Can happen to a lot of people, especially with Inattentive ADHD. They just get diagnosed with depression or anxiety, and it takes years for the ADHD diagnosis to come through.
Yes, I forgot to mention here that Inattentive type is notoriously harder to diagbose because the original testing emphasises a need for hyperactive traits to be present, but can be barely noticeable in inattentive type.
This is what I am dealing with now. When I was a teen I was diagnosed with Depression, though my doctor played with a bipolar diagnosis for a while because I had Hyper moments. Now my current doctor has put through a referral to get ADHD tested and, since my mother sees my old doctor, she put forth the possibility of ADHD and my old doctor was like that makes more sense (though I had also developed depression at the time of my diagnosis). I also fear that the anxiety I have developed will hijack my ADHD diagnosis, especially since I have issues with my memory and struggle to remember what it was like for me as a child and early teen/tween.
I told my doctor that I don't have anxiety and depression, cause I want them to focus on my ADHD symptoms instead. And I hate when they tried to convince me on psychosis symptoms afterwards, just bc I talk to myself a lot. It was the most stressful appointment I've ever had.
@@zarifahadi I have given up on doctors and am now trying to get better with supplements, creatine seems to be very powerful for brain function. I have like 40 different supplements im trying now.
When I first mentioned I was concerned I may have ADHD to a psychiatrist, she pushed back so aggressively I started crying. It's a pervasive problem that non-specialists are dismissive of the very idea of ADHD, especially of self-diagnosis. Keep looking for someone who takes your concerns seriously.
I can totally understand you! The first thing my doctor said when I mentioned it is that ADHD is a trend diagnosis (in Germany)...I was very disappointed. After further speaking he didn't dismiss the idea completely but I should search for another doctor who can test me...since then I am scared to search for one because I am afraid that they say I am just faking it and it would be obvious or something like that :'(
@lilingify don‘t be afraid and get tested. When you suffer because of you symptoms and the test is negativ, it never means that you are faking it, it only means one of too things. 1. the test is false negativ or 2. you don‘t have ADHD but something else causes your symptoms
My doctor told me everything I reported to her indicated I have ADHD yet the test was negative. She decided to believe the test rather than me. That’s led to many years of untreated ADHD.
This has very much been my experience too. I went through all my school years feeling very incompetent. In college, it took me hours to study to the point that it wasn't worth it to try, so I only became more depressed and anxious, which created a vicious cycle. Every additional day I struggled added to the idea I had that I was inherently less competent than everyone else, not because of any disorders, but because I somehow hadn't tried as hard as the other people I saw who were just as depressed/anxious as me, yet still somehow managed to learn and grow and turn in all their assignments. If you have the means to get tested, you deserve to be heard. No clinician can make an accurate diagnosis without hearing your story. Tests don't exist in a vacuum, even if they're treated like they do. ADHD has so many symptoms that share traits with other disorders. A responsible clinician would take as much time as they could give you to learn about your past and how you've struggled. You do know yourself best. He's absolutely right that there is a lot of cross over between ADHD symptoms and other disorders. Depression, anxiety, even childhood trauma can cause lifelong symptoms that mimic ADHD a surprising amount. Or, you could have both. That's why seeing the right clinician can be crucial because they need to be someone who is willing to unpack everything with you and assess what the cause of your difficulties are. That being said, JUST BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ADHD DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE STRUGGLING ANY LESS. I think the reason this person struggled so much the year after they were told they don't have ADHD was because they suddenly had unrealistic expectations for their future. It was probably easier before to expect failure and then fail, as expected. Suddenly they didn't have ADHD, so nothing is wrong right? I shouldn't be having trouble right? Wrong. You're still experiencing what you're experiencing. Whether the cause is ADHD or not doesn't make that suffering any less and it doesn't mean you shouldn't be struggling. So if you're at that point where you need to let go of getting an ADHD diagnosis and look in other places, don't despair, because any reason you're struggling is still a 100% valid one. Related, but try not to let your self validation 100% lie in you getting a diagnosis. I think in western society, there is a huge emphasis on diagnosis as the end all be all. IRL diagnostic criteria is always changing and similarly does not exist in a vacuum. If we're still adding things and changing things in the DSM, it's not perfect. It's just a category created as an estimation of common experiences. I know getting a diagnosis is 100% freeing, but it doesn't actually fix that much about your actual coping when you think about it. It just helps validate your past experiences and makes you feel believed. You CAN believe yourself and all you've been through before you even get a diagnosis.
This unfortunate person needs to see an ADHD specialist, who will get your life history from you essentially as this is very important, aswell as your current problems..Best of luck!
My doctor says I may have a little ADHD and a little depression. I think I have a lot of ADHD and am depressed because of it. I was put on antidepressants. I still can't remember anything. I lose my keys and phone multiple times a week. Can't finish laundry for the life of me and twice in the past month I have gone to the grocery store and failed to bring my purse. I have the memory of a 90 year old but I am only 30.
In Denmark a general practitioner is not allowed to make an ADHD diagnosis. I went to my general practitioner and he gave me a test which I "failed" big time, so he was not in doubt and sent me to a psychiatrist which is the only one here to make the diagnosis. Since I was an adult it took several sessions before he told me that I, without any doubt, have ADHD, and I had sessions with him for almost a year. I got medication after around 2 or 3 months though.
I just went to my primary care doctor for other ailments one day and he prescribed me Adderall without me even asking about ADHD. All he had to do was look at me and tell I had ADHD. I thought he was crazy, I thought when I took my first dose how I would be up all night and tell him how wrong he was. Instead it made me calm and focused. Guess he was right!
Exactly what happened to you happened to a old buddy of mine… Only he gets super high off of it and when I used to abuse uppers (orally) I can totally relate… Calm and almost like the biggest relief that I’ve felt in my entire life probably… Glad to hear even more that it’s true if you ACTUALLY have it that the medication calms you down, which is what I’ve experienced, unlike my old friend.
I absolutely agree. Especially as I have the inattentive type of ADHD, I've been told by more than one provider that I didn't have it, despite all the similar kinds of struggles your viewer describes. But I persisted, & eventually more in-depth testing did confirm an ADHD diagnosis (along w/a mild nonverbal learning disability, which was news to me but explained a few things). Neither neurological nor interview-type assessment alone are sufficient, IMO; you need both. I would echo your advice to the viewer ~ YOU know you; hang in there & keep pursuing a more constructive assessment. You're worth it.
The person from Switzerland can try in Luxembourg. I live in Lux and there are a lot of ADHD specialised doctors here. There is even a non-profit organisation helping adults and children with ADHD.
Diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficiency subtype) in my 50's, after going into cognitive psychology without any clue what the heck was wrong with me. (No idea if having a semi-self-diagnosis would ever matter; it shouldn't, but maybe it depends on the psychologist.) Before going in for all of the testing, I had questionnaires to fill out. Psychologist also interviewed a close family member. So he had a good historical background about me. Testing results (and I made a point of indicating, as I did the tests, what I liked and what caused me anxiety) leaned heavy ADHD, but also likely another cognitive disorder that he couldn't diagnose. At first the ADHD diagnosis didn't make any sense to me until he explained it. My explanation: my brain is like a hyperactive kid climbing the walls and tearing down the curtains. Never be afraid to get a second opinion. You know you better than anybody, better than any psychologist. If you don't get a diagnosis of any kind, then go ahead and assume you have ADHD (really, there are some commonalities across the spectrum of cognitive disorders), and look upon it/them as the keyword to search all resources out there to empower yourself, to know your strengths and weaknesses, discover whatever skills/strategies that can help you minimize the weaknesses and emphasize your strengths. A diagnosis helps get accommodations, but I've found accommodations mostly far and few between (too many folk do not get "cognitive disability", and figure you can grow out of it the same way an octopus can regenerate a tentacle.) Know you, know how you function at your best, know what causes dysfunction, never be afraid to reach out and be part of a support group, whether in person or virtual. And know there is nothing wrong with you. It just takes a while sometimes to recognize one's "super-powers." Believe you me, there are certain things you excel at because of how you are wired. Rock'n roll !
