ADHD

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A casual community for people with ADHD

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Relevant Lemmy communities:

Neurodivergent Life Hacks

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founded 1 year ago

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Adult ADHD Diagnosis - what is the process like? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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For those of you who weren't diagnosed until adulthood (I'm in my late 40s), what was the diagnosis process like? Are you just given a written test, or does someone evaluate you more thoroughly? Do they try to understand your symptoms, or is it more of a checklist? If anyone has personal stories they'd be willing to share, I'd love to hear them. I'm also just curious about what to expect during the appointment. Who do I make it with? A psychiatrist?

I also wonder if there are other related conditions or learning disabilities that I might have, such as dyslexia. Do I need to be proactive in asking for multiple diagnoses? Or will they be able to evaluate me for anything/everything?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I was diagnosed about 7-8 years ago, and I was in my early/mid 30s at the time. I was referred to a specialist by my pcp, and they started out by asking me some questions about my symptoms and whatnot. The final thing I had to do was take this computerized test thing that involved looking at a screen while doing some simple stuff. There were cameras that tracked my eye movement to determine how long I was appearing to focus on what I was supposed to be looking at (versus anywhere else on the screen or in the room). Afterwards, we talked about what meds/dosage to start out with. For the first 6 months or so I was going in almost monthly to adjust my dosage and/or switch meds entirely. Once we found something that worked, I started going in every 2-3 months to check in. Overall, not an unpleasant experience.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Mind if I asked what meds you received in the end? I’m 36 and was put on Lamictal for bipolar… I’m almost certain it’s ADHD but I guess the VA refuses to listen or help me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Vyvanse is what I ended up on, and it worked wonders. I actually had to stop cold turkey a week ago while my doctor figures out why I have high blood pressure, and it's been a pretty rough week. I kind of forgot how much of a help the Vyvanse was for my daily quality of life.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

@murrman vyvanse is a pretty good med.

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