If you have been diagnosed with ADHD can I ask you a question?

[sparklins]

For women - as I am one myself.
What would you consider your ''symptoms''?
If you were diagnosed as an adult - what made you seek a diagnosis in the first place?
How does one go about getting a diagnosis?
Does treatment work?

Apologies if this is a sensitive subject or if I used any wrong terminology.
It's something I have been suspecting in myself in a while and I don't really know what to do or where to take this, if my suspicions are reasonable or if I am just jumping off the deep end and I would really appreciate getting some perspective from people that know more on this topic as I do not yet feel confident enough to speak to anyone IRL.

@NotYourMam thanks, your post makes a lot of sense. My sister is convinced I have ADHD, but I can recognise certain parts of it in her. I think the difference between the two of us is, as you say, she has no executive function problems, whereas I am fat, in debt, can't organise anything in my life. I did well in school but more from luck rather than hard work. My homework was always left until the last minute, same with revision if I even did it in the first place. A-Levels and uni were much the same only it was harder to get straight As as I picked essay based subjects as maths, science etc were "too easy" in my dumb 16yr old mind!!

And YES!!! The coffee thing! Oh my god, I thought I was just a total weirdo. I can quite happily drink an espresso late at night and still sleep. What people have said about it calming them makes sense now i think about it as Ritalin and Adderall were (are?) both given for ADHD so I guess caffeine would work in a similar way?

Also yes to the exhausting inner monologue. Most of the time I don't mind it, or them as sometimes it's a few people discussing whatever in my head, but at times I have literally told myself out loud to shut the fuck up. I tend to only do that when I'm in the house though 😂

Does anyone else's monologue have accents? I had a posh RP English guy for a while who would use old fashioned phrases. Also there's a lady from Cork (I think), she sounds like Marian Keyes.

This is really informative. God this thread has been so helpful! Thanks all.

Thanks so much for replying! That sounds really straightforward & encouraging. Going to check if my GP can refer me. Just got to get over the idea of a zoom consultation 😬 Thanks again!

Is everyone on Ritalin? I’m not. Just wondered if other meds were being prescribed?

I'm on 50mg of elvanse (lisdexamphetamine) not too different to ritalin, I don't think

I'm still on the titration waiting list, but I asked for xaggitin xr (extended release) as that's what has helped my daughter so much, and my psychiatrist agreed it's a good one to try first so when my slot comes up, I'll be trying that.

The extended release versions of methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine tend to be prescribed first (Xaggatin/Concerta or Vyvanse) - Ritalin is short acting. The only non-stimulant option offered, at least in my region, is atomoxetine (Strattera).

My symptoms include:

1. Forgetfulness - this encompasses everything, from forgetting the birthdays of family and friends (so far this year I forgot about my mum's birthday and my own anniversary) to forgetting to respond to important work emails.
2. Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by too much stuff/mess - for example, I hate it when my DH's family buy too many presents for my DCs' birthdays and Xmas, or when my DH leaves his unopened post to accumulate on the kitchen counter. However I am myself quite messy.
3. Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by too much background noise - for example, my dog barking when people come to the door, but weirdly loving having some background noise (e.g., an audiobook or podcast) when I am trying to focus on some tasks.
4. Being either totally punctual for appointments or missing them completely (usually because I have forgotten to put them in the diary).
5. Never relaxing - I rarely sit down and watch tv. I am always pottering. I never understand how my DH can just lie down and read a book in the sun on holiday. I would always prefer to go on a hike, visit a local attraction, do some watersports etc. Secretly, I don't enjoy holidays for this reason - I hate the lack of structure and stimulation.
6. Impatience - I am so impatient. I do everything quickly - walking, talking, eating etc. I have never met anyone who eats faster than me!
7. Hating interruptions - I hate being interrupted when mid task because the mental effort of switching back and forth between things is tough for me.
8. Talkativeness - I am talkative and have a tendency to finish others' sentences (they never get to the point quickly enough!), but I have moderated this tendency through experience.
9. Being easily distracted - I am SO easily distracted. If there is something I need to do, I have to do it immediately or I get distracted by something else and then forget about it.
10. Zoning out - if there is too much going on, I will zone out stuff I can't handle. For example, say I'm looking after the DCs and making them dinner while they chat to me, if my DH comes in and asks me a question I often don't respond to him or even acknowledge that I heard him because it's just too much for me to cope with in the moment.

Does that help? I have been diagnosed but am unmedicated at the moment. I'm about to go through the titration process and hope that I get some improvement.

Hi all,
What an interesting thread. Thank you OP.
I'm going to keep following this thread.
I've always wondered if there was something else going on with me or if I was just stupid :(
If feeling stupid all the time a symptom?!
There are other things too but I'm going to keep following the thread x

I forgot my dads birthday which is the same day as mine.

I find the forgetfulness part interesting! I can still remember random classmates birthdays and phone numbers from 20 years ago

I am following this with interest. I am the expert masker in taking on way more work than I can handle (I have three part-time jobs and my own small side business), and setting myself into a spiral of paralysis and procrastination. I’ve done a 12 hour work day of which only four hours were intensely productive, and I’m spiralling figuring out how I’m going to catch up over the weekend. I’ve an unhealthy relationship with sleep (hello again, 1am), but I can’t compromise on standards. I feel I am killing myself with my own intensity.

Gosh too many to list
The worst is the rabbit hole
I'll notice a new background image has loaded and and I'm off looking up the place. Then several hours have passed.

Cleaning and declutter is so overwhelming, sometimes I'll sit in the mess and cry.
I'll be cleaning and working on the clutter. 3 hours later surfaces are clean, clothes in the wash and it looks no better than it was.
It's like I just moved everything around and it still looks bad.
Clean but looks like a tip.

OK that's it for now.