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.

Under a shared care agreement this is exactly what happens. They’re titrated by the private specialist, then the gp prescribes once stable, with regular reviews from the treating psychiatrist.

I was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid forties about 3 years ago in the November, after a long wait. It was momentous and yet oddly 'meh' as life and people carried on knowing you and interacting with you, but this change was there for you to process.

I called it my 'year nought' or something. It was a year where I was allowed to take the time to process it. To tell who I wanted and how I wanted to tell them. To look at myself, my past, my everything.

It did not mean that in a year I would have 'solved' or figured out how I felt about it, and the implications, I still don't have it all worked through. But that was the point, having the diagnosis was for me the way into understanding things, exploring words and how they felt for me, like 'cognitive disability', neurodiversity, etc. I have eventuality built up to things like a reasonable adjustment for my work in the comms industry. The reality of 'masking' is something I am exploring a lot at the moment.

Everyone's experience of this is different - as is the language people use and how open they are with it. For example, I hate the word 'neurospicy' but I am not going to police other people using it themselves in real life or on forums, and I have some friends who are helpful to talk it through with, and others who I never really bring it up at all.

Happy to talk more if you want.

You've obviously not watched her videos enough. She focuses on all disorders.

As I said it was just a suggestion. If people prefer to mask their stuff with medication that rots your brain and is addictive. They're free to do so 👍

Ok you've more than made your point and you obviously know it all. Ta ra 😂

There's always one, in these forums 😂😂😂

Yes, but the OP is talking about the gp 'doing the test I need to start meds' so isn't at the point if stability for shared care. Plus not all gps share care with a private consultant or even with an NHS one

Same happened to a member of my family. She's accepted an AuADHD diagnosis now and is actually doing much better. At first we thought the adhd diagnosis was the holy grail, but she slipped sideways after about 6 months with her MH. An acceptance of the diagnoses, medication and support have turned things around now, nearly a year later.

Thank you for this! This is about where we are now, too

@CleverGreenBee

"As I said it was just a suggestion. If people prefer to mask their stuff with medication that rots your brain and is addictive. They're free to do so 👍"

ADHD medication isn't addictive and doesn't "rot your brain". It's been essential and life changing for two of my DC. Please don't spread misinformation. 🙏

re the 'medication rotting your brain' comment, that's an inflammatory post on a mental health forum, especially on a thread discussing ADHD, where meds are often the only thing that works to bring a level of functioning that's needed in day to day life

It's personal choice to take them or not, but it's not helpful or constructive to provide comments like that, where many people are struggling with diagnosis or how to work with it.

I really struggled with my diagnosis.
Regretted a lot if things I'd done / not done.

Lol

I have first hand experience of medication causing cognitive decline. My mother had to rely on medication all her life due to CPTSD. She developed dementia, through taking anxiety,depression meds. Her psych told us the meds caused it cos she had no other means of help.

Pluswas addicted to sleeping tablets and had to be weaned off them and was a a nervous wreck.

My brother was also a heroin ( opiod) addict and alcoholic for 20 years. He has been clean for 30 odd years. Though he did go to university when he was in recovery and get a degree

He repeats himself a lot now and can't remember things we've talked about. And he's only 65.My memory and focus is shocking after years of taking meds. I take a brain focus supplement and Grass & Cos relax and dream tablets and. I'm sleeping and not sedated

We all know about the dodgy dealings of big pharma. There is natural remedies out there. You just need to give them time

Anyway I'm done because we're not going to all agree and t6hats fine. But I'm too busy living now to keep reposting

I've stated my case but people can make their own decisions. 👍

My DB was addicted. I meant to say 🤪

Whatever doc 😂😂🤣

Thanks so much to everyone who has replied, I think the spread of answers is actually partly why I'm struggling to process it, everyone has such hugely varied ideas of what they believe it to be (or not to be), and some of them feel quite negative and reinforce the idea that just "thinking right" by following different people and methods is all that's needed. I think meds would be helpful but the attitude to this particular condition (I'm not criticising people's opinions just saying how it feels) makes how to feel about it very confusing. Some make me feel that this is a real diagnosis that it's ok to feel strange about and the desire to pursue meds, others reinforce the feeling I'm somehow a fraud and that adhd is either not real or an over diagnosed and over medicated condition. I feel guilty for wanting support from my gp to get treatment (given they were the ones who suggested adhd might be an issue in the first place!) and for not understanding the processes to do this.

