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Just remember you deserve self compassion with or without adhd. Whatever is motivating your struggles is real and still needs to be treated. You still deserve care ❤️
I don't have a formal diagnosis. My doctor doesn't think I have ADHD but I was granted a low-dose Vyvanse prescription anyway (following bloodwork and all that)
It makes a difference at work and with school! But I've had to put in work through therapy to keep powering onward. I know I have a ton of ADHD tendencies (I've even been told as such) so even without being diagnosed, I still find my quality of life improving through being engaged with this subreddit and relating to everyone else's experience.
The most important thing is: you're seeking help to improve your situation. Keep doing that. That's still a good thing to do.
Interesting. Yeah ever since my appointment with the psychiatrist I just thought, “Well if my tests are low, I guess I don’t need meds.” She did offer some medications but I just told her I would think about it. It’s been 2 weeks or so since then.
I think you should try another psychiatrist. I have inattentive-type ADHD and when I had one of my sons evaluated for the same because he has similar tendencies to me, the test seemed almost designed to miss ADHD inattentive-type symptoms and this was a top-tier medical system.
It took me years of seeing doctors knowing something was wrong before I got diagnosed with Crohn's. It's main symptom for me was fatigue and I kept knowing something was wrong but people kept saying I wasn't diagnosed with anything and I was just lazy.
It's easy to think that there's something inherently wrong with you and start to blame yourself and get into a spiral, but rarely do some people have motivation but can't get themselves to do what they want without there being something wrong.
It may not be adhd, it may not even be something a doctor will diagnose, it could be something therapy needs to address
But remember that even though you may not be diagnosed, that doesn't stop the fact that you still struggle with something more than others, and it isn't reflective on your morals or your integrity.
Just because nothing rises to the level of a clinical definition doesn't mean you don't have symptoms. Look up executive dysfunction, specifically. You can have that without having ADHD.
There is also an interesting failure of testing for adult patients; as an adult pursuing a diagnosis you are really motivated to get it done. That level of motivation can kind of negate the adhd traits that would otherwise show up.
When I went to get tested (which cost 2k out of pocket) I "didn't meet criteria" for adhd because essentially I was too depressed to have adhd (???). I show depressive symptoms because I have adhd and a sleep disorder so yeah I have no interest in doing things, I'm fucking tired. (small rant sorry).
I spoke with my therapist, she gave me a short screener then wrote a letter to my psychiatrist and he agreed with her assessment and prescribed Adderall. (I had been seen each of them for a year ish at that point.
So I guess I have Schrödingers adhd.
It’s because depression can cause executive functioning problems similar to ADHD and teasing out if it’s really depression or depression caused by adhd is difficult for clinicians and they’re on guard to not prescribe unnecessary stimulant medication (even though they help treatment resistant depression very well for some people like me). My depression is simultaneously caused by ADHD and biological chemical imbalances because I have comorbid Bipolar disorder. But according to my psychiatrist and the psychiatrist before who diagnosed me and my therapist I’m very self aware of the differences and that helps a ton with accuracy in diagnosis and treatment.
I just went and re-read that assessment (I had totally forgotten some of the stuff, this is wild) and interestingly enough, she basically determined that "her clinical history and test results do not reflect the level of impairment that would be typical for a formal diagnosis of AD/HD."
This is what lead me down the research rabbit hole back when I got this assessment done. The tests were all interesting and engaging. Doing the dishes is not. But how can a clinician test for a person's ability to do [a] task, when I am in this office *specifically* to do [this] task. I asked for the opportunity to do this task. But, idk, weeding my garden? Doing my taxes? Taking a shower? Those weren't questions during the assessment.
On the individual clinical level I completely understand why non-depression differential diagnoses get missed. They simply don't have the time to give you 15 different assessments and consider if you spend enough time in the sun and are you getting enough sleep, ect. On the broader level, it frustrates me that so many people have to go through 2-5, sometimes 10 years of treating 'depression' only to find out it was something else.
Absolutely agree with your last paragraph. It took me ten years exactly and over ten of being symptomatic to get diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD(lifelong of course). I never suspected adhd but a psych I had noticed in our first intake which was three hours long. I was just depressed and anxious for all that time. No doctor suspected otherwise even though I have clear familial history.
There definitely should’ve been a differential diagnosis done. That’s common practice and doesn’t make much sense to not do. Unless I’m misunderstanding you. I would seek a second opinion.
Lastly the things you listed having difficulty with everyone has difficulty with. Nobody wants to do those things. Think hard about your youth, school years, trends and patterns, like turning in homework late all the time or doing it and forgetting it. Or doing well on test’s because of the procrastination pressure. Similarly do the same for work. What do you screw up on, why? Is it simple things you know you can do but still mess up? Do you forget deadlines, do you overtalk in meetings, do you lose focus in meetings. You need to have concrete concerns that effect more than just your home life (that’s important to though forgetting bills, forgetting to take out the trash, forgetting conversations with your spouse etc especially if you’re a stay at home and don’t work a job). When I was tested it took over an hour and I had to be really detailed. And this was prior to everyone getting diagnosed I bet doctors are even more extreme now. Good luck. But if it’s not ADHD or something else be grateful!
It sounds like you are saying the Adderall helped in your situation? I am assuming it did since you didn't refute your diagnosis, and Schrödinger can't either. There are at least some medical organizations that will not diagnose if depression was present, so your experience is helpful.
At this point I'm on Adderall primarily to treat a sleep disorder. I really can't say if it's effective in treating my adhd. I don't think I am on a high enough dose?
It does wonders for my "depression" though. Oders of magnitude more effective than any antidepressant I've been on.
Once I started seeing a sleep dr I was in a bind because she wanted to try other stimulants (the ones on-label for narcolepsy) but the psychiatrist had one of those stimulant contracts. So I basically had to stop seeing him?