I would add to my previous comment, that really good neuropsych testing can often reveal, in addition to vulnerabilities, special abilities & aptitudes that you may not have known you had, or never had "hard proof" of. God knows we need that kind of morale-building! For instance, before extensive testing I always knew I was good with words, but I didn't know HOW good, & I knew I was fairly smart, but I didn't know HOW smart. In fact it was the contrast between my strengths & weaknesses that really got their attention. So testing can also provide proof that it's NOT just general lack of ability ~ you may have important & valuable strengths, or even be gifted, just not able to fully utilize your gifts w/o treating your neuro-differences.
Once I was diagnosed with ADHD, my ENTIRE life experience made sense. Like, getting bored with relationships, not being able to focus on conversation, etc. etc. Unfortunately in the U.S. it can be VERY expensive to get tested. A tip is to find someone who is already a therapist but is doing the specialized training to diagnose for ADHD/Autism/Etc. (they will be supervised by someone already licensed) and it will be MUCH cheaper but the quality of testing is the same. This is the route I took and I would highly recommend going that route if money/insurance is an issue.
@@iveneverseenahealthyvegan.9885 That's a great question. From what I understand, you have to get a diagnosis in person but, I'm honestly not 100% sure. I looked at getting diagnosed in Canada before finding a training "tester", but they all mentioned they only accepted Canadian citizens. I'm actually interested now in finding out if testing can be done, like some people have surgery, by going to another country. Now you got me thinking!
My Doctor also did the same thing. I told her my experiences and she asked me why I would I care about finding out. And that I don't "look" like someone with ADHD lol
I'm in the last semester of my degree and I'm in a similar position he is. I don't know yet what I have, but as the same, I'm struggling studying specifically this last semester, having short memory, can't focus, fatigue and everything is so hard. I started Venvanse (is the name to a pharmacy drug here) but I don't know if it is helping me yet (day 5). But, still working on this problem. I think your advice ti him is absolutely right. I'm from Brazil. Hugs.
I wanted to get tested myself when I lived in Belgium, so I found out that aside from going straight to psychiatrist there are some places that diagnose ADHD specifically, the whole thing is a bit expensive (around 1000€) and takes few months and multiple tests... I haven't got tested because I chickened out (I get these mood swings during which I either think everything's OK or that I need help ASAP) but I am thinking about going there exactly for this purpose, what I did is bad thing, you should never follow your moods when pursuing diagnosis.
I am in that situation I am sooo frustrated I take vyvens sometimes but I dont like it much because give me depression and I try two days ago wellbutrin bupropion and God the grain fog is horrible I really dont know what to do I think I like me better without meds
I swear your were the hightligh of my day when i have super bad days. I rush to watch or rewatch videos i know by heart. 🙏 thank you and wish you the best
I just discovered you and your wonderful videos. What an amazing way you have of speaking so honestly and clearly. Your personality is so down-to-earth, and I can see you will easily appeal to all different generations. Plus my goodness, you're very easy on the eyes and ears. I think you should get more involved in public speaking and possibly television. Your calm demeanor, intelligence and appeal will get you very far in life. Thank you so much for all you're doing to help people with ADD. xo
One difficulty I have is to argument and describe simptomes. What I did is write down everything "suspect" about my behavior. I tryied this psychiatrist, who wanted to give meds to treat my alcohol abuse, and said that was it, the problem. Until I read her my notes, then she changed her mind (and I insisted on reading it)
Best advice ever. Whenever you are dealing with a difficult diagnosis whether physical or mental, documentation helps. When you can tell your story and support it with evidence from your experiences, it becomes easier to see how the symptoms are affecting your life. Doctors are also more likely to be sympathetic when you obviously are making considerable effort to find relief from your symptoms. Documentation can sometimes be the enemy because people with ADHD symptoms whatever the actual diagnosis will have difficulty consistently writing things down or keeping track of their notes. My suggestion to counteract trouble getting together your documentation is to think outside the box. You can find a way to gather evidence that will work for you, but it probably has to be a solution that is unique to you.
My mom said how I got diagnosed with ADHD is that the doctor asked my parents why they think I have autism and what signs of autism do I have because they were testing me for autism and I said I don’t have autisim, is that why were here, so they said I didn’t have autism cuz if I did then I wouldn’t care and it wouldn’t bother me and they asked me questions too and that’s how they diagnosed me with ADHD, a few months ago I found out I also have anxiety and in October 2021 I found out that I also have a language impairment which is why I stutter and why it’s hard for me to get the words that I want to say out
I just got a negative result too. From a professor in neurology. He didn't say I'm neurotypical: I have ADD and autistic traits, but not enough that I can be diagnosed with any of them (I actually agree on autism and I ruled that out myself some time ago). The thing is I had a traumatic childhood, and while I get that PTSD can have similar traits with ADD, having a traumatic childhood doesn't immune anyone from having neurodevelopment disorders, or any other problems, mental related or not. But I certainly have avoidant traits, and I think they came out stronger than the rest for some reason. My therapist (ADHD herself) is still convinced that I'm ADD, but she's a psychologist, not a doctor. I still have an MRI to do, and a session with a different team, so I'll see how that goes.
I’m going to the doctor tomorrow to ask for a referral to get tested. I have never been to this one before(my last doctor retired last year). I am really concerned about just getting told that I have anxiety and getting thrown anxiety medication again. I had been to a mental health professional before because of anxiety and depression and they thought I might have bipolar 2 because of how I describe being obsessed with researching projects for a short amount of time, spending money on what I need for them then losing absolutely any interest and moving on to the next thing. After getting on a better sleep schedule my anxiety and depression went away 99 percent so I quit seeing the mental health professional but I still had the same issues with the projects and issues with forgetfulness, procrastination and disorganization. I did a lot of research to find out what the heck is wrong with me and upon stumbling upon innatentive ADHD it really would make so much in my life make sense if that is what I have. So I guess we’ll see.
Yes I hate how depression and anxiety get in the way of diagnosis! The doctor who diagnosed me with depression also though I might have been bipolar but my "manic" phases weren't long or extreme enough. Pretty sure they were just hyperactive moments now that I look back.
@@storytimewithnatalie9602 That is about word for word what I was told, because what she said might be manic phases could be as short as four hours of intense research on something like getting into photography then even making an impulse purchase then losing any and all interest.
@@papercliprain3222 this seems more like hyperfocus. While I was manic, I felt like the king of the world 😅 multitasking turned into tasking 6 7 8 things simultaneously, also didn’t even feel my body, eat or sleep
Me too! 🤚 Also incorrectly diagnosed as Bipolar… Had me on so much medication I lost track of 6-8 months of time where I don’t recall anything… Only to do some research and realize “Holy shit, all my life I have had inattentive ADHD”… And it was self esteem issues that caused my anxiety that I’m on Valium for right now! I was a very shy child. I did grow up in a very abusive home though, but my biological father and brother also have ADHD, (Which I hadn’t known until recently while doing research before my assessment)… Now just waiting! Childhood for me was miserable, I would love gym as I was good at sports and enjoyed them, and the rest of the day was absolute torture is the best way to describe it. I literally passed out during the computer test at the end of the session.. Then she snapped me out of it and explained that was what that test was for. I’m hoping for the best, but man they seem to always think it’s something else…
Stuart, thank you for your channel, Sir. I am in this situation now. I was diagnosed at a young age for ADD (early to mid 90s) but tried back then drugs, etc. I don’t remember what happened but fast forward to today and the symptoms seem to be getting worse and worse. I have a wife and two kids. I am always avoiding issues and making mistakes and what other people seem to do with ease, like concentrate at a task, I can’t do it. I’m 40 and am terrified and struggling. My wife keeps saying there’s nothing wrong with me and I need to “man up”. She doesn’t understand and I know she isn’t saying it maliciously but it seems noone understands me.
