert around adult adhd and would definitely care about what's best for you rather than having an agenda. Just had quick look on iwantgreatcare in case I'm biased and patients have actually had bad experiences. Seemed to all be 5 star reviews. Let me know if you want his contact details and can dm.

I think a lot of people use Psychiatry UK.

There's right to choose in England but I don't know much about it.

I went to my GP & she referred me to a local psychiatrist. I also went along to the nearest support group & had a chat to the people who ran it. I've since done some courses with Adhdwise, that were helpful.

NHS Right To Choose psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/

I haven't had any support from the GP since so I might, at some point, go see the guy that used to run Liverpool's adhd programme. He's now running a private clinic.

I've definitely found having an assessment helpful. Despite my mum saying I'm just lazy and refusing to believe it, it's made me change how I do things. My brain definitely rewired & feels a lot better. I think it was like finding a missing piece of the jigsaw. My DH is very helpful too as he gets it.

I'd like to try meds sometime. If anyone knows a psychiatrist that would accept the original dx, without reassessment, I'd be grateful. I'm struggling with rsd, atm, due to fuck wit relatives. 😳😁

theowltherapycentre.co.uk/services

I highly recommend the owl centre

[quote KarmaViolet]NHS Right To Choose psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/[/quote]
Yep. This is what I did. It was very quick at the time but that was a year ago.

I used psychiatry UK too, appt on zoom in June, due to start meds this week. Titration team had a 26 week wait 😳 still tons quicker than adult mental health team though who, on receiving my referral this time last year, wrote to me to inform me they were seeing people from June 2018!

Psychiatry UK - cost me about £300 wholly private (for speed/ease) over a year ago and my diagnosis took about a month. I hear it is busier now though so will take longer.

Thanks so much to all who had replied (and happy to have any other reccos!)

@Wombat49: thanks for your comment, yes, I’d love to understand how to manage things better (I think distractibilty is a huge issue for me).

For those of you who have taken meds: did your have to try several to get the right ones, & how long before you felt the effects?

Hi I paid privately for mine.
I tried methylphenidate and it gave me horrible heart palpitations and I don't like the idea of stimulants anyway so I take bupropion to help me focus and be organised also seems to make me less labile.

Random thing to note. Get sorted with a dx & any meds before you're menopausal. Adhd is not helping & I had pretty much lost the ability to carry any thoughts at all. Hrt is helping but it's grim. 🙄

I used Psychiatry-UK but I'm in Scotland (no Right To Choose here) so paid privately. I only waited 3 weeks because I kept checking and checking the booking system until I found a cancellation, because they're booked up for 18 months now, thanks to RTC.

Annoyingly, I was sent an NHS assessment date just 6 days after I was diagnosed privately - after the local mental health team told me that my referral had been lost and I'd be waiting "a long, long time" if I was re-referred. I then went through assessment all over again with them because the NHS will not prescribe ADHD meds with a private diagnosis and, frankly, I didn't want to pay £100 a month for meds the rest of my life!

recognitionhealth.com/team-members/dr-dimitrios-paschos/

I don't know if he's still practicing but I saw Dr paschos many years ago and he was very knowledgeable and also very kind.

@amusedbush: thank you for your post which is really helpful. I was wondering why there are no appointments on psychiatry Uk but now I understand…

[quote DespairingHomeowner]@amusedbush: thank you for your post which is really helpful. I was wondering why there are no appointments on psychiatry Uk but now I understand…[/quote]
Yeah, their waiting time was previously a few weeks but their website says they now get 150 referrals a day through RTC.

I was also diagnosed with ASD through them last month and I waited one week for an appointment with an autism specialist, just to highlight how many people are seeded ADHD assessment versus other neurodivergencies at the moment!

seeking*

not seeded

Place marking

I had an NHS assessment last week (still waiting for results) having been referred in August 2019.

Following.
Sorry not to offer any advice OP but its something I've thought about as well.

@DaisyWaldron

I had an NHS assessment last week (still waiting for results) having been referred in August 2019.

It's shocking how inconsistent the NHS waiting times are. In some areas of the UK the waiting list is 7 years, yet I was referred in April this year and diagnosed on 1st November. I'm in Glasgow.

@amusedbush thanks for that really clear description and path. I may be doing the same as you.

[quote JingsMahBucket]@amusedbush thanks for that really clear description and path. I may be doing the same as you.[/quote]
Good luck with it! It's exhausting but diagnosis has been really beneficial for me already (I'm a mature student and Disability Services wouldn't even talk to me without formal dx).

You might want to reconsider the GP route. I was diagnosed last year following a referral by my GP, and only waited two months for my appointment (and was told the diagnosis the same day). I was and am working in a professional job, for what that's worth. I think the timescales will depend partly on local commissioning arrangements, and you may be able to find something out about this via the CCG or GP.

The clinic has also been responsive and helpful about medication, and good about communicating with my GP. I have heard that sometimes this can be tricky following a private diagnosis. I haven't yet found medication which works for me, however.