Adult female ADHD assessment

[Deezeboob]

Wondering if anyone can share any insight into the process of receiving an ADHD Diagnosis as an adult female?

I've never thought about it before, but my DP has pointed out the symptoms to me and I must say it all makes so much sense. I filled in the questionnaire that my GP asked me to complete for a referral to the point where I worry they think I'll be exaggerating the symptoms!

I'd love to hear others' experiences on this journey and how things turned out for them. 🙏

Joining for the same reason.
Mid 50s I feel like I could easily have the hyperactive type,I love to multitask talk excessively apparently,interrupt and can Hyper focus for hours on end.I fidget too.
I hope someone can explain the process and if diagnosis helps.

Bump

Another one watching with interest!

I am 40 and have just been through it, I went private because the nhs is between 2-4 years wait.
I couldn’t wait any longer, I was tired of surviving…
I was sent lots of forms to fill in, assessment type ones. For me and a parent or someone who knew you as a child, and then I had a 2 hour long assessment online with a psychiatrist. He was great, we talked with the structure of a list of things he asked me. I scored pretty high, and he told me at the end that I absolutely most certainly had adhd combined type. He gave me the name of two drugs to read about and decide what I wanted to try.
I sent him my BP, wieght and HR and my choice which was Elvanse and he sent me a 4 week prescription to try and a follow up app for two weeks.
I then titrated up to a higher dose, which I have been in for 4 months now. I have had s further follow up with him and I am getting discharged on Thursday, so I can have it managed by the gp going forward.
I am hoping they will take iver the prescribing now because it is very expensive but quite frankly I can’t live without the medication. It has turned my life around, I still have adhd but I can function better and am happier. I no longer take any anti depressants

good luck, you can see your gp and request a referral to your local nhs service or to psych uk via the right to choose oathway. Waiting times are long though, and private is costly.

@Grenola This is really interesting. Do you think not having anyone whose known you since childhood would be a big hinderance in the assessment? And did you approach GP first? Did you get taken seriously from the outset? It’s a daunting first step. (Sorry if hijacking thread!)

Grenola thank you for sharing your experience.

I don’t think it’s crucial as you can and will draw on your feelings and memories from childhood and how school was ect.

my gp took me seriously, but I did have to paint a real picture of my struggles, and give lots of examples. Then they had me to a short screening which i scored 69/70 on!

they referred me via the nhs, but I went and did it privately. I’m just hoping the gp will take it in now.

it has been so insightful and I’ve had to see a counsellor with experience in neurodiversity and she is helping me to unpick how much I was masking and people pleasing and am left a bit feeling like ‘who am I?’

the medication has also completely stopped my binge eating, which it was my way of seeking dopamine. People with adhd have dopamine difficuencys and their brain can’t fire the signals properly between areas of the brain that control focus and executive function. So we chase dopamine through behaviours.

not having to seek it means I’m more relaxed and calmer and less exhausted all the time

Your experiences with ADHD sound very like the way I behave. Thanks so much for sharing 😊

Received an ADHD diagnosis with my autism diagnosis last year. It's been life changing.
I didn't have anyone to give evidence about when I was a child but they asked me all the right questions to tease childhood memories out of me
Eg. Did you have a nickname at school?
Me: yes, friends called me skippy.
Then: Oh, how come?
Me: because I used to bounce in the spot incessantly...... oh!

Last year my sons teacher took me to one side and said she had noticed certain behaviours in my son and had wondered if he had ADHD. He was too young for a referral then though so was put on a behavioural plan ( has now been referred now hes old enough )

I didnt know much about ADHD. We grew up with the stigma of it being "naughty boys who couldnt behave"

I went home and started to read up on ADHD and was shocked to find it was like reading about myself. I went to my gp and did a mini assessment thing and was referred to an ADHD360.

I waited 12 months for my assessment ( had mine in January ) and was diagnosed with ADHD

During the assessment I didnt have to supply any evidence from my childhood but she did ask me about my childhood.

I have the scores from the assessment somewhere, I dont know where I've put them 🙈🙈

I started Evlanse around 2 weeks after the assessment and then they increased my dosage after 2 weeks. Currently waiting to see if it needs increasing again, I'm not sure though as I've found I'm becoming angry really quickly on these tablets

Theyve helped me stay focused on one task at a time, stopped my thoughts racing as much, I've lost 4kg whilst on the tablets which isnt good for me as I'm recoving from a restrictive eating disorder. I've also stopped biting my nails which is nice as I've bitten my nails my whole life. I'm more organised and my memory is a lot better than it has been.

The only downside for me so far is how angry they make me, I'm hoping that will fade soon though

I've been on antidepressents on and off my whole adult life. I havnt taken antidepressents since starting the ADHD meds and I have only cried twice since starting them. I usually cry several times a day 😂

Hi I’ve filled in the paperwork - which I found excruciating - and am waiting to hear back. It took my friend 2 years so I’m expecting the same. I fear they’ll not bother with me since I’m in employment and not causing any problems for anyone but I just want answers. I just feel a huge sense that I have fallen far short of my potential in life. I’m really creative but there’s always a barrier to either getting started or completing. It’s hard to explain but I feel sick or fearful at the thought of “tasks”.
Weirdly when I was on beta blockers and ADs for PND, my creativity blossomed