The Forums › Forums › What is it? › How do I get diagnosed? › Need Help in Central Ontario or Toronto. › Reply To: Need Help in Central Ontario or Toronto.
Hey captainmarymary,
Yes, yes, YES! Get diagnosed!
I was diagnosed a couple of years ago in my early 40s, at the suggestion of my son’s specialist who said “oh ya, you have ADD too” when he was diagnosed.
I had somehow developed hyper-organization skills and coping mechanisms over the years on my own and managed to get through life pretty well. BUT every day was a struggle in scheduling, prioritizing, organizing, planning, self-motivation, execution and follow-through, etc., etc., etc… When I saw my own specialist (who is no longer practising – but that’s a whole other issue) for the first time he said “It’s hard being you, isn’t it?” I cannot describe the sense of relief and validation and utter joy I felt at having someone understand my overwhelming feeling of frustration in life. I started taking meds that day and, although they aren’t a cure, I immediately felt more directed than ever before, and still do. I use the term “directed” because I suddenly had more motivation and the capability to start AND finish tasks, and I could finally sort out and organize the mental clutter of tasks and responsibilities that I could never prioritize well. My house is a mess and my work area is a disaster but it’s organized chaos (which is typical of ADDers) and it works!
So captainmarymary, don’t let anyone tell you that there is no point in getting diagnosed and treated “at your age”. I think you’ll find that not many good doctors would actually say that, anyway.
Look at it from this perspective: Wouldn’t it be great if the rest of your life was easier? As Richard said, you deserve it!