Counselling for adhd

[BillywigSting]

I don't really know how to start this so I'll just jump right in.

All my life I have been disorganised, a day dreamer, always loosing stuff, very scatter brained, a terrible procrastinator and almost incapable of concentrating on things that don't seriously grab my attention, as well as often starting tasks but not finishing them

This has affected my life in numerous ways, stupid mistakes at work getting me fired, failing exams as I really struggled to make myself revise, easily getting bored with new jobs, disorganisation even affects my relationship with my dp negatively.

I was on YouTube looking for a video on how to stop procrastinating and just get shit done when I got distracted by another video on adhd, and fell down a bit of a rabbit hole. An awful lot of it rang huge bells for me. I ended up taking a lot of online quizzes from various reasonably reputable sites and getting 'highly likely, go and see a dr'. Still I dismissed it as I'm nearly 30 and thought if I had it, it would have been spotted years ago, and perhaps I was just pathologising normal behaviour and thought patterns.

I also commented on a friend's (who I know has adhd) status on Facebook about how I'm coping in lockdown (I'm not) and he replied along the lines of 'get out of my head' because the things I had recounted were exactly the same as his thoughts /experiences.

That led me to get in touch with my gp who gave me a telephone consultation. I recounted basically what I said here and they have referred me for counselling (all over the phone obviously due to covid).

My first appointment is next Wednesday and I'm so nervous.

What if I don't have it and am just lazy and thoughtless?

What if no one believes me?

What if they dismiss me?

I'm not really sure what I'm trying to get out of this post and thank you if you have read this far.

Has anyone else had a diagnosis as an adult? Did it help?

[Zinco]

Fair enough. Personally I hate the online forms... if it was just a message system no problem; but I tried and it wanted to give me a survey, ask various background questions, and then the * thing refused to process it and told me to seek medical help.

[BillywigSting]

There's a bit of tick box type stuff but there is also a space to write anything else they might need to know, so I put that I don't have anxiety or depression, a mh professional they signposted me to is writing to request a referral and that they had advised I do the same, as NICE guidelines state etc etc.

If they don't listen this time I'm going to request a different Dr

[GruffalosGirl]

I was diagnosed last year in my 40's and it was definitely worth getting the diagnosis, even just for self esteem help. I went to my GP and they completed a questionnaire and referred me as I hit enough criteria. However, ds had previously also been diagnosed, which helped.

I am in the North West and I ended up going private, as the waiting list to see the adult adhd team was 4.5 years and in the area next to ours it is 9 years! Even the wait for child assessment is over a year.

It only cost me a couple of hundred pounds for my initial assessment appointment and my GP fills my prescriptions so it is a standard cost. I have to see my consultant privately once or twice a year which costs £200 a session, so it has worked out much better, if that would be manageable cost wise and you are having trouble getting referred.

The how to adhd videos by Jessica on YouTube are brilliant for support if you have adhd. They are definitely worth watching.

[BillywigSting]

Oddly enough those were some of the videos that resonated and made me realise something might be up.

I can't afford to go private currently but I might look into it if the waiting lists are massive

[Zinco]

Those waiting list times are just unbelievable. I thought they were supposed to be taking mental health seriously these days.

If you go private, there isn't a guarantee that your GP will cooperate with a private psychiatrist.

[CatherineCawood]

Google and diagnosis and Psychiatry UK. You have a right to choose who diagnoses you under sonethingorother rules. Therefore you can choose psychiatry UK and they will contact your CCG and request funding. It's all in their website. As a pp said though your gp has to agree to shared care so you can get nhs meds otherwise you are looking at £80+ very 4 week

Good luck.

[Mindcounsellingedinburgh]

Hello

It has been more often, and easier, to diagnose ADHD and ADD with the abundancy of information. I am a counsellor and Psychotherapist who has helped few clients to overcome the struggles.
It is not a disease as such, some of the neurons on the front right lobe are not fully developed. It is our front cortex (part of the brain) that makes plans and work more coherent, however, our brain is "plastic", it has an ability to make different connections. The most important is to have compassion to yourself and make small personal daily plans.