Re: Seeking help in Toronto

[Anonymous]

Hi Darrin,

My husband was lucky, he self-diagnosed, his doctor agreed with him, and prescribed him Ritalin (which he doesn’t take). After a few years (6 or 7) I finally acknowledged that I probably have it too, even worse (hitting rock bottom) and went to my doc after taking a trial of his meds and discovering a whole new world where I could concentrate, stay on task, feel “normal”, etc.

Made an appointment with my doc and she freaked out about the Ritalin. Said she wouldn’t diagnose ADHD and that I needed a full psychiatric assessment. There were two options:

[1] general psychological testing (covered under OHIP but wait months perhaps)

[2] see an adult ADHD specialist (available pretty quickly, costs $1,000 but comprehensive and includes treatment recommendations for my doctor to follow)

She preferred the latter so I called the Bilkey clinic which happens to be in Barrie where I live. I’ve just had session 1 of 3.

I can’t really afford the $1,000 either but then, I had to spend over $400 last year to fight a major speeding ticket and I fear it’s not the last time. So you could weigh the costs (physically and emotionally) over the rest of your life in not getting a proper assessment. Think of it as an investment in the rest of your life.

My doc was concerned about co-morbidities that can mimic ADHD, and she also said that Ritalin was not what she would prescribed (Bilkey confirmed this, said Ritalin was the model T of ADHD drugs and that there were ones out there with better delivery systems).

So I lean towards a proper assessment, someone that knows adult ADHD and can guide you once you get past the official diagnosis.

I’m just starting out, having really up & down days as I deal with the direct hit of realizing what’s really been going on in my life (I’m 55).

Susan

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