Options for diagnosis – psychiatrist recommended further psychological testing

[tallgrl212]

@blackdog I know I shouldn’t dismiss those feelings. It’s just a lot of the times I know I’m emotional but it takes me a long time to decipher what it means or even to describe them. And I’ve had times where I try to confide in my friends but they can’t relate so they get dismissive and then I feel bad and then I just keep it to myself.

You’re right I was so miserable that year. My whole life was school, and any small upset at school was like my whole world was ending.

I have to work hard to remind myself all the time that although its important its not the end of the world, and my grades aren’t an indicator of intelligence. But, it always seems easier said than done. I’m probably not stupid. The funny thing is people always tell me I’m smart (and I hate hearing it) because I feel like an imposter. Like some how I’ve deceived people into thinking I’m a functional adult when I’m on the verge of falling apart.

 

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[blackdog]

@tallgrl212

LOL Deceiving people into thinking you’re a functioning adult. That made me chuckle. I’ve been trying to do that for….20 years now. Haven’t succeed yet. The house full of toys is one dead give away. 😉

If they are telling you that you are smart believe them. That imposter feeling is pretty common for people with ADHD, especially when we are successful in any way. I’m baffled whenever something goes right.  It’s like “whoa, did I really just do that? How did that happen?”

I know it isn’t easy. Especially when your life seems like one long endless stream of mistakes. But try to focus on the positive, look at all the things you are good at. You might be surprised at just how many of those there are.

I know talking about depression is hard. People who haven’t experienced it, or have but are in denial, just don’t get it. And there is such a huge stigma in our society when it comes to mental health. That’s one of the things I like about TADD. There are people here who do get it. And you can pretty much say whatever is on your mind and no one will criticize you or dismiss you or stop talking to you (like a lot of my friends did). We’ve all been there one way or another at some point in our lives.

 

I just read your response to kc5jck re meds. There is a lot of bad information out there about ADHD meds. Many years ago I adamantly refused to be put on medication for all the same reasons you listed. But I was misinformed.

There are some concerns with stimulant use. There can be some bad side effects and there is a slight chance of developing an addiction. I say slight chance because stimulants work differently on an ADHD brain. Because our brain chemistry is different we don’t get the really “high” sensation that most people get from a stimulant like amphetamine. It is almost like the exact opposite, making us more calm and focused. And for me, right at the moment, very happy. But that may be because the addition of the stimulant is making my antidepressant work better.

Also, we are not talking about the kind of drug addiction you have witnessed in your neighbourhood. In fact, a lot of those people might be the way they are because they have undiagnosed ADHD and it caused them to start self medicating with the wrong kind of drugs.

Finally, there are new formulations being used now that are almost 100% abuse proof. The one I just started taking, Vyvanse, can not be used to get high. There is a really long technical explanation that you can look up if you want to but what it boils down to is you can swallow it, snort it, shoot it, try anything you want with it, and you won’t get high because no matter what the delivery method is it still enters your system at the same slow rate.  (you can, however, still overdose, if you were foolishness enough to try any of the afore mentioned methods. and that would be bad)

Anyway, in short, don’t dismiss the possibility of using meds without doing some research and talking it over with your doctor. if you ever manage to get a diagnosis that is.

I really need to get out of here and stop trying to avoid cleaning the kitchen now. Old habits die hard. 🙄 😉

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