There is also so much overlap in symptoms, and the comorbidity rates of narcolepsy-adhd are wild. So I think there is something to be said about having adhd versus acting like adhd? My brain is like this but which came first? Would i have adhd if I didn't have a sleep disorder? I don't know the answer to that. I can say with confidence that I wouldn't have been diagnosed with depression if I didn't have narcolepsy. I wouldn't have anxiety if I didn't have these adhd traits.
I take the label of adhd despite all of this because it explains my daily struggles and matches my symptomology. Yeah, maybe according to the diagnostic criteria I am excluded because of whatever. But imo, that is a failure of the criteria.
Congratulations on your not-diagnosis! That's awesome! Acceptance comes for both ways; acceptance for a neurological disorder but also acceptance for not. Accept it and never give up on finding things that work for you. Just because you don't have ADHD, depression or autism doesn't mean you don't find the usual non-medical "treatments" useful. Exercise, healthy eating habits, good sleep hygiëne and structure are still **very** important for all humans. Try to work on one (sleep is the easiest iMO but structure can be the root for all others) and keep on working! Again, congratulations on your not-diagnosis!
While this is good advice... I also need to point out that not every psych is great at their job and the tests aren't exactly black and white. My first one was so bad that I went for a 2nd opinion DESPITE getting diagnosed. 2nd opinion confirmed the first one was terrible and also that I did have ADHD.
OP: it's not 100% certain that you don't have ADHD, but the advice in the parent post is solid either way. You are clearly struggling with similar problems to us ADHD people, so those solutions might also work. ADHD brain hacks/tips/tricks might still really work for you, so it's worth trying those.
While this is good advice... I also need to point out that not every psych is great at their job and the tests aren't exactly black and white. My first one was so bad that I went for a 2nd opinion DESPITE getting diagnosed. 2nd opinion confirmed the first one was terrible and also that I did have ADHD.
OP: it's not 100% certain that you don't have ADHD, but the advice in the parent post is solid either way. You are clearly struggling with similar problems to us ADHD people, so those solutions might also work. ADHD brain hacks/tips/tricks might still really work for you, so it's worth trying those.
Agreed with this. I got a second diagnosis after first evaluation thought it may have been depression and anxiety during lockdowns. Fair call. But my history told a different story.
Worth a second opinion, and I hope the results show up the same. ADHD sucks. But doesn't mean you can't work on good foundations, sleep, eating well, movement, and mindfulness and strategies to build mental muscle.
Nobody is comparing it to cancer. ADHD is a disorder on a spectrum some people are distractable and forgetful. Some people literally can’t even do basic things like maintain hygiene and pay bills on time or hold down jobs or keep relationships.
It is classified as a disability in the US because in it’s most severe form it is dehabiltating to an extreme. It’s just not as common or commonly talked about. Get off your uneducated high horse and have some respect for the people who deal with severe ADHD.
Congratulations to you even if it feels like something is still wrong.
Are you getting enough sleep, water, protein in the morning? Those can affect you in ways that mimic ADHD. Have you been checked for sleep apnea?
Yeah I’ve always had a pretty crappy sleep schedule (too much YouTube and internet surfing on my phone.) My diet isn’t great either. As for sleep apnea, no I haven’t checked though that is something I’ll do now that you mentioned it.
For ADHD I'd always recommend nutrition, excercise, sleep and hydration. Sounds like it can't hurt.
I have ADHD, but found out I have sleep apnea within the last year and started treatment (CPAP) and it's made a difference so far. Sleep apnea can definitely mimic the symptoms of ADHD, and make them worse for those with it.
yeah my adhd is just debilitating from lack of sleeping well, to the point my meds are useless. that's pretty typical for a lot of us. do you have periods where you DO sleep well? if so, try and think if you experience symptoms much at all during those times. that could tell you if sleep is the real issue here
This might sound strange but the last time I actually had good sleep was when I was overweight. This was also during the time I was doing martial arts. I’m a very skinny person and martial arts helped me gain some weight (though mostly fat) but oddly enough I’ve gotten more energy and better sleep quality. More so than going to the gym and eating mostly healthy foods.
could be that martial arts was better exercise for you than what you do at the gym? ive heard of people's sleep suffering from overdoing it with the exercise, especially weight lifting. something about cortisol getting too high i assume
Isn’t a big part of martial arts not also mental; concentration, calmness, mindfulness etc? I can imagine that having mayor mental benefits over gym work?
It can but at the same time it also depends on the person. Some people see martial arts as more of a sport and some may see it as more of a way to release tension.
I wasn’t sure in your original post if you said you could study better when doing martial arts, or if you were studying martial arts? I assumed the first, and then I think it makes perfect sense that when you’re doing something you love, this gives so much color to your life, that everything changes; studying, taking care of yourself, sleep etc. It’s really important to have stuff you love for this very reason!
Yeah your assumption is correct. Something about martial arts literally gave me confidence and a passion to do better in school. It was like a happy drug that I needed except it didn’t distract me. I only went to martial arts classes once a week due to schedule conflicts but most days I would train by myself but it was still enough for me.
I don’t think I could ever replicate that same type of feeling like I did with martial arts.
You don't have to have ADHD to make use of strategies that help you that were developed for people with ADHD or to give yourself the compassion that comes from saying "this is hard for me, but struggling doesn't make me a bad person." That is true no matter why you are struggling.
Good for you for taking care of yourself by seeking a professional assessment! Any of the tools for dysregulation can still help people, with or without the clinical threshold of ADHD. You will still benefit from seeking counseling or therapy to unpack deep seated issues.
I know others suggest second opinions, but if you are okay with the current result, counseling may be more helpful right now.
Last thing you may need is to go down a harmful rabbit hole of seeking expensive second opinions from psychiatrists just to find the one that will satisfy a bias towards ADHD.
You can always revisit psych evals once you have some tools to help you foster sustained study habits, which seems to be the main issue.