I had to drop out of uni because my undiagnosed ADHD father didn't pay the mortgage and left the country, which left my siblings and I homeless and couch surfing for awhile. If you have this problem please get diagnosed .. being undiagnosed will hurt your children
I was told I have anxiety and not adhd. I wasn’t expecting the psychiatrist to ask me questions regarding ONLY my childhood. Is this common? I do believe you have to have had the symptoms as a child, otherwise it could be anxiety only. ….. I do not recall all my childhood so I will think about it a bit more and ask my mom and brothers about my childhood and then I may seek a second diagnosis. I liked school so never struggled with it or with focusing on it. I had an active imagination -but he asked me if I daydreamed a lot in school and I’m unsure. When I have done the online questionnaires it says I do have adhd. Anyways I was disappointed with the diagnosis not going to lie. I thought I was finally starting to understand myself, found ppl I could relate to etc!! Im trying to be accepting that maybe I have anxiety and not adhd but can still relate to ppl with adhd b/c there appears to be some overlap. But also wondering at the back of my mind if maybe I have both……
omg, im the same, i got told i have the symptoms as an adult but not as a child and so it cant be adhd.... I'm very interested now in the effects of anxiety on concentration and focus, could anxiety really be the cause? And hah! i too am very disappointed with the negative diagnosis. Please do update me on how life's going now. Did you get help for anxiety? is it helping the adhd symptoms?
I just had my initial appointment and the psych focused on my past truama and wouldn't let me explain the roots of why I struggled. Couldn't explain myself well and they tried explaining (inaccurately) how truama is why I struggle. Can you do a video on how to help communicate how to seperate truama and ADHD/ASD. Because I know myself and I couldn't even get to the roots.
Find a specialist and get a second opinion, for therapy and testing . It’s common to be misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression. Often they’re caused by untreated ADHD.
i hate myself . cant do anything important done . cant complete anything . om suck at my job . i always waste my time . i always end the days panicing about how i wasted the whole day
Thank you for offering encouragment to cotinue in Uni, and to try your best. My daughter had to get tested 3x for her Dyslexia. Senior year in high school when covid forced distance learning symptoms of ADHD started to become obvious, her doctor said she had insomnia, and depression not ADHD because she did not struggle with behavior or grades during elementary school. She does not need sleeping pills or deression meds, she needs proper ADHD assesment.
I'm glad Stuart addressed this, it happens way too often. Honestly, if you're still struggling, then the dismissive words of a doctor aren't going to change that. You should try to remind yourself that your struggles are real and valid regardless, and they deserve attention! Use that to push yourself forward for a second opinion (even if being assertive is easier said than done). And afaik, there aren't any diagnostic tests for ADHD? Maybe scoring tests or something, but nothing that can diagnose you. The diagnosis is based on your history and the interview, so your experience should have been prioritised as front and centre to the issue. But I do also agree to keep an open mind. You're not wrong that you're struggling or even what the struggles are, but multiple diagnoses can indeed overlap and getting the right treatment is crucial, otherwise you're just wasting your time. Aside from depression and anxiety (which Stuart mentioned), a lot of sleep disorders present exactly like ADHD (some doctors even think ADHD *is* a sleep disorder!). So getting the right diagnosis is crucial. But you're only going to get that with a skilled professional, so that second opinion should ideally be with someone with proven experience. Don't be shy to stand your ground on this. Best of luck! Hope you get answers soon!
Stuart, do you get support through the nhs or have you done it privately? Diagnosis, therapy whatever .Who prescribes your adhd medication decides what one to try?
Im getting pre screened for ADHD at my uni, my GP has ruled out childhood trauma, autism, depression, anxiety, and learning difficulties with reading, writing and maths. The only thing she said that could cause my lack of focus, Boredom, lack of attention, fidgeting and zoning out in lectures including with the same behaviour in primary school, secondary school and college is likely ADHD. The student support group at my uni are great and they had a meeting with me, my lecturers offering support as well. My short term memory isn't the best, so hopefully they will allow me to use my ipad with the list of my symptoms in it and background and information on each symptom from when i was younger, to present. The doctor said it was very useful and would be very handy for them to see it or for me to use it since it would make diagnosing so much easier since there is a lot of information on there.
Im the opposite of this guy i never try at school but i still manage to do it easily. but im similar to him as that i try very hard to be great at video games like valorant but i never improve im so bad at it that i get mad. His struggle in school is like mine in valorant.
As an adult who self-diagnosis ADHD (because a doctor gave me a negative result), I can attest it's hard but at some point you have to just know and learn. When I learn about ADHD and make adjustments and my life improves...then the doctor telling me what I do or don't have isn't the end-all be-all!! Good luck!
How do you get around refusal to diagnose? I talked to the GP and asked for a referral but it's been denied twice in two years. All I know is that they don't like my coping mechanism and don't think my life is messed up enough. They've got about 15 minutes worth of conversational information by which to go by for this.
@@ADHDMastery is there not a reliance on GPs/the NHS to access some of those services? I don't know if I'd be able to afford private but it's worth a shot. Will medical insurance cover it even if its a preexisting condition?
Hi Stuart, I’m 32 and just got diagnosed with ADD, I’m doubting medication prescription by the psychiatrist since she prescribed me an antidepressant ( cipralex ) with my ADD medication. Did your doctor give you an antidepressant or are you able to “function” normally with the ADD medication alone.
Thanks to that video I realised that I had the same struggles with my uni and my masters, which I ended not doing and I dropped out of uni because of inability to do it. i now know that I probably have ADHD and I'm getting diagnosed, but boy, was it hard without that knowledge...
I haven't been tested but I want to get one because it just feels like there's something there. I've spoken to my mum about the fact that it could be ADHD (this was rather difficult for me) but she shrugged it off because I'm not hyperactive. I've wanted to go to my GP but after COVID it's just felt rather difficult to try get an appointment and I just keep putting it off. I generally get called lazy but i wish people could feel what I feel on a daily basis like there is a want to be more productive it's just hard for me (I'm not the best at explaining things, never have been tbh). I'm 19 and I am at university and the amount of times I've thought of dropping out and just going to work has been overwhelming. Just needed a place to get this off my chest and I thought this would be a good place as I've been watching a good few videos of yours recently.
I went through hours of tests over several weeks. They asked me about my past, but not as thorough as I expected. They contacted one person who knew me for years. They still diagnosed me as negative. I can't shake the feeling that they are wrong. Anxiety? Depression? I'm in my 60's and I've had these issues since my childhood.
I'm sorry you're struggling with this. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 40s, in graduate school, where they had a really exceptional student disability services office. If you're old enough to have gotten past a lot of the "teen & young adult stuff" & you're still having these issues, *something* is going on. I would urge you to be persistent. Good luck.
I have been seeing a therapist for over a year for gender dysphoria. And it was at first hard to distinguish anxiety caused from gender dysphoria and adhd. My therapist was convinced that it is gender dysphoria and not adhd. But I started seeing a psychiatrist for adhd and he sees that I definitely have adhd after some tests and talking. I struggle with getting stuck in an anxiety loop in my head, and can never know how to coexist with time. All that to say, I am getting help of a doctor with meds, and therapist with cbt method and i can see that even they see things differently. I am also aware of various comorbidities that come with adhd and how they can be different for everyone. I think one should not get discourage for asking for help if the first one doesnt land on a clear answer. We all deserve the help and support we can get.
