Ive been diagnosed with adhd

[Cloudylawn]

It's been a few days but feeling really weird about it. From feeling like a total fraud having that diagnosis "they must have got it wrong, I don't really have adhd so don't deserve that diagnosis and any support/meds" to feeling like it's confirmation of my inability to adult properly. I weirdly feel even more stupid now when I forget everything knowing that it's not just me having a moment but that I am actually all the things everyone said about me "scatterbrained" being the favourite of my parents.

I don't know, I thought finding out would help but I just feel really sad and stupid. Hoping to try meds and see if it helps.

Hi, maybe you need a bit more time for it to sink in? Also, if you’ve been feeling inadequate for a long time this seems to be a logical reaction, like you can’t accept that there’s nothing wrong with you. Accept it and accept the help, I’m sure having the right tools in place will help you. Good luck xxx

I was diagnosed with ADHD last year, I felt like maybe I'd just managed to convince the assessor that I had ADHD and myself. But their proffesionals and know what to look out for. It was nice to "forgive" myself for all the things I'd struggled with.

What was horrible though, was the fact that the meds definetly treated my ADHD symptons but they also brought to the front lots of autistic traits I didnt realise I was masking. I was diagnosed with autism last week and I'm devastated about it

@Dumdeedahdumdeedo the same thing happened to me! I got a lot more sensory sensitivity, social withdrawal. I've got as far as getting a referral form from the GP for an autism assessment. Yet to return it! I know I am though and have for a while.

I've gone through ups and downs with it. I read threads like the one on mumsnet about outgrowing autism - it makes me mad as I think maybe for HFA you can have a life where it doesn't impact you but equally if you remove some coping strategies it's easy to hit disaster. And certainly I don't like the idea that people should outgrow it. And it's not a mindset that helps people who have never really coped. Thinking about all that makes me mad.

I'm in the middle of the worst burnout and actively looking for approaches to facilitate recovery.

I think for me one of the most helpful things is to try and be bed or sofa bound as much as possible with a weighted blanket. It's all about re-regulating my nervous system. I'm actually someone who is very unlikely to spend lots of time in bed or on the sofa normally. But a couple of weeks like this does me a world of good.

Thank you so much for the responses! Yes I know I need to give it some time. It's just a lot to process and because it was private assessment, my gp won't do a shared care agreement or do any of the tests I need so I can start meds. So I either need to find a new gp who will (though apparently that's difficult), pay to have private prescriptions which will be expensive or gp has said they can refer me for an nhs assessment but it could take years. I should have researched the whole thing more but just impulsively booked it one day when I was desperate to find anything that would help me manage life better but it's never that simple. I now want to try meds asap but while I can afford to start initially privately, ongoing that is going to be difficult. Anyway, thanks for sharing your stories!

Even though I know some things have always been a little off with me...nothing serious I felt...my grown kids actually said Mam, I think you need to see the doc about ADHD/ASD or even bipolar. Im 51. My moods a extremely high but no so much lows and I have now I realise a lot of sensitivity to noises and textures amongst many other things that have started to be apparent as ive got older. I just thought this was my normal. GP done the things they do and she suspected it is ASD. I have had to submit forms online to psychiatry UK and await their call though I know there is a huge waiting list. I can hold down a job and run a home and attain relationships. I don't feel i will ever needs meds so definitely feel like a bit of a fraud. As I said...I just feel I am my normal. But I guess these people know what they're talking about and so I wait and see. Hope all works out for you

NHS GPs not doing a shared care agreement with a private doctor is very common. However, getting the diagnosis without easy access to meds, is making it harder for you because you more aware of the behaviours without any recourse to alleviate them. My suggestion would be to ask the person who diagnosed you for an initial low dose prescription which you can take now and then (not all the time, so less expensive) and use it when you need it most. This will help you feel in control of your diagnosis and help you decide whether medication is what you want. My DD, diagnosed 8 years ago, takes the quick release methylphenidate, which she happens to have in 5mg, 10mg and 20mg because of drug shortages. The drug lasts up to 4 hours and she can choose the level of focus she wants by the power of the pill. She uses them for work, study, a night at the movies, packing to go away - just any time when she needs to be focused and organised. The rest of the time she is her usual, hyper-verbal, unorganised, messy, delightful whirlwind self. Good luck going forward with your diagnosis.