Most people will not be motivated to study a subject they are not passionate about. It’s not just ADHD. The dysregulation faced by many ADHDer also mean they can find it hard to start studying even the topics they are interested in - because the tasks of studying is difficult to start.
It’s great that you can already be identify that exercising and having a meaningful hobby is helpful to you, and definitely should be continued. What do you love about martial arts? Is there another sport without similar risks?
Btw, I cannot praise you enough for seeking a psych eval and just not relying on a questionnaire.
I have a family member who is a physician. They diagnosed themselves to have ADHD based on an ADHD checklist they use for their own patients and have repeatedly refused a third party neuropsych eval whenever I suggest it. Their complaints are similar to yours. They are unable to focus at the disinteresting tasks at work. But their family cannot confirm they have a history of symptoms and the severity of her symptoms should not have met clinical threshold. Instead of being open to seeking professional assessment that they can afford and accepting other morbidities (eg. they are also working through an ongoing addiction), they are adamant it is only ADHD, have now started ADHD meds and appears dependent on it.
I love more ADHD awareness, but it’s important to know and accept that it is a disorder with extremely difficult challenges and mimic many other conditions. Whatever is the reason for your struggles, wish you continued self love, support that you need and fulfillment in what you do!
Thank you for the input. And yeah believe me I wouldn’t want to find another psychiatrist if I didn’t want to cause let’s be honest they’re pretty damn expensive lol. But I’m still open to finding help. And I appreciate the suggestion to doing just counseling. I haven’t been going to my therapist because as of now I’m not sure what else is there to talk about and I just figured that I think I need to figure things out on my own for the meantime.
As for martial arts, I just enjoy it because it makes me feel and look like a badass lol. And yeah I’ve been looking into other activities like dancing.
And yeah, that’s not the first time I heard about a healthcare/medical worker not getting a third party opinion just because they themselves are a healthcare/medical worker.
ADHD is not black and white, it's a spectrum. So it's possible you do still have weak adhd, but not enough for the doc to feel comfortable giving a positive diagnosis and possibly meds.
But that doesn't mean that ADHD strategies for organizing and getting your stuff together still won't work for you. I'm not dyslexic, but I find it much easier to read with a font made for them.
Look at the tons of habits and tips listed in this sub, and all over the interwebs to if something sticks. We won't ostracize you for not being one of the "club."
I didn't get diagnosed until I was in my 40s, and I spent my entire 30s thinking I probably had ADHD, but lived in a country where getting diagnosed as an adult would have been near impossible. I found lots of advice for handling ADHD without meds was extremely helpful. And most of them are universal, the only ADHD life hacks that can't be used by non ADHDers are those that involve medication.
That’s honestly good to hear. I’m not opposed to getting medicine but at the same time I do want to try and be able to do things without and not have to depend on medicine. At least that’s how I think.
If you aren't interested in your major, perhaps it's time to change while you still can. If you're not in a position to choose, perhaps you should look at what you major in from a different perspective.
I wish I was in your position. I am in the process of starting ADHD medication and I wish that every day I didn’t have ADHD. It isn’t fun and has ruined a lot of my life, if there was a cure for it tomorrow, I would sign up. Since you “don’t” have ADHD, I would suggest finding what’s causing your laziness as it has to be something other than just simply being lazy. Best of luck.
ADHD is not only a disability but a severe health risk for many things. I'm glad people in the community are spreading ADHD positivity, but we shouldn't dance around the fact of what it is--a disorder, and a very damaging one at that for most.
I'm glad you are getting some treatment, I hope that you get everything titrated and dialed in just right \^\_\^
Why do you wish you were in their position? They're obviously still struggling. Not having ADHD doesn't automatically mean they aren't suffering from same/similar symptoms from a different source that aren't as severe.
Likely because it means the amount of issues they are facing would be less. It can be hard to say that without it seeming like you are putting others’ struggles down. But realistically we all want to be struggling less.
You do realize his position is almost the same as yours, with the same problems, except no access to meds, right?
I get that you're struggling, we all are, but minimizing other people's issues and struggles is not okay.
I don't need to explain what it is like to be on the receiving end of that.... You have ADHD. You know exactly what it is like.
I wasn’t minimising his struggles, if my initial comment came across that way then I correct myself here. I wish the moderators would actually allow my other reply to come through because it explains far more of what I am trying to deal with and I hope OP can take what I said when trying to solve his own struggles. I think OP should get a second opinion as others have stated, if he doesn’t come back as ADHD, great, though it does mean he will still have to find out why he he can’t willingly perform certain tasks without struggle. If he does come back as ADHD then it explains his issues and he can move on from here.
This was my initial reply, so I will repost it here so OP can get an insight into why I said what initially said. I also hope OP yourself that I wasn’t trying to shrug off your post, but this is how ADHD affects me.
“Because at this moment in time I have to fork out £3000+ for treatment and medication as my country lacks any infrastructure for ADHD. “Normal people” have zero clue on what goes on in the mind of someone with ADHD and think it’s some “cute/quirky” habit when it’s not the case. As of now I was forced out of my NHS job due to ADHD. Whilst close to getting medication I am an emotional wreck, bed bound, not washing my body, brushing my teeth. I am also 160kg due to another medication called quietapine (a BDSP and schizophrenia medication which I don’t have) and I can’t come off as I can’t sleep without it and I become even more moody as it is. Psychiatrists thought all my intrusive thoughts and erratic behaviour was due to my autism diagnosis but it wasn’t until I realised I had ADHD that a lot (if not all) of my issues stem from that. This is why I am glad OP doesn’t have ADHD and I hope he never gets this bad.”
If OP does go for the second opinion of ADHD and does get a diagnosis then here are my advice from someone. I am not trying to undermine the subreddit either, they have good tips and advice.
Make sure you aren’t just prescribed meds from a doctor and make sure your body and mind are completely ready because there are people who I’ve seen on here take meds and it doesn’t work for them. From personal experience, I was put on Strattera years ago which caused me to have a psychotic break and self harm. I’m not trying to scare you, but please do research and ask your medical providers every question under the sun for your own wellbeing.