I had to change surgery 3 times to find a GP who would support me in getting my ADHD and Aspberger diagnoses. This was after a lifetime of being misdiagnosed bipolar and bullied into taking antipsychotics and mood stabilisers which zombified me and left me with a permanent tourettes-like spasm. These meds can also cause Parkinson's disease. One young female GP, whom I'd asked for support over getting an ADHD diagnosis, sneeringly accused me of "looking for labels". I think that doctors who haven't learned about neurodiverse conditions get angry about them as we usually know more than they do (not difficult!) and their innate arrogance and narcissism can't deal with that. Even the simple fact that both conditions cause low dopamine is something that's caused anger when I explain it to a doctor. Good luck to all on their quest for a diagnosis and don't let the ignorant t*ssers get to you. Excellent channel, just found you and sharing the content with my adhd support group. Many thanks for your work 👌😊❤️
I’ve suspected that I have adhd for about a year now. I finally mustered up the courage to tell my doctor. She referred me to the psychiatry department. Talked to a therapist, he asked me questions then he set up an appointment with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked me even more in-depth questions and even prescribed me adhd meds; she also referred me to get the cpt testing. Well, I was just informed by a different therapist yesterday that according to the cpt I don’t show signs of adhd and now I’m feeling a little depressed. I’ve always struggled with time management and procrastination so much so that I dropped out of college after 4 years without a degree. I left feeling like I was stupid. So to be told that I tested negative feels like a slap in the face and has left me feeling like I’m just a lazy, defective 💩. I don’t even feel like reaching out to the psychiatrist to see where I can go from here, but I have to because I’ve been on these pills for almost a week now. 😞
I have ADD and mild cerebral plasy and used to struggle with my behavior has child but it has gotten better although I anxiety sometimes but I have to manage it with olly vitamins
I do suspect that I might have ADHD, and every professional who talks to me tests me for it but it always comes back as "impulsive but no bad memory, not enough symptoms" or something along those lines. My biggest, *biggest* symptom is that I get bored in a very extreme way and when I'm bored I can't function unless I have some sort of brain sustenance. Thus I can't study at all, because I can't focus on my studies and *not* get bored. I have tried very very hard to "deal with it" but I can't. I freak out. I start getting twitchy, hyperactive, generally obnoxious. And boredom feels like I am being strangled. Everyone calls me lazy for it. I have no other explanation for my experience, when I'm struggling I can't say I have ADHD because surely it would have come up as positive. Like is it that I have few but very strong symptoms and not enough for the rest? Productivity is a dream at this point, unachievable. I feel like a failure with no proper excuse for why.
Also, none of my tests had any questions. They were mostly memory tests and puzzles, I was 16 and 17 when I completed around three of these same puzzle type tests by different doctors. I'm good at that sort of thing so as expected I did well. One of the professionals just ended up diagnosing me with anxiety, and I was like yes I think I have anxiety but surely there must be something else as well, it's not just anxiety symptoms that I'm experiencing. She yelled at me and called me lazy, looking for a diagnosis so I can have an excuse to not try at all. I cried. A lot.
If you see this, I need help with a question, I was officially diagnosed with adhd at 49, I'm 52 now, my psychologist has told me I am empathic, I grew up believing everyone was, in fairness everyone is to a point, but even though I have found a lot of people exactly the same. But....there are 2 things that I struggle with so bad, it makes me want to, be completely away from people 🥺 all my life, I can't hate, I can avoid bad people, I can say no even though it's hard, I rely on logic to help me say no, but I can't hate Anyone!!!! Not at all, not even argh, I can't explain 🙇♀️💞🌻.
Omggg my whole life looked like ADHD but when I got tested I was negative for it. But I was relieved to know that I did have another learning disability. Two to three, that affected mt academics and relationships with my friends and boyfriends. I have dyslexia, discalculia and Auditory Processing Disorder. Dyslexia is very similar to ADHD, it has inattention, focusing problems, and also creativity and hyperfixation. Atleast I found my answer.
@@michal.kozlikowski.drummer nobody told me anything. I watch alot of youtubers who have ADHD and what they talked about their own symptoms, i identified with alot of them, so they feel similar. Am not saying they are one and the same. But many of the symptoms are common. And my therapist said why I felt that way about thinking i have ADHD. Everyone experiences their diagnosis differently.
Think about getting a different opinion. But how do you feel? Is more important then the Drs feelings. I put myself on meds then off BCS o wasn't sure. Then I found a natural alternative that beat all meds I had taken. How do you feel like you would benefit? Reasearch time. Get someone that knows you well see what they think about questions and compare them with yours maybe. I really sucked at my grades till my brother told me to write down everything the teacher wanted on the paper. Cross out one by one as fullfil what the teacher wants.
LITTERALLY dedicated most my childhood to studying automotive as I was barely allowed to leave the house lol but shits so easy for me and I'm in a very easy automotive engineering course that tells me stuff I pretty much already know but I'm the furthest behined in my class and can not manage to make myself do more than 10 mins of actual work at a time and now I'm at the point where I stay at home and attempt to do the theory stuff because I'm so anxious and embarrasssed to go to class...Hopefully this psychiatrist I'm supposed to see tomorrow can diagnose me with something I don't even care if its ADHD I just need some resault so I can figure out what tf goin on
Got diagnosed with add, did the wais intelligence test and got very superior processing speed, which meant no add. Still struggled. Turns out I'm bipolar. Big twist.
When I was about 14 I told my school I think I'm finding things harder than I should, I can't remember a whole lot of details about what they did but my memory says it was just like a generic test not aimed at anything specific. They didn't ask about my past at all or anything like that, just the type of tests moving shapes about etc. Perhaps the test mentioned in the video was something similar. With the outcome being for me someone saying "there's nothing wrong with you Mr I have learning difficulties". 7 years later I'm diagnosed with dyslexia at university, then another 7 years later I'm diagnosed with ADHD after nothing ever going to plan.
During adult life I did also suggest to two different GPs that maybe I have ADD but that idea was shot down instantly even though they didn't ask anything about my theory and I incorrectly just trusted them.
One more thing. Here in Brazil doctors doesn't like to prescribe adhd medicine, and other drugs that is "strong" for pain. Yes, i have a chronic pain as well. So... That's it. You can talk about pain medication? I don't know what is your focus with your channel yet. I'm going to see more videos. Hugs!
It’s funny because an old friend of mine got diagnosed as an adult and he told me that his psychiatrist just told him “It was so bad” and so he got the diagnosis and is currently on Adderall. I know he abuses them, it’s a shame really, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m sure he manipulated that psychiatrist to get what he wanted. I’ve personally known him for awhile and he doesn’t strike me as someone with ADHD. Back when we were using together he would give me some of his meds (Vyvanse, Ritalin) and I would take them orally instead of crushing them… He kept checking on me and honestly I wasn’t even high, my mind just felt so clear and it was like a light switched off in my head (where I’m always have something going on in my head 24/7) But he takes them and he gets high off of it. I recently did my testing although I didn’t get to speak very long about my early years and I don’t think the specialist was able to contact my mother, but she did my ex girlfriend and mentioned some things she noticed (meaning I may have inattentive ADHD) My point in this I suppose is I am waiting to hear back, but there are cases where you get a psychiatrist (in this case my old friend) that will just either diagnose you without doing research and actually getting to the bottom of it, or they just tell you no and so you feel discouraged because you feel like you DO have it. And honestly it pisses me off that some doctors will just diagnose you based on what you go in there and say write a prescription right then and there and you have all these people out here really struggling and trying to move forward with their lives feeling stuck… No doctor that doesn’t specialize in ADHD should ever diagnose someone with it, because this is the reason it is one of the most over-diagnosed mental health disorders AND the most under-diagnosed out there.
Can happen to a lot of people, especially with Inattentive ADHD. They just get diagnosed with depression or anxiety, and it takes years for the ADHD diagnosis to come through.
Yes, I forgot to mention here that Inattentive type is notoriously harder to diagbose because the original testing emphasises a need for hyperactive traits to be present, but can be barely noticeable in inattentive type.
That might have happened to me, im more inattentive and got a negative diagnosis. And got diagnosed with severe depression.
This is what I am dealing with now. When I was a teen I was diagnosed with Depression, though my doctor played with a bipolar diagnosis for a while because I had Hyper moments. Now my current doctor has put through a referral to get ADHD tested and, since my mother sees my old doctor, she put forth the possibility of ADHD and my old doctor was like that makes more sense (though I had also developed depression at the time of my diagnosis).
I also fear that the anxiety I have developed will hijack my ADHD diagnosis, especially since I have issues with my memory and struggle to remember what it was like for me as a child and early teen/tween.
I told my doctor that I don't have anxiety and depression, cause I want them to focus on my ADHD symptoms instead. And I hate when they tried to convince me on psychosis symptoms afterwards, just bc I talk to myself a lot. It was the most stressful appointment I've ever had.
