EDIT: Ended up writing loads more than I'd intended so advance warning about the dissertation length post. 😂
Just posting here for traffic.
Was diagnosed with ADHD towards the end of primary school which is fairly late by today's standards. Almost wasn't allowed into mainstream secondary due to my disruptive behaviour and had to attend a school for kids with behavioral issues for a bit.
Going on ritalin was an absolute game changer and transformed me into a good student almost overnight. I still had my challenges but being bright I was able to sail through my exams etc (e.g. got 99% in my key stage 3 English which was my favourite subject).
I stopped taking it sometime around my late teens (maybe 16yo) and this was more down to teenage rebellion than anything else I think. I scraped through my A Levels with ok results but nothing like the straight A's I'd been on track for.
Had a couple of leftover packs and occasionally used it at uni when struggling and it did defo help. Ten years on I'm reflecting that it could well be beneficial to my life to restart.
I generally stay on top of things but it feels like an absolutely monumental task at times. Like, I lie in bed on a Saturday morning dreading doing the housework and will often watch stuff on my phone until midday to avoid it. I try not to but somehow it still regularly happens.
Had a good graduate job through my 20s but honestly looking back it consumed my life to an extent I'm only realising now. I went from uni to almost 30yo without having a proper boyfriend, despite having lots of male attention and a great social life, and was always single. Had a fair few flings but never felt settled enough in my life to actually have a steady boyfriend. And didn't really plan stuff either (e.g. went almost a decade without a holiday and just used to spend my weeks off laying about and getting my energy back).
I always felt like I was 'almost there' but in reality I wasn't. I ended up quitting office work and am now in a decent job which I enjoy but doesn't involve much admin etc. Very hands on and a good fit for my restless nature.
For some reason I've always been somewhat resistant to acknowledging my ADHD and I don't really know why when I look back. I'm glad I got out of office work as I've always hated having to conform and walk on eggshells/corporate politics etc, but I'm honestly starting to think that medication might benefit me the more I read about it.
I have a good work life balance and don't struggle with executive skills as I'm in a operational plant environment where most management aren't graduates and the bar is pretty low tbh. It's more my personal life where I think I'd benefit as I still find it a gargantuan task to do stuff that most people just seem to get done.
I spoke to my doc in Feb and then chased in March at which point they were waiting on a reply to their letter. I called today thinking it'd been a few months and was shocked it's actually been seven months! Hadn't realised it was so long ago I'd spoken to them.
I know the waiting list is long but the average wait is supposedly nine months for a diagnosis, so seven months seems a long time for somebody who's already been diagnosed and treated and just wants to restart a prescription.
I'm interested to hear advice from people more familiar with the system than me. I'm not sure whether they effectively 'start again' if you're an adult, whether they're just gradually plodding through the backlog, or whether they're just being useless and nothing is actually progressing. When I spoke to the secretary in March she immediately pulled up my notes and advised about the letter, but when I called just now she couldn't find anything on my record about it at all and had to book me in for a phone call! Bit worrying as I've already had a longish chat with the GP that's due to call me.
I would happily just buy some ritalin online to try but I need a proper prescription as I get drug tested at work and it shows up as amphetamine.