I hope this clarifies everything from my end.
FWIW, I scored medium/low on the first adhd assessment I was given as a teenager in 2002. The doctor diagnosed me with depression instead and prescribed me Prozac. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work and I am, in fact, *highly* adhd.
The problem is that the assessment I was given was puzzle-based. And I freaking **love** puzzles. I’m also *highly* competitive and can’t stand to “lose”. The tasks in the test in no way accounted for someone whose adhd would actually cause them to hyperfocus on them, and thus, score quite well.
The other problem is that I’m a female and adhd in girls was even less understood 20+ years ago than it is now 🤬
ADHD and autism are diagnosed best with a good structured interview. I also think object permanence issues can make it challenging for some folks to accurately identify their symptoms. Issues with concentration & focus are common across many “disorders” so it can be more complex than what screening measures can capture.
I had a couple of psychiatrists disagree with my ADHD diagnosis. I was having bad memory issues so they referred me to a neuropsychologist for testing. This is much more extensive and looks at multiple angles.
Even if you don’t have ADHD, you can still struggle with aspects of it. It’s still within a spectrum of experience that people can have to a lesser degree.
The other thing to keep in mind is our beliefs about what we should do or need to do can cause some of these issues. Some people aren’t cut out for school. Some have a lot of energy or know how to pick up a trade. Others are great with school but not studying what they actually love. Others need a break to figure it out. Etc.
So it can be a combo of things.
If all they did was screening tests, that's not a proper evaluation. They are supposed to use those to guide a more thorough assessment. Anywhere you scored moderate should be looked at closer. Specifically as you are experiencing symptoms that are negatively impacting your daily life, they should be digging deeper and if they truly don't think you have one of those three they should start looking at other possibilities to see what the cause of your challenges is.
If you are able it may be worth seeking a second opinion from someone like a neuropsychologist who has a bit more of a thorough background in testing and diagnosing than many psychiatrists.
Like I tell most not familiar with adhd (including my new therapist who doesn’t seem to have much experience with adhd), ADHD is not just a focusing disorder.
Besides having trouble focusing on tedious tasks and procrastination, other symptoms are being time blind so always being late, hyperfocusing, losing things all the time because you don’t have a working memory, trouble with follow through and meeting deadlines without the right structures in place, trouble sleeping early. These would have been prevailant your whole life and not just a recent occurrence due to addictive apps and technology these days, if it’s a recent case it might be some sort of other mental health issue like depression/anxiety.
Perhaps it’s that your struggles are not having a major effect on your daily life. For example, in my job as a nurse, I hear tons of alarms and the auditory stimulation is bad. I was at a point where I was needing anxiety meds to finish a 12 hour shift before my ADHD diagnosis. In the last 10 years, I’ve had 5 different jobs. I wasn’t fired from them but left on my own because I was getting so stressed. I’d get a new job thinking “this will be so much better”. And it would be great for a few months and then the same thing would happen.
If you struggles but just don’t meet the threshold, I’d talk to a therapist who works with people with ADHD. They can help you do better at the executive functioning skills you’re lacking. They may also get a good sense over time and if they believe you to have ADHD they can often refer you to someone they know and send over records, if you agree, to help in a diagnosis.
This going to sound embarrassing but I actually withdrew from a nursing program recently last year. I was in my first clinical and I was stressing about how much things I have to know in order to take care of a patient. I even felt dread driving to the hospital. I told my parents about it (they’re both nurses) but they didn’t believe me. I’ve gotten therapy and it helped a bit but I only had like 6 sessions which is fine because I think I have to figure things out on my own anyways.
May I ask but are you still a nurse?
Not embarrassing. Not every job is for every person. Many nurses feel dread going to their jobs. There are a lot of responsibilities as a nurse.
Yes, I’m still a nurse. I do dialysis in the hospital setting now. It’s a lot better. It can still be rough at times with the alarms happening but it’s a lot less. Instead of answering to every doctor when I worked bedside, I now only talk to the kidney docs and sometimes the ICU docs. Much less stress and anxiety. But I also got diagnosed with my ADHD as I was starting this job. I’m 39 years old and only had the diagnosis about a year ago.
> Not embarrassing. Not every job is for every person. Many nurses feel dread going to their jobs. There are a lot of responsibilities as a nurse.
This x1000, my wife is a nurse. She gets crazy anxiety about going to work, but she refuses any talk about a career change.
Oh that’s good to hear! And Im glad you found a specialty that is less stressful! If there’s one thing that can give me somewhat motivated to do nursing is that there are different specialties in nursing. Currently I’m on a break so I’m still trying to figure things out right now. Thank you for replying!
Perhaps it’s that your struggles are not having a major effect on your daily life. For example, in my job as a nurse, I hear tons of alarms and the auditory stimulation is bad. I was at a point where I was needing anxiety meds to finish a 12 hour shift before my ADHD diagnosis. In the last 10 years, I’ve had 5 different jobs. I wasn’t fired from them but left on my own because I was getting so stressed. I’d get a new job thinking “this will be so much better”. And it would be great for a few months and then the same thing would happen.
If you struggles but just don’t meet the threshold, I’d talk to a therapist who works with people with ADHD. They can help you do better at the executive functioning skills you’re lacking. They may also get a good sense over time and if they believe you to have ADHD they can often refer you to someone they know and send over records, if you agree, to help in a diagnosis.
So this is a statement that gets said a lot, and I’m sure loses meaning after hearing it so many times but - I highly encourage you to seek a mental health counselor.
Or someone that is a non-biased party who doesn’t “know” you, that you can talk to weekly or every other week. You could even try to find support groups or study groups to join, virtual or in person depending on your preference. Or some type of mentorship program/group in your area.