@@zarifahadi I have given up on doctors and am now trying to get better with supplements, creatine seems to be very powerful for brain function. I have like 40 different supplements im trying now.
When I first mentioned I was concerned I may have ADHD to a psychiatrist, she pushed back so aggressively I started crying. It's a pervasive problem that non-specialists are dismissive of the very idea of ADHD, especially of self-diagnosis. Keep looking for someone who takes your concerns seriously.
It frustrates me that you and others go through that. Thanks for sharing. It is a gift to others to let them know they aren't alone.
I can totally understand you! The first thing my doctor said when I mentioned it is that ADHD is a trend diagnosis (in Germany)...I was very disappointed. After further speaking he didn't dismiss the idea completely but I should search for another doctor who can test me...since then I am scared to search for one because I am afraid that they say I am just faking it and it would be obvious or something like that :'(
@lilingify don‘t be afraid and get tested. When you suffer because of you symptoms and the test is negativ, it never means that you are faking it, it only means one of too things. 1. the test is false negativ or 2. you don‘t have ADHD but something else causes your symptoms
@Wumba's Wigwam just don’t. It’s not that easy. It’s accessible,yes! It’s just as addictive as stims. It’s not to be underestimated it mimics opioids
My doctor told me everything I reported to her indicated I have ADHD yet the test was negative. She decided to believe the test rather than me. That’s led to many years of untreated ADHD.
This has very much been my experience too. I went through all my school years feeling very incompetent. In college, it took me hours to study to the point that it wasn't worth it to try, so I only became more depressed and anxious, which created a vicious cycle. Every additional day I struggled added to the idea I had that I was inherently less competent than everyone else, not because of any disorders, but because I somehow hadn't tried as hard as the other people I saw who were just as depressed/anxious as me, yet still somehow managed to learn and grow and turn in all their assignments.
If you have the means to get tested, you deserve to be heard. No clinician can make an accurate diagnosis without hearing your story. Tests don't exist in a vacuum, even if they're treated like they do. ADHD has so many symptoms that share traits with other disorders. A responsible clinician would take as much time as they could give you to learn about your past and how you've struggled. You do know yourself best. He's absolutely right that there is a lot of cross over between ADHD symptoms and other disorders. Depression, anxiety, even childhood trauma can cause lifelong symptoms that mimic ADHD a surprising amount. Or, you could have both. That's why seeing the right clinician can be crucial because they need to be someone who is willing to unpack everything with you and assess what the cause of your difficulties are.
That being said, JUST BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE ADHD DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE STRUGGLING ANY LESS. I think the reason this person struggled so much the year after they were told they don't have ADHD was because they suddenly had unrealistic expectations for their future. It was probably easier before to expect failure and then fail, as expected. Suddenly they didn't have ADHD, so nothing is wrong right? I shouldn't be having trouble right? Wrong. You're still experiencing what you're experiencing. Whether the cause is ADHD or not doesn't make that suffering any less and it doesn't mean you shouldn't be struggling. So if you're at that point where you need to let go of getting an ADHD diagnosis and look in other places, don't despair, because any reason you're struggling is still a 100% valid one.
Related, but try not to let your self validation 100% lie in you getting a diagnosis. I think in western society, there is a huge emphasis on diagnosis as the end all be all. IRL diagnostic criteria is always changing and similarly does not exist in a vacuum. If we're still adding things and changing things in the DSM, it's not perfect. It's just a category created as an estimation of common experiences. I know getting a diagnosis is 100% freeing, but it doesn't actually fix that much about your actual coping when you think about it. It just helps validate your past experiences and makes you feel believed. You CAN believe yourself and all you've been through before you even get a diagnosis.
Thank you for this. Very helpful
Jesus, you're literally describing my life
Great advice. Seeing another doctor might be one of the best things you can do especially if you feel a lot of disconnection with your doctor.
This unfortunate person needs to see an ADHD specialist, who will get your life history from you essentially as this is very important, aswell as your current problems..Best of luck!
My doctor says I may have a little ADHD and a little depression. I think I have a lot of ADHD and am depressed because of it. I was put on antidepressants. I still can't remember anything. I lose my keys and phone multiple times a week. Can't finish laundry for the life of me and twice in the past month I have gone to the grocery store and failed to bring my purse. I have the memory of a 90 year old but I am only 30.
I'm not surprised that the doctor didn't know the patient. In a post-covid world, medical help is often abbreviated.
In Denmark a general practitioner is not allowed to make an ADHD diagnosis. I went to my general practitioner and he gave me a test which I "failed" big time, so he was not in doubt and sent me to a psychiatrist which is the only one here to make the diagnosis. Since I was an adult it took several sessions before he told me that I, without any doubt, have ADHD, and I had sessions with him for almost a year. I got medication after around 2 or 3 months though.
Glad your perseverance paid off!
It is very nice that adult ADHD is at least accepted there... in my country adults officially can't have it
@@joons3374 So sorry to hear that😔
@@joons3374 in mine it can be diagnosed only til 35 yo.. that's absurd
I just went to my primary care doctor for other ailments one day and he prescribed me Adderall without me even asking about ADHD. All he had to do was look at me and tell I had ADHD. I thought he was crazy, I thought when I took my first dose how I would be up all night and tell him how wrong he was. Instead it made me calm and focused. Guess he was right!
Exactly what happened to you happened to a old buddy of mine… Only he gets super high off of it and when I used to abuse uppers (orally) I can totally relate… Calm and almost like the biggest relief that I’ve felt in my entire life probably… Glad to hear even more that it’s true if you ACTUALLY have it that the medication calms you down, which is what I’ve experienced, unlike my old friend.
I absolutely agree. Especially as I have the inattentive type of ADHD, I've been told by more than one provider that I didn't have it, despite all the similar kinds of struggles your
viewer describes. But I persisted, & eventually more in-depth testing did confirm an ADHD diagnosis (along w/a mild nonverbal learning disability, which was news to me but explained a few things). Neither neurological nor interview-type assessment alone are sufficient, IMO; you need both. I would echo your advice to the viewer ~ YOU know you; hang in there & keep pursuing a more constructive assessment. You're worth it.
The person from Switzerland can try in Luxembourg. I live in Lux and there are a lot of ADHD specialised doctors here. There is even a non-profit organisation helping adults and children with ADHD.
Like your vibe. You were so sweet in your way of responding to this person. ♡
Diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficiency subtype) in my 50's, after going into cognitive psychology without any clue what the heck was wrong with me. (No idea if having a semi-self-diagnosis would ever matter; it shouldn't, but maybe it depends on the psychologist.)
Before going in for all of the testing, I had questionnaires to fill out. Psychologist also interviewed a close family member. So he had a good historical background about me.
Testing results (and I made a point of indicating, as I did the tests, what I liked and what caused me anxiety) leaned heavy ADHD, but also likely another cognitive disorder that he couldn't diagnose. At first the ADHD diagnosis didn't make any sense to me until he explained it. My explanation: my brain is like a hyperactive kid climbing the walls and tearing down the curtains.
Never be afraid to get a second opinion. You know you better than anybody, better than any psychologist.
If you don't get a diagnosis of any kind, then go ahead and assume you have ADHD (really, there are some commonalities across the spectrum of cognitive disorders), and look upon it/them as the keyword to search all resources out there to empower yourself, to know your strengths and weaknesses, discover whatever skills/strategies that can help you minimize the weaknesses and emphasize your strengths. A diagnosis helps get accommodations, but I've found accommodations mostly far and few between (too many folk do not get "cognitive disability", and figure you can grow out of it the same way an octopus can regenerate a tentacle.) Know you, know how you function at your best, know what causes dysfunction, never be afraid to reach out and be part of a support group, whether in person or virtual.
And know there is nothing wrong with you. It just takes a while sometimes to recognize one's "super-powers." Believe you me, there are certain things you excel at because of how you are wired. Rock'n roll !
