Living in Quebec and trying to get access to dr/psychiatrist to get a diagnosis

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,

I live in Quebec, I am 28 years old and I have to first and foremost that this website rocks! I haven’t obtained my diagnostic yet however from all the reading i’ve done in the past week regarding adhd here and on other sites, i have to say everything points in that direction. My girlfiend studies in medicine and following some revelations i had made to her about some problems i’ve been living for as long as i can remember, she encouraged me to read up on adhd.

What followed really surprised me, its as if someone that had observed me my whole life wanted to talk to me about what he had observed , i’m now convinced i have adhd. I’ve been healthy all of my life, i’m not the type of person to try to find a medical explanation for some problem i’m having, its just that after working for the same employer for about 3 years and living a routine life, i’ve noticed patterns in my behavior that lead me to question myself about why i was like this and why i was not able to reach my full potential. Its something that has been with me really all my life, its just that my life now and the way it is structured has lead me to question myself.

Now that i am pretty convinced of what i have, i would like to see a doctor, the only problem is that the health system in Quebec is really not very convenient for people who are not on the verge of dying. I do not have a family practitioner and getting one in the Mauricie (city of Trois-Rivières) region seems to take quite a long time. Its so frustrating, no one in the region is taking appointments so you have to call through a central point called “guichet santé” who puts you on some waiting list, but a waiting list onto which you have no guarantee of getting a family practitioner since they go by order of urgency, and you can’t even get a status on your demand, nice health system…..anyways I am also not sure what the best thing for me to do is, should I see a psychiatrist? (in which case i need referal by a family practitioner which i don’t have) or seeing a competent family doctor will do to get diagnosis and treatment. I am willing to go in the private sector if this is necessary, I really do not want to waste any more time…I need to get on with my life!

Thanks for your help!|

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[Anonymous]

I am also willing to consult elsewhere if necessary than in my region…any tips or advice is welcome!

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[nellie]

Perhaps you could bypass the public health system and try to see a private psychologist. I don’t think you need a referral as a private patient. This can be expensive but if you have group insurance at work this may be covered. Have you tried getting any referral/resource ideas from the CLSC in your area?

What about a walk- in clinic? If you explain your symptoms they may at least do a proper physical and order some tests in order to rule out any medical conditions which could also be responsible for your symptoms ( Ex. thyroid issues). You don’t really need a regular family doctor that way to get the ball rolling and try to beat this ridiculous system we have. Perhaps in that way the physician would be willing to investigate the ADHD diagnosis with you.

At the very least they might be able to refer you to some resources if the doctor there can’t help you. If there are no psychologists who specialize in this area in Trois-Rivières, then Montreal or Quebec city aren’t that far away. Do a google search for psychologists and adult ADHD and Montreal and/or Qc City.

Hope this helps a bit and good luck!

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[Anonymous]

As nellie suggested, you can try to get referral and ressources from your CLSC. There is also CENTAM, a neuropsychological evaluation clinic in Montreal. Their web site is http://www.centam.ca. It’s private though and cost a bundle, but they are thouroughly evaluating children and adults for ADD among other things.

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[Anonymous]

Do you go to an university? I live in the north shore of Montreal so I understand what you’re saying about our health care … I know UQAM have a system to help to see a specialist, but it’s popular, so be prepare to wait, maybe a little less than the public health care.

I am in the same spot as you are, trying to define what’s wrong with me. I called a lot of places and most often I get a waiting list of 2 years or have to pay 1200$ for a diagnositic… I’m a student with a lot of financial problem so private specialist is not an option for me. But if you have enough money, go to the private sector, go in Montreal, a lot of specialist and neurolog are here. I really hate to say this since I believe in public health, but damn do we have incompetent politician that see the health care as a waiting list instead of waiting patient…

You may go see a generalist, but he will tell you the same thing he told me, I’ll reference you to a psychiatrist since I can’t put a diagnosis…. Psychologist can do the tric, but they won’t be able to prescribe medication. I’ve seen a psychiatrist, but watch out, the false “façon de penser” of certain psychiatrist won’t help you. They will tell you that ADHD or ADD is something you grow out of and it’s really hard to see real competence in that matter… Not that they are incompetent, just that they have the wrong information. A neurolog would be the best for you. Well this is what my school counselor recommanded me, a psychologist specialised in neurology. It’s a neurologic disorder, so they are in my opinion the best to treat this.

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[Anonymous]

Thanks guys….I went to a CLSC and met a social worker who took note of my symptoms and will refer me to a family doctor who specializes in behavioral or psychological problems or a psychiatrist. Hopefully the process will not be to long,….if it does take too much time, i will try to see what i can find in the private sector, I will keep you posted.

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[Anonymous]

Hi John,

I just read this thread and wanted to add that going to a CLSC was an excellent thing to do. I live in your area and got my diagnostic from a doctor who specializes in ADHD after a referral from a social worker.

Contact me at galenosdisciple@hotmail.com if you feel like it,

Best of luck

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[Anonymous]

Sorry to ressurect an old thread like this, but I wanted to share my experience on this topic.

I have a lot in common with the OP – Im 27, living in Montreal, and about a year ago read a piece in the New York Times about people living with adult ADHD. For my entire life prior to that, Id always known that I was different, but could never really define how. I chalked up my disorganization and distractability to character flaws. Anyway, I think this story is familiar to all of us, so I won`t re-hash it here. A lot of what I read in that article resonated with incredible specificity, so I decided to seek help.

The best resource I found was a private psychologists practice called the Applied Learning Center. They offered an ADHD eval for $1800. I dont have a family doctor (obviously), and I’d called around to local CLSC’s for information of being diagnosed and got a lot of useless/conflicting information. So I bit the bullet, and went in for the private evaluation.

Not surprisingly, I’m someone who struggles to manage their finances, and the cost was a huge sacrifice. But I finally thought I’d found something that could actually change my life permanently for the better. I didn’t realise going in (and no one bothered to explain to me) that the psychologist could only provide a diagnosis, not prescribe any treatment.

After about 6 hours of tests spread over a month, I received my diagnosis. It’s a relief that this invisible Thing that’s been sabotaging me my entire life finally has a name. On the other hand, the battle is only half-fought, and I’m apprehensive about what’s ahead. I still haven’t received the final report by mail. After waiting three weeks, I called the office, and they realized that the report had been filed away instead of mailed. I was told it would arrive yesterday at the latest. Hopefully I don’t have to call again.

The challenge ahead is finding someone to take on my case, and at least begin treatment. I’ve spent a lot of time watching the videos on TotallyADD, and I’m highly motivated to put together a plan for getting my life back on track. After all, I’ve been doing that for my entire adult life – I’ve just never been able to stick with it for very long, or I forget parts of it, and end up discouraged and depressed.

Once I have my assessment in hand, I’ll head to the local CLSC and see if that goes anywhere. I’ll try to report back. The health system here has worked reasonably well for me when, say, I got hit by a drunk driver while riding my bicycle, or when I needed antibiotics for a sinus infection. But now that I’m trying to tackle a condition that, from the perspective of an entire lifetime, has been far more damaging, I’m finding it very difficult to get real help.

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[nellie]

DId you ask if they have any medical doctors to whom they do refer patients to ? I assume you meant by treatment that medication was suggested. Are you also intending to go for psychological counselling as well?

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