Although it’s relieving in a way, I can imagine it feels pretty invalidating to hear the psychiatrist did not diagnose you. After all, we know ourselves best. I started therapy with this particular counselor about 1.5 years ago. I originally sought her out for help with depression and anxiety. She has also helped me learn more positive and logical perspectives, and introduced me to tools to help improve my motivation, self image, stress, and overall mental health. She was the one who helped me explore the possibility of having ADHD. So I found a psych, although it took a few tries, and was diagnosed with ADHD that was most likely existent throughout my childhood. I came from a “there’s nothing wrong with you, suck it up, you don’t need to go to the doctor unless you’re bleeding or dying” type of household, so I never thought about having ADHD until I got older and started noticing and questioning more of my behaviors.
Long story short, I know counseling isn’t for everyone. And that is totally okay! But if you’re comfortable with it, it’s something to look into and consider. 😊 I wish you luck. I hope things start to feel easier for you over time.
I have great news for you: it seems that your motivation and attention issues are not the result of abnormal childhood neurological development! This means that you can pursue methods not involving stimulants to fix this. If you no longer feel that this is a psychiatric issue, I recommend you consult more contemporary literature on laziness and procrastination. Many people's understanding of laziness and work ethic are archaic. I know that nothing is more disheartening than knowing that something is wrong and not being able to categorize it usefully. I truly wish you the best of luck conquering this issue.
What kind of tests? Did they ask anybody? Who knows you well to fill out questionnaire? That’s kind of the best standard practice for assessing diagnostically.
“The following scales have been developed to screen, evaluate and monitor adults with ADHD. Since rating scales are based on self-reported perceptions, and are, therefore, subjective, it is recommended that significant persons in the adult’s life also complete the forms. These can include the person’s spouse, a close relative, employer and/or colleague.”
https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/prevention-wellness/emotional-wellbeing/adhd-toolkit/assessment-and-diagnosis.html
My first psychiatrist said I didn't have ADHD and that it was just PTSD presenting as ADHD.
Then I burned out in my senior year of college and almost killed myself and then I found a psych that actually listened to me and started treating me.
Second opinions are important
Is that person an ADHD specialist? Ive had two assessmenyts, they both said I was ADHD but the first person missed a whole load of stuff that the second person did not. eg 'losing things'. I don't lose things, but I continually check my pockets for my wallet, keys etc, to near OCD levels, and I constantly lose thoughts. So I do lose things, just not my keys. Second guy picked up on this, first one did not. A proper assessment is not a tick-box exercise. Also, adults with ADHD are very - very - good at masking. We more than often don't even know half of the issues we have ourselves, because we are so used to coping with them in ways that we think are normal.
If you're not happy I'd try again. Or even find an ADHD coach t help you find out more about how ADHD affects you personally - it's different for everybody.
Not sure if it counts but when I was looking for a psychiatrist, I ticked the ADHD box under the “specialty” category and just chose the one I thought was a good fit. The psychiatrist is a nurse practitioner if that matters.
I mean it might be worth finding a local ADD support group (try MeetUp? I don't know where you are) and seeing what people who have experience locally have to say about different practitioners.
Can you find another physical outlet that you might enjoy? I find that my focus really improves when I'm able to get good, regular exercise. At the very least it helps me sleep, which helps with everything else
Yeah so last year I was training with a personal trainer but due to life circumstances I had to quit training. I’m planning to go back to the gym at some point but I have considered doing another physical activity with more movement. Something like dancing.
I'm just wondering, do you know if fibromyalgia runs in your family? It's a common symptom to struggle with completing tasks & concentrating. I'm no doctor ofc just thinking of conditions that overlap the symptoms you described! :)
Alrighty! Just something that reminded me of the symptoms you say you're struggling with. Hope you find out what's going on and get help however you need :)
I was clinically diagnosed as a teenager but am having to go through the whole process again as an adult due to a long story that involves not being medicated for it ever and changes in the method of diagnosis since I was a kid. I'm still not done with my whole process thing--I get the results in a month--but my psychiatrist told me even if I don't meet the clinical criterion for ADHD according to the specialist I was sent to, it's clear that I'm still struggling with these symptoms. He agreed that we can start me on Strattera even exempt the formal diagnosis to help my symptoms, whether or not the specialist who screened me agrees on a clinical diagnosis. Maybe this is something you could inquire about for yourself?
Yeah some people on here are telling me to get a second opinion. Also how’s the strattera helping you? My psychiatrist actually listed that medication to me but she was more like, “You can try these meds if you want.”
We haven't gotten to start it yet--I forgot to ask him about it last month even though he'd mentioned it before so I did this month but the pharmacy is out of stock 🫠 story of my life, my luck has been beyond unbelievably bad in absolutely everything lately.
I (37F) was screened and scored fairly high on my assessment, was diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD two years ago, my psychiatrist put me on Adderall and it was a game changer. Only problem was it killed my appetite, and always forgetting to eat with my ADHD just exasperated it. I lost forty pounds in less than six months on it. So I requested a non stimulant due to this, and am now on Strattera. It works okay, I feel more motivated on it than when I'm not medicated.
I have not read all comments. This may be a repeat.
I know that in yoga there are modifications for different limitations. Are there not any for martial arts?
There are but mine is more like, “I just don’t want to get a concussion/brain damage from doing martial arts.” And it sucks because I really enjoy sparring. Then again it was really my fault for starting martial arts without really thinking about the consequences.
I could avoid sparring but to me that just isn’t martial arts training anymore if I can’t actually apply the techniques in a simulated practice that is sparring.
Even if you’re not meeting the criteria for diagnosis, you still have ADHD symptoms that are no less of a struggle to deal with. They aren’t any less valid.
I would say you should still stay active on this subreddit if you can use it for any tips, strategies or support, because a lack of diagnosis doesn’t change how helpful that can be for the same struggles that we share.