I would add to my previous comment, that really good neuropsych testing can often reveal, in addition to vulnerabilities, special abilities & aptitudes that you may not have known you had, or never had "hard proof" of. God knows we need that kind of morale-building! For instance, before extensive testing I always knew I was good with words, but I didn't know HOW good, & I knew I was fairly smart, but I didn't know HOW smart. In fact it was the contrast between my strengths & weaknesses that really got their attention. So testing can also provide proof that it's NOT just general lack of ability ~ you may have important & valuable strengths, or even be gifted, just not able to fully utilize your gifts w/o treating your neuro-differences.
Once I was diagnosed with ADHD, my ENTIRE life experience made sense. Like, getting bored with relationships, not being able to focus on conversation, etc. etc. Unfortunately in the U.S. it can be VERY expensive to get tested. A tip is to find someone who is already a therapist but is doing the specialized training to diagnose for ADHD/Autism/Etc. (they will be supervised by someone already licensed) and it will be MUCH cheaper but the quality of testing is the same. This is the route I took and I would highly recommend going that route if money/insurance is an issue.
Just out of curiosity, can you be diagnosed online by a private clinic in the UK or another country.? Would this be cheaper.?
@@iveneverseenahealthyvegan.9885 That's a great question. From what I understand, you have to get a diagnosis in person but, I'm honestly not 100% sure. I looked at getting diagnosed in Canada before finding a training "tester", but they all mentioned they only accepted Canadian citizens. I'm actually interested now in finding out if testing can be done, like some people have surgery, by going to another country. Now you got me thinking!
How did you find that?
My Doctor also did the same thing. I told her my experiences and she asked me why I would I care about finding out. And that I don't "look" like someone with ADHD lol
I'm in the last semester of my degree and I'm in a similar position he is. I don't know yet what I have, but as the same, I'm struggling studying specifically this last semester, having short memory, can't focus, fatigue and everything is so hard. I started Venvanse (is the name to a pharmacy drug here) but I don't know if it is helping me yet (day 5). But, still working on this problem. I think your advice ti him is absolutely right. I'm from Brazil. Hugs.
I wanted to get tested myself when I lived in Belgium, so I found out that aside from going straight to psychiatrist there are some places that diagnose ADHD specifically, the whole thing is a bit expensive (around 1000€) and takes few months and multiple tests... I haven't got tested because I chickened out (I get these mood swings during which I either think everything's OK or that I need help ASAP) but I am thinking about going there exactly for this purpose, what I did is bad thing, you should never follow your moods when pursuing diagnosis.
I am in that situation I am sooo frustrated I take vyvens sometimes but I dont like it much because give me depression and I try two days ago wellbutrin bupropion and God the grain fog is horrible I really dont know what to do I think I like me better without meds
I swear your were the hightligh of my day when i have super bad days. I rush to watch or rewatch videos i know by heart. 🙏 thank you and wish you the best
I just discovered you and your wonderful videos. What an amazing way you have of speaking so honestly and clearly. Your personality is so down-to-earth, and I can see you will easily appeal to all different generations. Plus my goodness, you're very easy on the eyes and ears. I think you should get more involved in public speaking and possibly television. Your calm demeanor, intelligence and appeal will get you very far in life. Thank you so much for all you're doing to help people with ADD. xo
One difficulty I have is to argument and describe simptomes. What I did is write down everything "suspect" about my behavior.
I tryied this psychiatrist, who wanted to give meds to treat my alcohol abuse, and said that was it, the problem. Until I read her my notes, then she changed her mind (and I insisted on reading it)
Best advice ever. Whenever you are dealing with a difficult diagnosis whether physical or mental, documentation helps. When you can tell your story and support it with evidence from your experiences, it becomes easier to see how the symptoms are affecting your life. Doctors are also more likely to be sympathetic when you obviously are making considerable effort to find relief from your symptoms.
Documentation can sometimes be the enemy because people with ADHD symptoms whatever the actual diagnosis will have difficulty consistently writing things down or keeping track of their notes. My suggestion to counteract trouble getting together your documentation is to think outside the box. You can find a way to gather evidence that will work for you, but it probably has to be a solution that is unique to you.
My mom said how I got diagnosed with ADHD is that the doctor asked my parents why they think I have autism and what signs of autism do I have because they were testing me for autism and I said I don’t have autisim, is that why were here, so they said I didn’t have autism cuz if I did then I wouldn’t care and it wouldn’t bother me and they asked me questions too and that’s how they diagnosed me with ADHD, a few months ago I found out I also have anxiety and in October 2021 I found out that I also have a language impairment which is why I stutter and why it’s hard for me to get the words that I want to say out
I just got a negative result too. From a professor in neurology. He didn't say I'm neurotypical: I have ADD and autistic traits, but not enough that I can be diagnosed with any of them (I actually agree on autism and I ruled that out myself some time ago).
The thing is I had a traumatic childhood, and while I get that PTSD can have similar traits with ADD, having a traumatic childhood doesn't immune anyone from having neurodevelopment disorders, or any other problems, mental related or not. But I certainly have avoidant traits, and I think they came out stronger than the rest for some reason.
My therapist (ADHD herself) is still convinced that I'm ADD, but she's a psychologist, not a doctor.
I still have an MRI to do, and a session with a different team, so I'll see how that goes.
ADHD online very good doctors and very reasonable prices. The test takes time cause it examines your condition throughly.
I’m going to the doctor tomorrow to ask for a referral to get tested. I have never been to this one before(my last doctor retired last year). I am really concerned about just getting told that I have anxiety and getting thrown anxiety medication again. I had been to a mental health professional before because of anxiety and depression and they thought I might have bipolar 2 because of how I describe being obsessed with researching projects for a short amount of time, spending money on what I need for them then losing absolutely any interest and moving on to the next thing. After getting on a better sleep schedule my anxiety and depression went away 99 percent so I quit seeing the mental health professional but I still had the same issues with the projects and issues with forgetfulness, procrastination and disorganization. I did a lot of research to find out what the heck is wrong with me and upon stumbling upon innatentive ADHD it really would make so much in my life make sense if that is what I have. So I guess we’ll see.
Yes I hate how depression and anxiety get in the way of diagnosis! The doctor who diagnosed me with depression also though I might have been bipolar but my "manic" phases weren't long or extreme enough. Pretty sure they were just hyperactive moments now that I look back.
@@storytimewithnatalie9602 That is about word for word what I was told, because what she said might be manic phases could be as short as four hours of intense research on something like getting into photography then even making an impulse purchase then losing any and all interest.
@@storytimewithnatalie9602 maybe you had an hypomanic episode. You don’t need to be bipolar to get manic. And still may have adhd as well…
@@papercliprain3222 this seems more like hyperfocus. While I was manic, I felt like the king of the world 😅 multitasking turned into tasking 6 7 8 things simultaneously, also didn’t even feel my body, eat or sleep
Me too! 🤚 Also incorrectly diagnosed as Bipolar… Had me on so much medication I lost track of 6-8 months of time where I don’t recall anything… Only to do some research and realize “Holy shit, all my life I have had inattentive ADHD”… And it was self esteem issues that caused my anxiety that I’m on Valium for right now! I was a very shy child. I did grow up in a very abusive home though, but my biological father and brother also have ADHD, (Which I hadn’t known until recently while doing research before my assessment)… Now just waiting! Childhood for me was miserable, I would love gym as I was good at sports and enjoyed them, and the rest of the day was absolute torture is the best way to describe it. I literally passed out during the computer test at the end of the session.. Then she snapped me out of it and explained that was what that test was for. I’m hoping for the best, but man they seem to always think it’s something else…
Stuart, thank you for your channel, Sir. I am in this situation now. I was diagnosed at a young age for ADD (early to mid 90s) but tried back then drugs, etc. I don’t remember what happened but fast forward to today and the symptoms seem to be getting worse and worse. I have a wife and two kids. I am always avoiding issues and making mistakes and what other people seem to do with ease, like concentrate at a task, I can’t do it. I’m 40 and am terrified and struggling. My wife keeps saying there’s nothing wrong with me and I need to “man up”. She doesn’t understand and I know she isn’t saying it maliciously but it seems noone understands me.