Thanks to everyone again though, I really appreciate your thoughts but I just don't know what to make of it all. I don't care about a label I just want to be able to function well for my kids, my employer, my parents - basically everyone who needs me to manage life like a proper grown up.

These disorders are genetic. Our parent weren't diagnosed because they hadn't discovered the brain science then.

They unintenionally passed their coping strategies onto us. On doing brain scans, Scientists have now discovered the left front lobel cortex of the brain in patients with CPSTD, ADHD etc. Is jaded and not functioning properly and the right side is in overdrive.

Which is causing brain and nervous disregulation and why things trigger us. In my case I found writing down my fears and resentments. Signing off and asking God or a higher power to release me from them. Tearing up your writing and doing a simple meditation/rest for 20 mins, twice a day works better for me

It empties some of the unhelpful thoughts from our left front lobel cortex and makes room for more helpful thoughts while also starting to use our front right cortex more. The AA uses a derivative of the this writing technique.

So many people have been self medicating to mask the pain their trauma and procrastination causes because it makes them feel calmer and happy, but you eventually need more and more just to function.

There's a place for Ritalin etc which gives the same effects as amphetamines. You will figure out what works best for you and you're not a fraud. It's genetic and adopting the coping strategies of our parents that had these disorders too. We go into flight mode when we're faced with problems we can't deal with

It's not your fault. I'm only sharing my experience. I thought anti depressants tranqulisers and ritalin were the answer and took them for years but they stop working after a while.

I found that dealing with the symptoms through putting thoughts to paper, worked for me much better than talking therapy and medication. I'm still very much a work in progress

You deserve to heal and do whatever works for you. Not using both our front lobal cortexes of our braiins and taaking strong medications can cause cognitive decline and brain wasting diseases like MND and Parkinsons and dementia. Everyone's different, and I wish you good luck in finding what works for you.

The body and brain are designed to process what they need but we didn't know how to. My DD only uses natural remedies as do I now.

Your diet helps to by not taking to many comfort foods like carbs that lift us and then make us crash. And also eating processed foods that have no health benefits. It's fine eating them now and again.

We need connection with people for out immune symptoms, So going out and making connections with new people. Getting out in fresh air and learning to breathe properly, regulates our nervous systems too. I wish I'd known all this years ago, but knowing now makes me feel validated

And has stopped my self-defeating behaviours. I'm learning to love0 what I have left of my life now instead of feeling heavy hearted, stressed anxious ,depressed, sedated and isolated.

Your body will tell you what it needs by causing pain and your brain by driving unhealthy habits

Tap into you're body, it knows what it needs, if you listen to it...Good luck 😊

Why whisper? Gossips whisper 😂😂

Why whisper 🤔 Gossips whisper 😁

It's awful isnt it, I didnt realise it was autism at first, I just thought I was in a weird depression. I remember thinking it was alk just very bizarre though as I'd suffered with terrible depression in the past and never felt like that before

I got my ASD appointment 3 months after going to the GP! It wasnt a long wait at all, mine was with ASD axia and I got my diagnosis the same day

That about re regulating your nervous system has hit the nail on the head.

My children have been at my mums for almost 3 weeks now, this is the first time since they were born I've had time away from both of them ( 9 and 7 ) it's taken me 2 1/2 weeks to re regulate myself, I'm only just starting to feel more relaxed, cant believe how stressed and anxious I've been all this time. I'm going to have to find a better coping technique though this is the first and last time I'll be child free for this amount of time