Help! I need a diagnosis, and cant find a doctor!

[ortamom4]

Hello,

I need help. All of my life, I have had trouble keeping things tidy, I get bursts of “energy” and will impulsively buy organizing supplies and work hard to get an area of my home organized…only to find it in total chaos a few days later and I cant seem to understand how it gets that way…then I get very upset and angry about it. When something is out of control messy, I get anxious about cleaning it up and I end up walking away from it and spending all of my time on my ipad or Netflix to cope with my anxiety. I always lose things, and get very emotional about it when it takes too long to find it…the searching process is EXTREMELY overwhelming for me. I frequently impulsively start something or volunteer myself to do something for someone else and dont think it through before I make a commitment…this often results in my letting people down and not keeping my word. I didnt finish High School because I couldnt pass my classes and I gave up when I couldnt get the help I needed. My relationships are strained to the point that people have told me that they do not love me anymore…and that I am not the person they thought I was when we met. These is just a few of the things I have been trying to change about myself for as long as I can remember. I had NO idea that these were all symptoms of ADHD…I didnt discover this until this week when a friend of mine who also has ADHD suggested I look it up. I called my doctor and his desk staff told me that they dont deal with adult ADHD, and they gave me a number for a pschiatry clinic (which also doesnt deal with diagnostics) and they gave me a number for a doctor who is on vacation…The process of getting help is becoming a daunting task and I dont know what to do! I have 4 little ones and my 1 year old has Cancer…I also homeschool my kids….and live in a rather large home that I cant keep up with….if I dont get help soon, I fear a breakdown is going to occur in my VERY near future. ADVICE would be VERY much appreciated. Thanks.

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[That Guy with ADHD]

Hi ortamom4,

I can relate to your situation and sympathize with you.  When I was first diagnosed I found that the doctors I had knew of ADHD but no idea where to find the resources so I was left to my own devices.  It wasn’t until I found my local ADHD society/support group that I was able to get the help that I was looking for.  You can find one in pretty much every major city.  You can also contact your local college of physicians (not a school but the body that registers doctors).  They would know which doctors, psychologists, or pshychiatrists are familiar with adult ADHD.  I hope you can get the help you need.

Regards

That Guy With ADD

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[youresohumerus]

If you’re in Australia every GP should have a little booklet full of psychiatrists and what they specialise in.
If you’re in the US and comfortable with it, try posting your state. Someone else here in the same state might have a recommendation.

Regardless of where you are, get the WHO self-screening assessment to fill out and take to whoever you end up seeing. Maybe see if you can’t get someone who knows you well to verify that they see these symptoms in you as well with some comments. After all, as Rick says, we tend to be a little crappy at self-assessment and having the 3rd person helps to squash any thoughts the doc may have about cyberchondria.

The idea that all your struggles so far haven’t been your fault is somewhat daunting, but the idea of going through the rest of your life untreated is terrifying. Please do keep us updated, we’ve all been there and still are to some extent.

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