Posts from June 2024

How do I get medication? 
 
GPs do not usually prescribe ADHD medication and so you will need to see a specialist prescriber. Most people who have a private ADHD Assessment, will also have private medication assessment. A range of specialist professionals can prescribe ADHD medication including pharmacists, mental health nurses and psychiatrists. 
 
After your ADHD diagnosis, I will give you information about individual professionals and organisations you can contact for a medication assessment. You can self-refer and do not need a referral from another professional. You will need to send a copy of your ADHD Assessment report to the specialist prescriber and they will request additional information about your physical health.  
Why do I feel like this? 
 
When people are told that they have ADHD, they are often surprised by how they feel. This is true even if they were expecting the diagnosis. “I’ve always felt there was something different about me”. This is something that many of the people I assess for ADHD tell me when during our first conversation. Or sometimes people say, “I’ve always felt there was something wrong with me” or “I never felt I fitted in”. Yet when they are given an ADHD diagnosis people may suddenly feel very upset. If you have struggled all your life to manage tasks that seem easy to other people, like leaving the house on time, getting a meal ready and clearing up afterwards, paying your Council Tax bill on time or remembering a friend’s birthday. You may have got used to others telling you, or telling yourself, that “you just need to focus”, “use just need to try harder” or “you just need to get on and do it”.  
You may have decided that you are lazy or incompetent. So, when someone tells you that you are none of these things; that your brain just works in a way which is different from most people’s and that of course that difference makes it hard for you to do everyday things, then you may feel an enormous sense of relief. You may feel for the first time in your life that it’s not your fault. You may feel that someone else has validated your experience and understood what a struggle life is for you. You may feel upset.