I had to drop out of uni because my undiagnosed ADHD father didn't pay the mortgage and left the country, which left my siblings and I homeless and couch surfing for awhile. If you have this problem please get diagnosed .. being undiagnosed will hurt your children
I'm 35 and I've just started the intake procedure for inattentive type. In my country they still refer to it as ADD. We'll see what happens.
I was told I have anxiety and not adhd.
I wasn’t expecting the psychiatrist to ask me questions regarding ONLY my childhood. Is this common? I do believe you have to have had the symptoms as a child, otherwise it could be anxiety only. …..
I do not recall all my childhood so I will think about it a bit more and ask my mom and brothers about my childhood and then I may seek a second diagnosis.
I liked school so never struggled with it or with focusing on it. I had an active imagination -but he asked me if I daydreamed a lot in school and I’m unsure.
When I have done the online questionnaires it says I do have adhd. Anyways I was disappointed with the diagnosis not going to lie. I thought I was finally starting to understand myself, found ppl I could relate to etc!! Im trying to be accepting that maybe I have anxiety and not adhd but can still relate to ppl with adhd b/c there appears to be some overlap. But also wondering at the back of my mind if maybe I have both……
omg, im the same, i got told i have the symptoms as an adult but not as a child and so it cant be adhd.... I'm very interested now in the effects of anxiety on concentration and focus, could anxiety really be the cause?
And hah! i too am very disappointed with the negative diagnosis.
Please do update me on how life's going now. Did you get help for anxiety? is it helping the adhd symptoms?
I just had my initial appointment and the psych focused on my past truama and wouldn't let me explain the roots of why I struggled. Couldn't explain myself well and they tried explaining (inaccurately) how truama is why I struggle.
Can you do a video on how to help communicate how to seperate truama and ADHD/ASD. Because I know myself and I couldn't even get to the roots.
I honestly wouldn't know how
Find a specialist and get a second opinion, for therapy and testing . It’s common to be misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression. Often they’re caused by untreated ADHD.
i hate myself . cant do anything important done . cant complete anything . om suck at my job . i always waste my time . i always end the days panicing about how i wasted the whole day
Thank you for offering encouragment to cotinue in Uni, and to try your best. My daughter had to get tested 3x for her Dyslexia. Senior year in high school when covid forced distance learning symptoms of ADHD started to become obvious, her doctor said she had insomnia, and depression not ADHD because she did not struggle with behavior or grades during elementary school. She does not need sleeping pills or deression meds, she needs proper ADHD assesment.
I'm glad Stuart addressed this, it happens way too often. Honestly, if you're still struggling, then the dismissive words of a doctor aren't going to change that. You should try to remind yourself that your struggles are real and valid regardless, and they deserve attention! Use that to push yourself forward for a second opinion (even if being assertive is easier said than done).
And afaik, there aren't any diagnostic tests for ADHD? Maybe scoring tests or something, but nothing that can diagnose you. The diagnosis is based on your history and the interview, so your experience should have been prioritised as front and centre to the issue.
But I do also agree to keep an open mind. You're not wrong that you're struggling or even what the struggles are, but multiple diagnoses can indeed overlap and getting the right treatment is crucial, otherwise you're just wasting your time. Aside from depression and anxiety (which Stuart mentioned), a lot of sleep disorders present exactly like ADHD (some doctors even think ADHD *is* a sleep disorder!). So getting the right diagnosis is crucial. But you're only going to get that with a skilled professional, so that second opinion should ideally be with someone with proven experience. Don't be shy to stand your ground on this.
Best of luck! Hope you get answers soon!
Stuart, do you get support through the nhs or have you done it privately? Diagnosis, therapy whatever .Who prescribes your adhd medication decides what one to try?
Im getting pre screened for ADHD at my uni, my GP has ruled out childhood trauma, autism, depression, anxiety, and learning difficulties with reading, writing and maths. The only thing she said that could cause my lack of focus, Boredom, lack of attention, fidgeting and zoning out in lectures including with the same behaviour in primary school, secondary school and college is likely ADHD. The student support group at my uni are great and they had a meeting with me, my lecturers offering support as well. My short term memory isn't the best, so hopefully they will allow me to use my ipad with the list of my symptoms in it and background and information on each symptom from when i was younger, to present. The doctor said it was very useful and would be very handy for them to see it or for me to use it since it would make diagnosing so much easier since there is a lot of information on there.
Im the opposite of this guy i never try at school but i still manage to do it easily. but im similar to him as that i try very hard to be great at video games like valorant but i never improve im so bad at it that i get mad. His struggle in school is like mine in valorant.
As an adult who self-diagnosis ADHD (because a doctor gave me a negative result), I can attest it's hard but at some point you have to just know and learn. When I learn about ADHD and make adjustments and my life improves...then the doctor telling me what I do or don't have isn't the end-all be-all!! Good luck!
How do you get around refusal to diagnose? I talked to the GP and asked for a referral but it's been denied twice in two years.
All I know is that they don't like my coping mechanism and don't think my life is messed up enough. They've got about 15 minutes worth of conversational information by which to go by for this.
Go private?
@@ADHDMastery is there not a reliance on GPs/the NHS to access some of those services?
I don't know if I'd be able to afford private but it's worth a shot. Will medical insurance cover it even if its a preexisting condition?
Hi Stuart, I’m 32 and just got diagnosed with ADD, I’m doubting medication prescription by the psychiatrist since she prescribed me an antidepressant ( cipralex ) with my ADD medication. Did your doctor give you an antidepressant or are you able to “function” normally with the ADD medication alone.
Thanks to that video I realised that I had the same struggles with my uni and my masters, which I ended not doing and I dropped out of uni because of inability to do it. i now know that I probably have ADHD and I'm getting diagnosed, but boy, was it hard without that knowledge...
I haven't been tested but I want to get one because it just feels like there's something there. I've spoken to my mum about the fact that it could be ADHD (this was rather difficult for me) but she shrugged it off because I'm not hyperactive. I've wanted to go to my GP but after COVID it's just felt rather difficult to try get an appointment and I just keep putting it off. I generally get called lazy but i wish people could feel what I feel on a daily basis like there is a want to be more productive it's just hard for me (I'm not the best at explaining things, never have been tbh). I'm 19 and I am at university and the amount of times I've thought of dropping out and just going to work has been overwhelming. Just needed a place to get this off my chest and I thought this would be a good place as I've been watching a good few videos of yours recently.
I went through hours of tests over several weeks. They asked me about my past, but not as thorough as I expected. They contacted one person who knew me for years. They still diagnosed me as negative.
I can't shake the feeling that they are wrong. Anxiety? Depression? I'm in my 60's and I've had these issues since my childhood.
I'm sorry you're struggling with this. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 40s, in graduate school, where they had a really exceptional student disability services office. If you're
old enough to have gotten past a lot of the "teen & young adult stuff" & you're still having these issues, *something* is going on. I would urge you to be persistent. Good luck.
I have been seeing a therapist for over a year for gender dysphoria. And it was at first hard to distinguish anxiety caused from gender dysphoria and adhd. My therapist was convinced that it is gender dysphoria and not adhd. But I started seeing a psychiatrist for adhd and he sees that I definitely have adhd after some tests and talking. I struggle with getting stuck in an anxiety loop in my head, and can never know how to coexist with time. All that to say, I am getting help of a doctor with meds, and therapist with cbt method and i can see that even they see things differently. I am also aware of various comorbidities that come with adhd and how they can be different for everyone. I think one should not get discourage for asking for help if the first one doesnt land on a clear answer. We all deserve the help and support we can get.
I had to change surgery 3 times to find a GP who would support me in getting my ADHD and Aspberger diagnoses. This was after a lifetime of being misdiagnosed bipolar and bullied into taking antipsychotics and mood stabilisers which zombified me and left me with a permanent tourettes-like spasm. These meds can also cause Parkinson's disease. One young female GP, whom I'd asked for support over getting an ADHD diagnosis, sneeringly accused me of "looking for labels". I think that doctors who haven't learned about neurodiverse conditions get angry about them as we usually know more than they do (not difficult!) and their innate arrogance and narcissism can't deal with that. Even the simple fact that both conditions cause low dopamine is something that's caused anger when I explain it to a doctor. Good luck to all on their quest for a diagnosis and don't let the ignorant t*ssers get to you.
