Is an ADHD diagnosis worth it?

[Itllbefine6]

I'm looking into going private to get an ADHD diagnosis. It costs a lot of money. Is it worth it? Is there effective treatment? Can I even trust the diagnosis?

It was life changing for me.

I don't take medication.

If you do go privately seek out a reputable psychiatrist.

Thanks very much for your reply. How do I check whether a company/psychiatrist is reliable? How was it life changing? Are there strategies you can use without medication?

The self-compassion diagnosis can bring is pretty helpful. Coaching can help with executive functions. Depending on your needs and circumstances, it may be possible to access workplace coaching support, including via Access to Work.

Personally I would look for an assessment with somebody with very substantial NHS assessment experience, who works to NICE guidelines in their private practice. (You would expect them to seek separate input from someone who knows you from childhood, and to seek childhood evidence from school reports etc.). There is usually an option to pay for a session first of all to discuss your situation and the pros and cons of pursuing a diagnosis. This can be money well spent in terms of deciding how comfortable you feel about the process and practitioner.

www.berkeleypsychiatrists.co.uk/doctors/dr-chris-kalafatis#:~:text=Dr%20Chris%20Kalafatis%20is%20a,in%20Translational%20and%20Cognitive%20Psychiatry.

This is who assessed me. As you can see he has the credentials. Prior to that I made an appointment and paid a deposit to one of the 'ADHD' companies (can't remember which one) and my appointment was given with a pharmacist who was qualified to diagnose. I got an immediate refund and dig deeper.

For me the understanding of myself is the most important factor. I'm also autistic and part of that makes me anti medication. I did consider it for a time but decided against it as the validation my diagnosis gave me was life changing. I'm in a very fortunate (or unfortunate) position where i do not work - I haven't managed this for almost 10 years now and I am able to be very kind to myself. I think medication has its place for people who need to function on a better way than I do but I'm happy plodding along tbh.

I'm nearing 50 and my kids are grown and left except one teen so the pressure release is immense.

Thanks for your input Pasage and dylanschicken. Basically, I've been feeling terrible about myself because everybody else seems to be able to function better with job and kids. Sometimes I barely manage the kids and only work occasionally. Just feeling less rubbish about myself would be a relief, even if not much could be done. And maybe some help to get the house more organised before my husband divorces me 😂

Totally worth it! My mum actually said to me "what good would knowing do?". I can't even begin to explain what good knowing has done for me! It has changed my life. It took me 10years of going to various GPs to get believed and then I wrote out a 12,000 word document dating back thirty years so mine was a bit of a bumpy old ride getting there but well worth it. I now feel I'm not a fraud. I hope you find a similar experience x

Have you been to your GP? I ask as I too was considering going private as thought the waiting lists were long. However, I was really surprised. I went end of Sept, got my referral through week, had to do a test and submit lots of info. I have my appointment with a specialist this week!
It has been incredibly quick.

I know it will be different in different places but really worth checking with your GP first before making the decision to pay to go private