ADHD - Private diagnosis worth it?

[adhdquestions]

I'm 30 year old female, always struggled with anxiety/depression (been on some form of antidepressant since the age of 16). Did really well in school up until GCSE's although I always struggled with attendance! Then sort of fell apart at college and took 3 years to do A levels due to low attendance. I did get into uni however again struggled to attend and just didn't 'fit in' - completed 2 years and withdrew and got a job, I've always had a job and am lucky that it's currently pretty flexible but I always feel like I'm going to get 'found out' and again, I struggle with attendance and burnout. I'm currently on the waiting list for an NHS ADHD assessment and have been for about a year but not sure of the waiting list. It's increasingly having more and more of an impact on my life and I'm finding it more and more difficult to keep going. With all the negative press around private ADHD diagnoses I was just wondering if other people had found it worth it? Or am I better just waiting for the NHS?

Hi @adhdquestions
Not really the point of your thread but can I ask why you think you may have ADHD?
I’m interested because I’ve had similar struggles with attendance and burnout during my life and I’ve had shedloads of MH treatment from pyschiatrists, psychologists and therapists but no one has ever suggested that I could have ADHD.
I’m not sure why those type of symptoms are indicative of ADHD rather than other mental health issues. You might be going down the wrong rabbit hole due to the current focus on ADHD.

Wait for the NHS. Private consultations aren't well regarded by the NHS because they've rarely seen people who have had a private assessment and received anything other than a confirmed diagnosis.

It depends why you want a diagnosis. I had a private diagnosis and it’s been helpful with getting adjustments from my work but if you want medication then stick with the nhs. Private titration is expensive (hundreds of pounds). I didn’t get on with the first lot of meds I was given and needed to try something else so in addition to paying for 2 lots of medication at £150 each I also had to pay for the prescription again which was about £80. You can’t move onto shared care until you’re stable on the medication so it’s very expensive. Added to which many gps won’t do shared care so you could end up having to pay for your medication long term. I don’t take anything now even though I could do with it.

Look at Right To Choose. Your GP refers you to a place of your choice. I went through Psychaitry UK for both autism and ADHD. Had a good experience, short waiting list and am now on ADHD meds. So, it's still through the NHS as they pay for it and it's through a service they have commissioned, but shorter waiting lists.

I’m 57 and have felt different so to speak for many years at school I didn’t mix well spent a lot of time alone didn’t concentrate at school made out I was listening but it all went over my head I didn’t take it in I have highs and lows don’t like change I’m hyperactive and I suffer with anxiety I can go from 0 to 100 in situations so at my big age I had had enough I went to the drs and got diagnosed with G.A.D phew now I know what’s been wrong with me I’ve had talking therapy and it’s really helped should have done it years ago ……the dr did say I do have some traits of ADHD but if I get my G.A.D sorted I should be ok and I am so I hope you get sorted I didn’t go private and I got all the help I needed