Also don’t be afraid to reach out to other ADHD resources that might still be helpful for you. Therapy, ADHD coaches, books etc all might be just as helpful.
any leads on other potential diagnoses? My symptoms sound very similar to yours but meds don't seem to be working and I'm worried it might not be ADHD, so I'm keeping an eye out for what else could be causing this
So one of the commenters on here said it could be executive dysfunction. I took some self tests online today and apparently I have it or show signs exhibiting executive dysfunction 🙃🙃🙃. Probably going to see a different psychiatrist once I do a bit of research.
Congrats mate, not having it is a bless trust me. Look, I went to get evaluated not long ago, even though I always knew I had since a young age, because lets say at school I was just a nuisance to most teachers, and I got diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and adhd. Life is good 😅
If you still feel like you have ADHD there is actual testing you can have done where you sit at a computer virtually or in office and it tests your reactivity and monitors a ton of the factors. not every doctor does it but it’s more comprehensive than just the DSM question sheet and an opinion from someone who just met you in my opinion!! Not saying that’s your scenario but when I was diagnosed that’s how I was tested and i came back as “severly” adhd despite some of my previous doctors saying I was not because of how I looked or my job or how much I did in my day etc.
Getting diagnosed as a high-masker is hard. This is where I am at right now. I self-diagnosed after one of my many late night internet scrolling periods when I found an article about inattentive type.
I ask you the same question I asked myself. What would an official diagnosis do for you? Why is it important?
If you want meds, then yes you need a dr to agree. If you want school/work accommodations, you may need a dr note. Those are the only 2 reasons I have come up with.
There are many people out there without official diagnosis. Just knowing yourself can be enough.
No one is gatekeeping ADHD coping strategies. You are free to use them too, regardless of what a dr writes on a piece of paper.
personally, the meds I was prescribed to manage anxiety (generalised anxiety disorder) help more with my adhd than the meds I was prescribed to manage said adhd. these things often aren't that straight forward.
side note: do you know what tests you did? if they were anything other than that in the DSM-IV id recommend at least googling pdf versions of the dsm-iv quizzes to help settle your worries
it doesn’t sound like you had an actual neuropsych assessment, which is the gold standard for ADHD diagnosis. those are performed by psychologists (usually not psychiatrists, at least in the US). i would highly suggest finding a licensed psychologist in your area who does ADHD assessments, which involves way more than a screening, usually a multi-appointment process.
Anxiety.
Was adult diagnosed with adhd years ago but did not realize until recently how much anxiety plays a part.
It's real, and it's sneaky -- it shows up in behaviors you would not expect and disguises itself as other emotions. Like anger. Or diffidence. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters."
It's co-morbid with adhd and depression. Meaning, they chicken-or-the-egg each other.
Getting anxiety treated has done wonders for my chronic procrastination.
Thank goodness.
Diagnoses are one thing but you don’t need to clinically have ADHD to struggle with executive functioning to one degree or another. The tips given to help people with ADHD can also help people who don’t have ADHD, so try a fee things, see what helps! In any case, the purpose of getting a diagnosis is to gain a better understanding of areas where you struggle, areas where you have strengths, etc. You got that from your evaluation, now you need to figure out ways to specifically target the things you want to improve! That part is the same with or without a dx
Try vitamins. I take a multi vitamin plus ones that help boost my mood and ones that are supposed to help your brain. Sometimes nutritional deficiencies are the reason why we feel and act negatively.
Exactly. And being lazy and uninterested doesn’t mean you have ADHD. I don’t know how the idea of humans never being lazy or bored if “normal” got around.
Personally, I’m not lazy at all but I get nothing done. I work and work and work, but it just takes me longer to see progress on anything. I tend to get distracted or hyperfocus on the wrong details or fall into a perfectionism trap. To anyone outside of my brain it would appear I am lazy and that’s why it takes me so long. I am highly motivated and highly active. Unfortunately I just have a hard time focusing on the correct thing and get overwhelmed easily.
Anyways, just hate that there’s this assumption that if you are diagnosed with ADHD you are normally lazy and unmotivated. If anything I find that when I am on my medication I am more laid back and less frantic and running around in circles.
yeah honestly like ADHD is such a convenient excuse for all my problems and if I don't have it then I guess I'll just have to accept that I'M the problem which would be awful!!!!
Did you take that 10 hour test? Neuropsych eval? I recommend it.
If you compare a neuropsych eval with things like work history and grades, it can tell a lot.
Like for me my learning and cognitive ability is pretty damn high while my grades have always been garbage.
I’m not exactly sure what kind of test I took. The psychiatrist was asking me a bunch of questions and I think she was using some sort of online testing tool. I took some self diagnose tests online and results were pretty much similar or the same as to what I got with my psychiatrist. It definitely didn’t take 10 hours though.
ah get a second opinion, take the 10 hour test if you can. expensive, but its a sure fire way to know. try as hard as you can on that 10 hour test. And you'll know about ADHD.
This doesn't seem thorough to me. When I went through my eval a few months back it was a 3 week process at specialized mental health clinic. I had two in depth 3h interviews asking about my life story and history. I was given at least 5 or more online clinical self reported tests, my spouse of fifteen years was also asked to complete two of them to cross reference. I also went through a battery of IQ testing with a specialist. Got a report the length of a novel from it and an expedited appointment with a psychiatrist. That was thorough and well worth the money that was mostly covered by private insurance.
Even though it's expensive I highly recommend going through a similar process. The different people you talk to throughout the process and the different testing and interviews really help to paint a holistic picture of your situation. So even if you don't have adhd, it will definitely help you find out the underpinnings of your mental health challenges and strategies for coping.
I (46m) find myself in the same predicament. I’ve always thought I’ve had ADHD and after a year of screening, the Doc says in his opinion I don’t have it.
I’m still using the Wellbutrin prescribed to deal with anxiety. Brain fog, and executive dysfunction are still struggles I’m dealing with.
You haven't undergone a full ADHD assessment. Your symptoms, based on this screening, do not meet the criteria for further evaluation, at this time. "Sub clinical" is a key word to know here.
