advertisement


ADHD anyone here suffer?

M

Mongeddavid

pfm Member
For some background I went through a very traumatic time arround 5 years ago which damaged my mental health rather badly. It has left me rather fragile in that respect but i try and do cope most of the time.

I have always struggled since school with concentration this was noted time and again on my reports but I did ok at school and got some good grades. My short term memory has always been a bit hit and miss but i feel this has got worse since the episode 5 years ago. I have been strugling at work sometimes with concentration memory etc but I also get irritable and have a tendancy to interupt people when they are speaking. This seems to have affected relationships with my family and friends though more so with the latter as my Wife is great and my Mum too.

I discovered a work issue last night that I picked up upon when a thought just popped into my head as though it had been swimming about there for some weeks and had just finaly been processed. I am working to resolve this but it got my thinking about what was going on with me. I did a bit of internet searching and found a doctor explaining ADHD. Everyting he said resonated with me and I have taken a few online tests ( probably not very reliable ) and have all come out as being very high probability on the spectrum.

I just wondered if anyone here had any experience and would like to share you can PM me rather than post if that makes you feel more comfortable. I suspect I will need to visit the Doctors to get this confirmed but I am also somewhat worried about what that may mean.
 
If you are worried about your current mental health, I would immediately refer yourself to Mind or similar for referral to professional help. Self-diagnosing off the Internet is dangerous, especially with so many unqualified 'experts' out there. Your symptoms could be liked any number of underlying causes.
 
Good advice from @Seeker_UK - it's good to be open about mental health but you should be getting advice from an expert.

If you're nervous about the implications of discussing with your GP, Mind are a great option.

I'm sorry things haven't been so great for you - best of luck.
 
Mongeddavid seems to be planning to visit the doctor, but it's no use turning up there without at least investigating if it is worth going; so I think he's doing the right thing. It's common for the GP to still not have enough insight into such things and to not help you. So reading around and even visiting a few forums where people with ADHD/ADD talk about their experiences can help cement your own feelings. Enough to explain it to the doctor and even counter any dismissal.

I was 'diagnosed' with (the now non-existent as a diagnosis) Asperger's syndrome, rather a lot of years after being sent to a child psychologist for being merely 'distracted' and 'odd'. It's mild for me, so I could engage and get better help, but the medical system runs on 'protocol' and it's easy to just be parked off with routine 'support'. With things like ADHD there is the medication component, and that people get medication somewhat more than anything else, because it is simpler to dispense.
 
yes we adopted a child with ADHD . The foster carers house we adopted from had another child with foetal alcohol syndrome who had wrecked the house of the foster parents . This child we adopted had had 6 homes before the age of about 2 so not easy . Over the years we struggled to get assessments and support . I still have broken windows that need repairing from life with this chappie with ADHD , damage to floors etc. We struggled with meds and ritalin and various other things . Its been difficult over the years . Actually if i didnt have the most incredible and loving wife we would not have suvived and he still has relapses with mental health. But now he is very successful in his job gaining awards etc. I am very very proud of him

I also have a very good friend in his 50`s with ADhD who i supported a lot . incredible guy . He helps with an ADHd support group as its fairly common
 
hifinutt said:
yes we adopted a child with ADHD . The foster carers house we adopted from had another child with foetal alcohol syndrome who had wrecked the house of the foster parents . This child we adopted had had 6 homes before the age of about 2 so not easy . Over the years we struggled to get assessments and support . I still have broken windows that need repairing from life with this chappie with ADHD , damage to floors etc. We struggled with meds and ritalin and various other things . Its been difficult over the years . Actually if i didnt have the most incredible and loving wife we would not have suvived and he still has relapses with mental health. But now he is very successful in his job gaining awards etc. I am very very proud of him

I also have a very good friend in his 50`s with ADhD who i supported a lot . incredible guy . He helps with an ADHd support group as its fairly common
Click to expand...

You should be proud yourself; selfless actions and attitudes like yours are admirable and give me at least some hope for humanity.
 
