Appointment tomorrow..Nervous

[Anonymous]

I am new to this forum, but I am convinced 100% that I have ADD. My 8 year old son has ADHD and was diagnosed about 6 months ago. Since his diagnosis, I have naturally as mothers do, started researching the condition and found myself thinking “OMG! Thats me” 90% of the time. I always knew I wasnt quite “The same” as everybody around me but had no idea why until now. I suppose the best way for me to describe it is I always felt misunderstood! I have a terrible track record with the relationships with family and friends, in fact I have no friends left because I have either pushed them all away or offended them in some way, I have few family members left but those I do have are just the ones willing to put up with me! I make myself sound like a bad person here but I assure you, Im not lol, I just have a nasty habit of blurting things out that should probably be kept to myself at times. I am also very distracted, cant focus, bad with money, terrible with food and over indulgence I used to be addicted to smoking but I have stopped that and seemed to have replaced it with food and chewing gum! Its like I need something to be addicted too! I have a tendancy to rush into new ideas, plans, projects withut fully thinking it through and then end up failikng atg everything as I just cant seem to stick to anything! Im a fidget, I wouldnt call myself hyperactive because I have an issue with getting star5ted with anything, I plan too but cant seem to get the motivation and I end up browsing the internet or messing with my phone till I realize 5 hours have passed and Ive got nothing done! So yes I wouldnt consider myself hyperactive but I do fidget, my hands must be constantly doing something (hence the internet/phone) my feet are usually tapping to imagnary music! Even when Im trying to sleep, my feet are still tapping and I cant seem to stop it. My mind races with thoughts constantly to the point of distraction! and often negative thoughts too which isnt nice. I have problems with relationships, they only last so long before i feel “Bored” and “there has to be more to life than this” feeling, fortunately after 2 failed long term relationships because of this, I am now in a long term relationship with a guy who “gets me” he practically knows whats going on inside my head without me having to tell him, so he knows when to back off and give me space and when to move back in and support me, he recently moved out to a place very close by, to give me space as I was starting to get “that” feeling and I needed him to give me some room…. Basically this is just the surface of explaining me but I wanted to give you an idea of what I am like. But I have an appointment tomorrow with a mental health team, I am very nervous that they are going to fob me off and that I will not get the diagnosis I feel I need I have printed off a huge list of symptoms and life occurances to back up what I am going to tell them, I have print outs of ADHD quizzes to show my responses and the results and I am taking my partner with me who knows me better than anybody else… but the anxiety that they wont believe me is taking its toll today as I know just how hard it is to get a diagnosis for adult ADD/ADHD feeling very worried so can anybody offer me any advise please?

REPORT ABUSE

[shutterbug55]

Hi Jeni,

I don’t know how the clinic you go to does it’s testing, but mine limited my visits to an hour and a half, and then to 50 minutes, once I was diagnosed.

Testing for me took several visits. She asked my wife a lot of questions, had us both fill out questionnaires. Had us mail questionnaires to my brother and sisters, and my mom. I took computer tests, cognitive tests, all sorts of memory tests and reaction-time tests. There may have been some tests she ran on me as a means of distraction. I am pretty quick, and I figure things out and start loosing interest.

It sounds like you have lots of notes, and if you can organize them into 4-5 things you want to cover and a few questions you want answered, it will help you focus on the important stuff to you.

Bring an advocate. Someone who can observe and chime in, when you back off. It is a very intrusive process, but so WORTH IT!

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

This worries me, sending stuff to my mum.. she doesnt believe I have ADD/ADHD because I didn’t cause trouble at school and wasn’t climbing the walls You would think she would go to the extra effort to find out about the condition before opening her mouth and looking stupid and uninformed since she works in a school reception! But sadly no…

REPORT ABUSE

[kc5jck]

As they say, “just be yourself” and should pass. 😉 Good luck. And welcome to the site.

(I go into my posts and break the things into short paragraphs. It makes it easier for all these ADHD guys to read.)

REPORT ABUSE

[Misswho23]

Hi and welcome!

My diagnosis was much easier. My therapist noticed all the foot tapping and fidgeting bouncing from one subject to the next and diagnoses me as the hyperactive type. At first I thought I would be inattentive but looking back at my history it’s definitely the HD part.

I went to a psychiatrist and went through a seres of questions. I don’t remember it being grueling. I was nervous and resistant at first but my therapists pointed out that I would not likely find that I have a huge disorder of some kind just ADHD and it was probably the missing piece to all the stuff I was struggling with.

The psychiatrist agreed it could be ADHD and or anxiety. So try the stimulants and see if they do anything. I only wish I had set some goals for what I wanted to gain for stimulants. Not just I wanted to feel better but more concrete ones. I had the notion that it would be the magic pill and fix everything really fast.

After some time on the meds and then forgetting to take them I did notice the difference. First my therapists did in just the way the tapping and fidgeting settled down and how I could stay more linear with my thoughts. I couldn’t tell at all at first. So it’s good to get feedback form those close you about any differences.

Oh and with the meds I’m actually finishing the things I’ve started and the money issues are getting resolved more and more.

Over all watch Dr J’s webinar on the holistic approach to treatment. It’s on the site.

I make this all sound rather easy and not that bad but well where I was in my life at the time was pretty bad. I lost my job due to undiagnosed ADHD issues that I didn’t know about or how to manage. My relationship was about to end and my home life was just chaotic. So after a year and a half it’s much better. Not perfect but better and getting better still. IT’s a journey. Just remember if you are diagnosed later in life an an adult it took years for things to get wherever they are right now. It will take some time to gain balance but I think you will be surprised that once you get going it won’t take years and years to undo. Be patient with yourself give it some time to start rolling along smother and just remember we’re all in this ADD thing together.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Thank you sooo much for the replies, it really helps, feeling quite isolated in how i feel/behave etc so its great to find a community where others feel the same, just being able to see Im not the only one who has had these struggles helps me a great deal as nobody else I know (other than my son) is like me. Off to the appointment in a few minutes so I shall update on my return x

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

I have been reffered to the specialist but have been told its a long waiting list, The woman I spoke to was not a nice person however, and told me that although she is no specialist in the area of ADD she really didnt think i had anything like that and I am just like I am because its my personality!!! I was fuming! She was the most patronising person I think I have ever come across! I was in a very low place at the time of the appointment (hence why it has taken me so long to come back and reply) and since I suspect severe depression on top of the ADD and her telling me that she didnt believe madication would work as Im not what she discribes as “clinically” depressed, its just my way have handling life (or not as the case was) by the time we got to the end of the session I felt practically suicidal! I have managed to pull myself back up off the floor since then and I am doing much better (but it took me this long!), being that I am 37 years old now I have learnt how to do this for myself over the years…. so now to wait for the so called expert opinion… though Being that this is the UK and they still dont take the condition as seriously as they should… Im not holding my breath!

REPORT ABUSE

[Misswho23]

Sorry to hear things didn’t go so well. But keep coming back here. Here you will find support.

Just keep educating yourself and advocating for yourself. I know it can be tough. Hang in there!

It’s such a blow when it feels like the people who you are turning to for help seem to help make it worse. But it will get better.

Like shutterbug suggested maybe bring someone with you that can help give examples of how this affects you.

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts