Two Sessions?

[Anonymous]

I was just (more or less) diagnoses with ADD Inattentive Sub-Type by a psychiatrist, after we talked for two hour-long sessions. I only paid $150 for the assessment, so I don’t feel too guilty, but is that too short of a time to make an assessment? I filled out the initial survey before I saw him, and gave him a bunch of old school reports, and beyond that I just talked about my childhood.

He has now prescribed me a mild non-addictive medication that also treats anxiety (which I have in spades). I get the feeling that he’s kind of on the fence about it, and wrote me the prescription based on that. I’ll probably start taking them tomorrow and see how things change over the course of the next month.

Should there have been more tests involved?

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[Anonymous]

While the cost of your assessment is (in my experience) unusual (very low), the timeline or testing involved is not. By completing the survey ahead of time, I think you were able to expedite the process; the old school reports would likely have contained enough relevant information to make the diagnosis (teacher’s comments, etc.). Both of my kids’ assessments were two 2-hour sessions, as well as the survey(s) from parents and teachers, and report cards.

If you think he’ssomewhat undecided, it may be that he feels the meds may help in the meantime, but he could want to monitor this for a while to see how you react. After a few weeks, he may want to re-evaluate, and there could be more testing at that time.

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[Anonymous]

Thanks!

Yes, I am indeed seeing him again in four weeks to report on the effects of the medication. (If any). I think it’s called…Straterra? I’ve been taking it less than a week now- obviously it should be too soon to see any effects, but I DO seem more relaxed, so that’s one thing.

The other thing is that, out of nowhere, I suddenly decided I wanted to put together a book of poetry for my friends and family. I even went so far as to haul all my old poems out of a closet (not an easy task, I assure you) and start going through them. This is an idea that for the past five years has terrified me,and now I’m strangely excited about it.

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