I would add that accessing mental health support professionals is key, in as timely manner as possible. In our family we have been managing a member with Schizoaffective Disorder. Therapy and drugs have made a massive difference. Self diagnosis is not a good idea at all. Mental health is not like physical health. There aren't a simple set of tests the outcome of which is a diagnosis. It's much more subtle than that.
 
Lots of good advice here but just to say I do know people who've pursued ADHD diagnoses in adulthood and I believe they've found it helpful. I've investigated it a little on my own account and I'm pretty confident I could get a diagnosis were I to pursue it. Some day I might, along with all those other things I've investigated and failed to take beyond the initial stage for some reason ;).
 
Le Baron said:
Many such 'real' diagnoses start with the patient or family having to do more investigation on their own than simply going to the doctor and receiving timely assistance.
Click to expand...

A bit of research can help to identify that there is an issue that needs professional help, but trying to do anything more from you own research can be counterproductive and or downright dangerous, especially if you are already in a poor mental state.

When I refer to professional help, I don't mean a GP, they're best avoided. A GP has a five minute slot to listen to your symptoms, check you over and consult your files; great for simple illnesses, as useful as tits on a bull for anything serious or complex. The end result is medication and / or a referral. IME, you don't need a GP referral to access MH services, so I have always cut out the 'middle man' and saved about a month in getting things progressed.
 
Seeker_UK said:
A bit of research can help to identify that there is an issue that needs professional help, but trying to do anything more from you own research can be counterproductive and or downright dangerous, especially if you are already in a poor mental state.
Click to expand...
That's why I said it at the start because the OP said he was already going to seek professional help after looking into the potential problem.
Seeker_UK said:
When I refer to professional help, I don't mean a GP, they're best avoided. A GP has a five minute slot to listen to your symptoms, check you over and consult your files; great for simple illnesses, as useful as tits on a bull for anything serious or complex. The end result is medication and / or a referral. IME, you don't need a GP referral to access MH services, so I have always cut out the 'middle man' and saved about a month in getting things progressed.
Click to expand...
This is true, though the GP is so often a 'gatekeeper' for referrals, and that is the problem. It's usually only when a person has some sort of 'episode' that specialist mental health people are even notified. That is almost standard in an underfunded system.
 
Le Baron said:
This is true, though the GP is so often a 'gatekeeper' for referrals, and that is the problem. It's usually only when a person has some sort of 'episode' that specialist mental health people are even notified.
Click to expand...

There is no "problem". One can make a self-referral to NHS Psychological Services w/out seeing a GP first. https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/

The only involvement with a GP now is a need to be registered with one to access the service.
 
Seeker_UK said:
There is no "problem". One can make a self-referral to NHS Psychological Services w/out seeing a GP first. https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/

The only involvement with a GP now is a need to be registered with one to access the service.
Click to expand...
What I am telling you is that the majority of people - as evidenced by the OP - are unaware of these things and tend to go to a GP as a first port of call. Who doesn't tell you where to go. Which is why looking about first lets you find out. Indeed just like now where someone on a forum is pointing out how to do a self-referral!
 
I mentioned to one of my GP’s that I suffer from Misaphonia, she’d never even heard of it, the only reason I found out what I suffered from had a name was a chance Facebook remark by and old acquaintance.
 
I keep meaning to get tested, but I always procrastinate.

At my age I'm not sure what would be improved by knowing. It could be ADHD, it could be somewhere "on the spectrum", or it could be I'm just lazy and looking for an excuse.
 
I think you should be aware of the "medicalisation" of every day life and the current dilemmas of an
ADHD diagnosis in adults look up BmJ ""head to head"ADHD.
The diagnostic criteria in adults are so elastic as to be meaningless eg " I keep forgetting my keys" you've got ADHD.
 
Dogberry said:
The diagnostic criteria in adults are so elastic as to be meaningless eg " I keep forgetting my keys" you've got ADHD.
Click to expand...
That's the comedy hyperbole version though isn't it? The real diagnosis is quite thorough and many people are not given a diagnosis of anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top