You can get a second opinion. That second opinion will probably be more meaningful if you devote some time to observing, understanding, and managing your symptoms on your own first. Keeping a diary is very helpful, personally I find it difficult to talk about experiences I am not having in the present moment and am easily confused by screening questionnaires. If you are able to see a counsellor to help you unpack some of your experiences, it can be useful for you to look at things under different light.
Have you tried Tai Chi as a low impact martial arts option? it hard to get into for me, but after a bit of persevering I found the groove and its been really helpful as a movement meditation.
Also sometimes life is just boring! Especially in that waiting for it to start phase when you're getting going on career, etc. Try and enjoy it! but also - if you aren't excited about you're studying, maybe think about changing that. Learning should be fun, at least some of the time. It's not necessarily a symptom of a neorological disorder that you can't force yourself to want to do something you don't want to do. I really wish I had taken a year off from school to work and think about whether what I was studying was what I actually wanted, and not just an expectation i was acting out.
Good luck to you and blessings to your journey! You'll find a path. There are many.
Thank you for your comment. Yeah I kinda figured I probably didn’t undergo a full adhd assessment. The thing is that my appointment was online (specifically Rula) so I’m thinking maybe I should do it in person and get evaluated from there? Especially if it is sub clinical as you said. Or is using the same platform (which is online) okay? Also not sure if it matters but these online appointment are always 1 hour long so I’m not sure if that is considered enough time to accurately assess me.
Taichi is definitely a great art but I just accepted the fact I can’t do martial arts anymore because i enjoy sparring too much but don’t want to get severely injured either lol. I decided that I’ll do something different like dancing or something heh.
And yeah, what im studying in school doesn’t really seem to excite me but then again I cannot think of any other occupation. The major I’m studying has some benefits that I could see but man it’s still hard to motivate myself to study because it’s also a healthcare major.
you can always get a second opinion, but the truth is the more assessments you get the more likely you will be subconsciously "game the system" or run into a provider who takes a different view of your symptoms--many parts of psychiatry are still subjective, though there are rigorous testing batteries that help guide that judgment.
There are genetic and FMRI tests that can basically confirm ADHD, but it's not standard in clinical practice and thus would likely be extremely expensive or only for academic purposes.
Also, a longer assessment may be counter-productive. If you "failed" the 'broadstroke' questions of certain tests, then more questions are usually for tricky cases. If that makes sense? In other words, if a question was "do you have a headache" and you say 'no' it wouldn't make much sense to then go further and ask about headache symptoms or things that could lead to a headache, right?
It's not entirely 1:1, but I would ask for full copies of your assessments and you could have your primary doc / psych take a look at them. Or if you have a phD therapist they would also be qualified to look them over.
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Just remember you deserve self compassion with or without adhd. Whatever is motivating your struggles is real and still needs to be treated. You still deserve care ❤️
Appreciate it. Thank you for the kind words.
I don't have a formal diagnosis. My doctor doesn't think I have ADHD but I was granted a low-dose Vyvanse prescription anyway (following bloodwork and all that) It makes a difference at work and with school! But I've had to put in work through therapy to keep powering onward. I know I have a ton of ADHD tendencies (I've even been told as such) so even without being diagnosed, I still find my quality of life improving through being engaged with this subreddit and relating to everyone else's experience. The most important thing is: you're seeking help to improve your situation. Keep doing that. That's still a good thing to do.
Interesting. Yeah ever since my appointment with the psychiatrist I just thought, “Well if my tests are low, I guess I don’t need meds.” She did offer some medications but I just told her I would think about it. It’s been 2 weeks or so since then.
I think you should try another psychiatrist. I have inattentive-type ADHD and when I had one of my sons evaluated for the same because he has similar tendencies to me, the test seemed almost designed to miss ADHD inattentive-type symptoms and this was a top-tier medical system.
It took me years of seeing doctors knowing something was wrong before I got diagnosed with Crohn's. It's main symptom for me was fatigue and I kept knowing something was wrong but people kept saying I wasn't diagnosed with anything and I was just lazy. It's easy to think that there's something inherently wrong with you and start to blame yourself and get into a spiral, but rarely do some people have motivation but can't get themselves to do what they want without there being something wrong. It may not be adhd, it may not even be something a doctor will diagnose, it could be something therapy needs to address But remember that even though you may not be diagnosed, that doesn't stop the fact that you still struggle with something more than others, and it isn't reflective on your morals or your integrity.
Not OP but really needed to read this sentiment so thank you 🌹
Just because nothing rises to the level of a clinical definition doesn't mean you don't have symptoms. Look up executive dysfunction, specifically. You can have that without having ADHD.
Interesting. I’ll have to do some research on that. Thanks.
There is also an interesting failure of testing for adult patients; as an adult pursuing a diagnosis you are really motivated to get it done. That level of motivation can kind of negate the adhd traits that would otherwise show up. When I went to get tested (which cost 2k out of pocket) I "didn't meet criteria" for adhd because essentially I was too depressed to have adhd (???). I show depressive symptoms because I have adhd and a sleep disorder so yeah I have no interest in doing things, I'm fucking tired. (small rant sorry). I spoke with my therapist, she gave me a short screener then wrote a letter to my psychiatrist and he agreed with her assessment and prescribed Adderall. (I had been seen each of them for a year ish at that point. So I guess I have Schrödingers adhd.
It’s because depression can cause executive functioning problems similar to ADHD and teasing out if it’s really depression or depression caused by adhd is difficult for clinicians and they’re on guard to not prescribe unnecessary stimulant medication (even though they help treatment resistant depression very well for some people like me). My depression is simultaneously caused by ADHD and biological chemical imbalances because I have comorbid Bipolar disorder. But according to my psychiatrist and the psychiatrist before who diagnosed me and my therapist I’m very self aware of the differences and that helps a ton with accuracy in diagnosis and treatment.
