I am so scared no one will take me seriously

[Thetoasterhasbroken]

After almost 45+ years of struggling with my mental health and other issues, the penny has finally dropped.
I think I may possibly have had inattentive ADHD all my life.
My childhood was blighted with various issues. Throughout my whole life I’ve been told I am an air-head, don’t pay attention, lazy, unorganised. That I am too anxious, an over thinker, restless, scatty, crap with money, disorganised, unsociable............did I mention lazy!?
But I am so scared that as I have been branded this way, no one, particularly my gp just won’t take me seriously and will think I am just on the band-wagon of something which is currently popular on social media.
But I’ve struggled all of my life, I had so many weird ‘quirks’, ocd, obsessions and mental struggles from the age of 6+ and even then no one took me seriously, my parents just says I was a weird child and have always been highly strung and full of anxiety etc (they just drugged me up with Phenergan to get me to sleep each night). I do know that if my children had the weird quirks and behaviours that I suffered from (and I did suffer) I would have taken them to the gp. In fact I have done for ds (has dyslexia).
I feel I have been gas lit all my life and scared to open up to anyone about my concerns.
I have done endless adhd online tests and come up with high scores each time.
How did you get someone to take you seriously if you were an adult on this journey?

[BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation]

I was able to afford private assessments for both my adhd and autism. I think if you're having to go down the NHS route - starting with a GP - then prepare well. Do some of the screening assessments and present the results. Make an outline of how the ADD is affecting you with plenty of evidence on your health, social functioning, employment etc. Be professional and business like when talking to them. Don't panic or flap. Don't get emotional. Be serious and go in expecting to be taken seriously. Explain that ADD/ADHD causes anxiety and depression and you need to know and address the root cause because this has been shown to be far more effective than just treating the mental health symptoms alone.

Keep it concise, simple and straightforward. GPs aren't the sharpest tools in the box and they need it spelled out for them. Assume they know nothing about ADD/ADHD. Remain assertive, but calm.