Excellent channel, just found you and sharing the content with my adhd support group. Many thanks for your work 👌😊❤️
I’ve suspected that I have adhd for about a year now. I finally mustered up the courage to tell my doctor. She referred me to the psychiatry department. Talked to a therapist, he asked me questions then he set up an appointment with a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist asked me even more in-depth questions and even prescribed me adhd meds; she also referred me to get the cpt testing. Well, I was just informed by a different therapist yesterday that according to the cpt I don’t show signs of adhd and now I’m feeling a little depressed. I’ve always struggled with time management and procrastination so much so that I dropped out of college after 4 years without a degree. I left feeling like I was stupid. So to be told that I tested negative feels like a slap in the face and has left me feeling like I’m just a lazy, defective 💩. I don’t even feel like reaching out to the psychiatrist to see where I can go from here, but I have to because I’ve been on these pills for almost a week now. 😞
I have ADD and mild cerebral plasy and used to struggle with my behavior has child but it has gotten better although I anxiety sometimes but I have to manage it with olly vitamins
Traumatic brain injury can also mimic some/all aspects of AD(H)D.
I do suspect that I might have ADHD, and every professional who talks to me tests me for it but it always comes back as "impulsive but no bad memory, not enough symptoms" or something along those lines. My biggest, *biggest* symptom is that I get bored in a very extreme way and when I'm bored I can't function unless I have some sort of brain sustenance. Thus I can't study at all, because I can't focus on my studies and *not* get bored. I have tried very very hard to "deal with it" but I can't. I freak out. I start getting twitchy, hyperactive, generally obnoxious. And boredom feels like I am being strangled. Everyone calls me lazy for it.
I have no other explanation for my experience, when I'm struggling I can't say I have ADHD because surely it would have come up as positive. Like is it that I have few but very strong symptoms and not enough for the rest?
Productivity is a dream at this point, unachievable. I feel like a failure with no proper excuse for why.
Also, none of my tests had any questions. They were mostly memory tests and puzzles, I was 16 and 17 when I completed around three of these same puzzle type tests by different doctors. I'm good at that sort of thing so as expected I did well. One of the professionals just ended up diagnosing me with anxiety, and I was like yes I think I have anxiety but surely there must be something else as well, it's not just anxiety symptoms that I'm experiencing. She yelled at me and called me lazy, looking for a diagnosis so I can have an excuse to not try at all. I cried. A lot.
If you see this, I need help with a question, I was officially diagnosed with adhd at 49, I'm 52 now, my psychologist has told me I am empathic, I grew up believing everyone was, in fairness everyone is to a point, but even though I have found a lot of people exactly the same. But....there are 2 things that I struggle with so bad, it makes me want to, be completely away from people 🥺 all my life, I can't hate, I can avoid bad people, I can say no even though it's hard, I rely on logic to help me say no, but I can't hate Anyone!!!! Not at all, not even argh, I can't explain 🙇♀️💞🌻.
Omggg my whole life looked like ADHD but when I got tested I was negative for it. But I was relieved to know that I did have another learning disability. Two to three, that affected mt academics and relationships with my friends and boyfriends. I have dyslexia, discalculia and Auditory Processing Disorder. Dyslexia is very similar to ADHD, it has inattention, focusing problems, and also creativity and hyperfixation. Atleast I found my answer.
Wow! I believe I have discalculia too. I’m just horrible with numbers it’s quite sad.
Who told you that dyslexia is similar to ADHD? This is total bullshit. It is not similar at all. Someone just lied to you.
@@michal.kozlikowski.drummer nobody told me anything. I watch alot of youtubers who have ADHD and what they talked about their own symptoms, i identified with alot of them, so they feel similar. Am not saying they are one and the same. But many of the symptoms are common. And my therapist said why I felt that way about thinking i have ADHD. Everyone experiences their diagnosis differently.
Think about getting a different opinion.
But how do you feel? Is more important then the Drs feelings. I put myself on meds then off BCS o wasn't sure. Then I found a natural alternative that beat all meds I had taken. How do you feel like you would benefit? Reasearch time.
Get someone that knows you well see what they think about questions and compare them with yours maybe.
I really sucked at my grades till my brother told me to write down everything the teacher wanted on the paper. Cross out one by one as fullfil what the teacher wants.
LITTERALLY dedicated most my childhood to studying automotive as I was barely allowed to leave the house lol but shits so easy for me and I'm in a very easy automotive engineering course that tells me stuff I pretty much already know but I'm the furthest behined in my class and can not manage to make myself do more than 10 mins of actual work at a time and now I'm at the point where I stay at home and attempt to do the theory stuff because I'm so anxious and embarrasssed to go to class...Hopefully this psychiatrist I'm supposed to see tomorrow can diagnose me with something I don't even care if its ADHD I just need some resault so I can figure out what tf goin on
ADHDer, one advice for you. Read books. It helps me a lot to stay calm and focused.
Got diagnosed with add, did the wais intelligence test and got very superior processing speed, which meant no add. Still struggled. Turns out I'm bipolar. Big twist.
When I was about 14 I told my school I think I'm finding things harder than I should, I can't remember a whole lot of details about what they did but my memory says it was just like a generic test not aimed at anything specific. They didn't ask about my past at all or anything like that, just the type of tests moving shapes about etc. Perhaps the test mentioned in the video was something similar. With the outcome being for me someone saying "there's nothing wrong with you Mr I have learning difficulties". 7 years later I'm diagnosed with dyslexia at university, then another 7 years later I'm diagnosed with ADHD after nothing ever going to plan.
During adult life I did also suggest to two different GPs that maybe I have ADD but that idea was shot down instantly even though they didn't ask anything about my theory and I incorrectly just trusted them.
Random question: what did you graduate in?
One more thing. Here in Brazil doctors doesn't like to prescribe adhd medicine, and other drugs that is "strong" for pain. Yes, i have a chronic pain as well. So... That's it. You can talk about pain medication? I don't know what is your focus with your channel yet. I'm going to see more videos. Hugs!
Are you on medication for ADHD at this point?
You cannot study regularly and have ADHD brother!
Wrong doctor
are you a web developer?
Nope, I wish!
@@ADHDMastery ohh I thought you were messing around html in a code editor on one of your videos.
@@Cognitoman yeah I know the one - the title says it's a *fictional* depiction.
@@ADHDMastery ohh lol
please be back
Studying day and night and still struggling just sounds like an academic ability issue. Soz.
Aka, adhd.
I love you❤️✌️
❤️U2 bro
It’s funny because an old friend of mine got diagnosed as an adult and he told me that his psychiatrist just told him “It was so bad” and so he got the diagnosis and is currently on Adderall. I know he abuses them, it’s a shame really, but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m sure he manipulated that psychiatrist to get what he wanted. I’ve personally known him for awhile and he doesn’t strike me as someone with ADHD. Back when we were using together he would give me some of his meds (Vyvanse, Ritalin) and I would take them orally instead of crushing them… He kept checking on me and honestly I wasn’t even high, my mind just felt so clear and it was like a light switched off in my head (where I’m always have something going on in my head 24/7) But he takes them and he gets high off of it. I recently did my testing although I didn’t get to speak very long about my early years and I don’t think the specialist was able to contact my mother, but she did my ex girlfriend and mentioned some things she noticed (meaning I may have inattentive ADHD) My point in this I suppose is I am waiting to hear back, but there are cases where you get a psychiatrist (in this case my old friend) that will just either diagnose you without doing research and actually getting to the bottom of it, or they just tell you no and so you feel discouraged because you feel like you DO have it. And honestly it pisses me off that some doctors will just diagnose you based on what you go in there and say write a prescription right then and there and you have all these people out here really struggling and trying to move forward with their lives feeling stuck… No doctor that doesn’t specialize in ADHD should ever diagnose someone with it, because this is the reason it is one of the most over-diagnosed mental health disorders AND the most under-diagnosed out there.