Thank you all so much there are some great ideas here! @mugglewump this dosing idea sounds smart, just having it for when I really need it and yes definitely to those who have suggested other therapy and ways to cope.

@Mayflower282 ok whatever your thoughts on adhd, comparing its diagnosis to horrific historical injustices isn't welcome here.

You Are not your diagnosis, nor are you trapped in the confines of "ADHD".

You are still you. Find land use your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and enjoy life. It's stinking short

I'm not saying I'm trapped I'm saying I'm struggling to process this, one of the main reasons is people saying things like @Mayflower282 and @ClaustrophobicKipper feeling like I'm somehow a fraud for trying to access support and yes meds that could help me cope with life.

I've spent forever thinking I'm this lazy, scatty, forgetful, disorganised, hyperactive person and that it's all my fault and if only I could figure out a way to just try harder everything would all be ok. But if having a diagnosis means I can access medication that could help then I don't want to feel bad about that.

But at the moment I do feel bad and a lot of that is there is so much stigma around adhd and people saying it's made up and part of me thinks what if I really just am crap at life and theyve got it wrong and it's really all my fault. That's what I am trying to process. And it's hard.

I completely understand how you feel. I'm in my 50's and I'm sure I have both conditions but feel there's no going back once diagnosed.. and I'm not sure what the benefits would be. I'm wondering if you'll feel more accepting in the future. How long did it take to get the autism diagnosis? Can you be diagnosed with just having a few traits? There seems to be such diversity between just a few traits and the severe end.

ADHD is a disorder caused by brain disregulation. I have it as well as DD and DS. The best place I've found how to deal with it. Is "The crappy childhood fairy" on You Tube. You don't have to have had a bad childhood though to find her techniques very helpful. She's not a doctor or Psychiatrist but someone that researched the brain science of all these new disorders that are showing up now. She is so authentic and caring and doesn't use fancy jargon. She started off with one blog and now has a massive community. That include Doctors and psychiatrists that don't know enough about brain disregulation. Especially in the UK. I find her videos a massive help.

Also diagnosed with ADHD this year. Also still processing it and looking back over my life to see the impact especially with emotional dysregulation, chronic rumination and my relationships.

Meds have to be started and stabilised by a specialist, ideally the one who diagnosed you. Your GP is acting safely.

I meant they're only showing up in the last 10 years or so. My DD was very hyper and screamed every day going to school and struggled to sleep.

She would say her sock stitching was hurting her and would only eat cereal. The doctor and psychologists she'd seen said to be tougher on her and not give her e numbers.

She was diagnosed in Austalia recently as being on the Autism spectrum, CPTSD, ADHD and sensory overload. That's why the socks annoyed her, and she only liked the texture of cereal.

Proving doctors and Psychologists in UK knew nothing about these disorders. Anna Runkle knows exactly what she's talking about. She was brought up in poverty with 2 alcoholic parents and suffered loads of trauma.

She knows more about brain disregulations and the effects on the nervous system etc than most psychiatrists and doctors. A lot of them use her techniques.

Im 61 and have only recently been diagnosed with Childhood and Complex PTSD and wasted so much time and money on talking therapy that only re-traumatised me. I was suicidal and she saved my life ☺️

That's was for the person that laughed about me saying they were mew disorders only showing up in the last 10 years or so.

I'm knew and haven't figured out to reply to the person directly. I wouldn't waste my time on therapy and drugs. I'm 61 and have tried it all. Anna Runkle is the one that's helping me.

Yes, but I presume he's American. I forgot to say I've also have ADHD and have only been diagnosed at age 60 in the UK.

They'd rather profit from giving out drugs. I also use the Sedona method. My life has been miserable. I've been lonely and Isolated most my life. And had depression and extreme anxiety and no doctor or psychiatrist in the UK could tell me what was wrong.

She's helped me massively. I was in bed most days depressed and Isolated until I found her and the Sedona method.

Its a suggestion. I'm not bending anyone's arm to check her out but I'm weaning of my Diazepam and Anti depressants that have caused cognitive decline.. Stomach reflux meds also cause cognitive decline.

I'm so much happier now and I'm embracing what's left of my life now, without medication. ☺️

I have been diagnosed. I have stated that twice 🤔

She has a massive community online. She does get critics ,largely from doctors and psychs 😂 I never said it was a fix all either. Her writing technique is actually a derivative from AA. Anyway she's gave me my life back at 61 and I rate her ☺️