Almost certain I have adult ADHD

[Anonymous]

I’ve pretty much taken all the online tests and have every symptoms except:

-Getting out of chair when supposed to be seated

-Being driver by a ‘motor’ and active all day

Any topic you can think of I’ve struggled with.

It has caused me to greatly underachieve in my life socially and in the workplace.

I tried to get a hold of my school report cards as some sort of ‘proof’ and the separate school-board of ottawa/carelton told me they destroy them every 5 years so they are long gone. (I failed grade 2 and almost failed grade 4, and almost got expelled in grade 6).

I’m not the type of person that is currently struggling school.. I’ve been pat that part of my life..

I’m not at rock bottom. Sleeping messed up. 60lbs over weight. leaving the house twice a week.. almost pushed out of my career.. can’t seem to wash a dish or even get in the shower. Very slow and foggy in the head. I always have fog though..

Anyhow, it explains a lot for my underachievement. I’m willing to pay to see any doctor that will prescribe me properly to me back on my feet.

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[Anonymous]

Hi Crush,

What sort of sleep problems are you having?

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[billd]

I just had my 3rd legit diagnosis – and this one was as complete as it gets, IMO. The family doc gave me that DSM IV test quickly, chatted 5 or 10 minutes and declared me ADHD. OK, well, I already did that myself, though LOL.

So then I get sent to a person who is like a nurse to the max, almost a doctor, just 25 cents shy of a full medical degree. A local “behavioral center”. I go through a 90 minute interview that’s pretty deep, then later this person reviews it, we chat and she says “Bill I”m sure you have ADHD” then says we need to know more, asks if I want further diagnosis, including sub-types, etc..

@#$% yes, I say. Now normally getting into a PDH neural-psychologist around here takes several months at best. I get a call last Friday “we have a cancellation, can you be here a week from FRiday at 8:30 and spend the morning”. I’ll be there!

So that was today – I got there and got in at 8:30,. didn’t get out until 12:45. About an hour interview with detailed notes, then a battery of psych tests to be really sure it’s not something else like some learning disorder, injury, poison, etc. THEN I take a long test that’s about 375 questions. After that, 3 other tests and finally the DSM IV that’s slightly modified. Then more discussion. At the end he says his initial diagnosis is ADHD combined subtype (just what the test here told me). He was sure it wasn’t some learning disorder, it wasn’t that I had some other mental illness – he’d ruled out a whole slew of things that CAN cause nearly the exact same symptoms. He was very very complete and thorough. He said my visual tasks were “superior” (higher than is typical) my math abilities were good, listed several other things that remined me of the old school “basic skills” tests. He agreed after it all that I was a visual learner (I’d told him that – show me a picture and I’ll figure out almost anything) and I was better in that area than most people.

He wants me back in a couple weeks for another hour to go over more definitive conclusions – AND to work on the reasonable accommodations forms for work, to, as he put it, “get me everything I need”.

I guess that’s my long round-about way of saying – take the trek, spend the time, get diagnosed. After today, I see there’s a whole lot, many many things that mirror ADHD very much. I learned a lot from him – including that many who believe they are ADHD actually are not. Many he sees come in very sure they are, and leave finding out they have something else. In my case it was confirmed –

Today was a good day for me.

Now if I could just get Yawnie our cat properly fixed up, poor fellow has a broken foot and the vets can’t seem to keep a splint on him and kee the bones in place.

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[Anonymous]

Hey I just seem to stay up really late. It’s when my mind works best. The frist half of the day is super foggy. I almost wake up at night.

I’m not depressed for sure. I don’t have any of those symptoms at all.

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[Anonymous]

Wow, billd, I’m sure you must be on a cloud today, having had so many frustrations getting where you are now. I agree, we can only armchair diagnose ourselves so far, there’s a lot we don’t know and can’t see in ourselves.

Crush, I am similar, I find as the day goes on, I get clearer in the head, often though I get really tired at night but sometimes I can work through that by surfing on the internet and getting into a project and then I am awake. But when I wake up in the morning I really have trouble getting going. That’s not how it always is, it varies, but I have trouble getting to sleep at night and staying asleep, and staying awake or being alert during the day, sometimes I fall asleep during the day.

My ADD specialist said I’m a textbook case of ADD but he wanted me to have a sleep study to rule out anything else. My family physician wanted the sleep study to make sure I didn’t have sleep apnea (sedation for sleep is not good if you have that). Well, outcome is I have textbook narcolepsy as well as ADD, but the narcolepsy is at the top of the list, according to the sleep specialist. Both can co-exist. The narcolepsy makes it particularly dangerous for me to do certain things like driving or operating heavy machinery. I gave up trying to self-diagnose narcolepsy and it was mis-diagnosed 20 years ago. So Crush, you need to be persistent in getting diagnosed, but it might not be what you think it is.

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[billd]

I’ll abbreviate it “no dope” as that’s how I view you

Anyway, yes, it’s exciting, in a way. FINALLY, clinical diagnosis that would be hard to argue with (granted no medical diagnosis short of a picture of a broken bone sticking through skin can be argument-proof) – but one that goes really far in excluding other possibilities. He covered several things that mimic ADD/ADHD – some very closely, making me think that those who simply visit a forum, see a list of criteria or symptoms, then head off saying “yup, that is what I have” are MAYBE making a HUGE mistake! Some of the other possible causes need different treatments –

It worked in my case as I’m in a chain – grandfather, mother, me, son.

And I rarely give up until I have concrete solid answers – so I’d done many months of research, talking to folks, lurking in forums (not just lurking here though), talking with others who WERE properly diagnosed, etc. Guess my in-borne troubleshooting abilities helped, too. Granted I’m not a car, sewing machine, or some other complex machine in that manner, but I’ve been pretty successful in the past at being correct in “what ails me”. This happened to work.

This fellow, and the gal before him, are now concerned about getting me proper treatment. I also read a lot of concern in their talks – about the ADHD, the issues I have with it (driving, injuries, etc.) and with my sleep issues.

When you have a rare bird like a PhD neuro-psychologist go that deep, at least you have defined it pretty well – then can take courses of action. I also feel really good about this part as now they can’t argue with me at work and HAVE TO deal with it accordingly. It’s a formal diagnosis with agreement with multiple providers. I can say “there is a reason for things happening this way, now you have to help deal with it”.

Driving issues is one of those areas – and one provider was REALLY concerned about my hours now placing me into heavy commuting traffic – and she wanted to see that changed back. Ah, that was one of my requests at work – they might have trouble denying it now.

I’ve done things the way I ‘ve done them for a reason, not just because it’s cool or fun – but because _I_ know how I am, how I operate, and what it takes to keep me going and working to potential – now I have something solid behind that.

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[beebster]

Hi Crush,

I am also considering going in for the assessment. I feel like I’ve limited my life because of this. I know I can be successful I just need the right tools. I need to be able to focus. The assessment is pretty pricey but at least it will give me some anwsers. If I am diagnosed with ADHD I know I won’t be able to afford the therapy so I figure I will probably opt for medication. I have no insurance plans and OHIP doesn’t cover this in Ontario so hopefully I will be able to at least afford the meds. If not then I’m not sue what I will do from there.

Have you looked into getting a diagnosis?

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[Anonymous]

hey billd, sorry I missed this, my web blocker was working too well and wouldn’t let me post here for awhile. I am really glad to hear that you’ve got some good professional help behind you helping you. There aren’t many doctors who understand all of the impacts of sleep and ADD on our lives, and we really need help to see all of the areas in which we might be impacted. It’s serious business, as far as I’m concerned.

Good luck with your employer. Keep us posted.

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[Stash]

@beebster – I’m doing my assessment through a family practice unit at a teaching hospital. Covered by OHIP, unlike some of the private clinics.

I believe psychiatry is covered under OHIP, but there are apparently long wait times. In Toronto there is a meet-up group which I am considering attending once I’ve been formally diagnosed. From my understanding the meds are just part of the picture. They help you focus, but then we have work to do to actually use that focus! This site is a great resource of support and information as well!

I too worry about the medication costs, but found this link that outlines some info on meds & their approx costs in Canada – http://www.addadhdblog.com/biphentin-the-newest-addadhd-medication-in-canada/#77606

I will obviously wait to see what my dr recommends as a course of action, but I will definitely have to consider cost in deciding how to proceed.

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[beebster]

@ Stash – Wow thanks for that link – it gave me a little relief. However I am curious as to how I can have my assessment through a family practice like you. Was this diffiuclt to find? Honestly forking up so much money for a 4 hour assessment is tough on the wallet let alone the followup sessions to train the brain but I need answers…you are lucky to have found this one.

Yes I have heard that the meds aare a small part as well. but I know I cannot afford to fork up hundreds for session (sadly the price is high for ADHD sufferers to get any real help). It’s a shame. However I feel that if meds will be able to just quiet the noise in my head and will help me focus then that is tremendous for me.

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[Stash]

@beebster – getting the diagnosis right is very important, so if you can in any way afford it, do it. Because of the hospital affiliation, my doctor team has a number of resources at their disposal. The doctor I saw talked to me, listened, asked questions to verify that an assessment was warranted, and ultimately decided that it was. I don’t actually know how long the appointment will be, or how extensive, but I feel well cared for there and I know from past experience that if the doctor I’m seeing doesn’t feel that they have the tools for the task at hand that I will be referred to another department.

I live in Toronto, but my doc is in Hamilton and I’ve been a patient there for over 30 years although I’ve moved many times. If you have a family doctor that you feel comfortable with, I would start there and ask them for recommendations.

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[billd]

Saw the doc for the follow-up appointment Friday. Confirmed. How he does it is to rule out everything else FIRST. Then tests for ADHD, and looks back at your history. Wants to know all about your school days and childhood, as well as work history, etc.

I’m up in the superior section of his tests for things like math (I guess I have potential to be great in math, but I don’t like math), language skills (said I’d make a good orator/speech giving person) as well as visual acuity, can easily see patterns in people, figure things out before others do, see things others don’t etc. –

and I’m near the very top of the ADHD scale – he showed me the test papers. I was clear over to the right, only a few points from the very top, not even close to the “maybe” part. Also indicated that I probably could have been or done anything that I’d wanted to, just that I never wanted to.

Also something I was born with – rarely form bonds with people. Can take ’em or leave ’em. I’ve noticed that. Rarely have a “bosom buddy”, loose track of people or ‘loose interest.’

Of course I am being told all this while “recovering” from just having a tooth worked on, and just turning in a heart monitor after 48 hours of monitoring, so guess what I didn’t pay much attention to… HA.

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[Anonymous]

not sure if it’s appropriate tp congratulate you on your high score, billd! It must feel good to be acknowledged, and have more data to go on. What’s next?

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[Stash]

@billd – it sounds like you got a great thorough diagnosis so you can confidently look to what your next steps will be. Glad to hear!

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[Author]

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