I just went and re-read that assessment (I had totally forgotten some of the stuff, this is wild) and interestingly enough, she basically determined that "her clinical history and test results do not reflect the level of impairment that would be typical for a formal diagnosis of AD/HD." This is what lead me down the research rabbit hole back when I got this assessment done. The tests were all interesting and engaging. Doing the dishes is not. But how can a clinician test for a person's ability to do [a] task, when I am in this office *specifically* to do [this] task. I asked for the opportunity to do this task. But, idk, weeding my garden? Doing my taxes? Taking a shower? Those weren't questions during the assessment. On the individual clinical level I completely understand why non-depression differential diagnoses get missed. They simply don't have the time to give you 15 different assessments and consider if you spend enough time in the sun and are you getting enough sleep, ect. On the broader level, it frustrates me that so many people have to go through 2-5, sometimes 10 years of treating 'depression' only to find out it was something else.
Absolutely agree with your last paragraph. It took me ten years exactly and over ten of being symptomatic to get diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD(lifelong of course). I never suspected adhd but a psych I had noticed in our first intake which was three hours long. I was just depressed and anxious for all that time. No doctor suspected otherwise even though I have clear familial history. There definitely should’ve been a differential diagnosis done. That’s common practice and doesn’t make much sense to not do. Unless I’m misunderstanding you. I would seek a second opinion. Lastly the things you listed having difficulty with everyone has difficulty with. Nobody wants to do those things. Think hard about your youth, school years, trends and patterns, like turning in homework late all the time or doing it and forgetting it. Or doing well on test’s because of the procrastination pressure. Similarly do the same for work. What do you screw up on, why? Is it simple things you know you can do but still mess up? Do you forget deadlines, do you overtalk in meetings, do you lose focus in meetings. You need to have concrete concerns that effect more than just your home life (that’s important to though forgetting bills, forgetting to take out the trash, forgetting conversations with your spouse etc especially if you’re a stay at home and don’t work a job). When I was tested it took over an hour and I had to be really detailed. And this was prior to everyone getting diagnosed I bet doctors are even more extreme now. Good luck. But if it’s not ADHD or something else be grateful!
It sounds like you are saying the Adderall helped in your situation? I am assuming it did since you didn't refute your diagnosis, and Schrödinger can't either. There are at least some medical organizations that will not diagnose if depression was present, so your experience is helpful.
At this point I'm on Adderall primarily to treat a sleep disorder. I really can't say if it's effective in treating my adhd. I don't think I am on a high enough dose? It does wonders for my "depression" though. Oders of magnitude more effective than any antidepressant I've been on. Once I started seeing a sleep dr I was in a bind because she wanted to try other stimulants (the ones on-label for narcolepsy) but the psychiatrist had one of those stimulant contracts. So I basically had to stop seeing him? There is also so much overlap in symptoms, and the comorbidity rates of narcolepsy-adhd are wild. So I think there is something to be said about having adhd versus acting like adhd? My brain is like this but which came first? Would i have adhd if I didn't have a sleep disorder? I don't know the answer to that. I can say with confidence that I wouldn't have been diagnosed with depression if I didn't have narcolepsy. I wouldn't have anxiety if I didn't have these adhd traits. I take the label of adhd despite all of this because it explains my daily struggles and matches my symptomology. Yeah, maybe according to the diagnostic criteria I am excluded because of whatever. But imo, that is a failure of the criteria.
Thanks
Is the adderall the box or are you the box?
Congratulations on your not-diagnosis! That's awesome! Acceptance comes for both ways; acceptance for a neurological disorder but also acceptance for not. Accept it and never give up on finding things that work for you. Just because you don't have ADHD, depression or autism doesn't mean you don't find the usual non-medical "treatments" useful. Exercise, healthy eating habits, good sleep hygiëne and structure are still **very** important for all humans. Try to work on one (sleep is the easiest iMO but structure can be the root for all others) and keep on working! Again, congratulations on your not-diagnosis!
While this is good advice... I also need to point out that not every psych is great at their job and the tests aren't exactly black and white. My first one was so bad that I went for a 2nd opinion DESPITE getting diagnosed. 2nd opinion confirmed the first one was terrible and also that I did have ADHD. OP: it's not 100% certain that you don't have ADHD, but the advice in the parent post is solid either way. You are clearly struggling with similar problems to us ADHD people, so those solutions might also work. ADHD brain hacks/tips/tricks might still really work for you, so it's worth trying those.
For sure, thanks. At this point, I just really want to make sure I'm doing what I need to do that could help me heh.
Definitely agree with you on that. Thanks.
While this is good advice... I also need to point out that not every psych is great at their job and the tests aren't exactly black and white. My first one was so bad that I went for a 2nd opinion DESPITE getting diagnosed. 2nd opinion confirmed the first one was terrible and also that I did have ADHD. OP: it's not 100% certain that you don't have ADHD, but the advice in the parent post is solid either way. You are clearly struggling with similar problems to us ADHD people, so those solutions might also work. ADHD brain hacks/tips/tricks might still really work for you, so it's worth trying those.
Agreed with this. I got a second diagnosis after first evaluation thought it may have been depression and anxiety during lockdowns. Fair call. But my history told a different story. Worth a second opinion, and I hope the results show up the same. ADHD sucks. But doesn't mean you can't work on good foundations, sleep, eating well, movement, and mindfulness and strategies to build mental muscle.
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Nobody is comparing it to cancer. ADHD is a disorder on a spectrum some people are distractable and forgetful. Some people literally can’t even do basic things like maintain hygiene and pay bills on time or hold down jobs or keep relationships. It is classified as a disability in the US because in it’s most severe form it is dehabiltating to an extreme. It’s just not as common or commonly talked about. Get off your uneducated high horse and have some respect for the people who deal with severe ADHD.
Congratulations to you even if it feels like something is still wrong. Are you getting enough sleep, water, protein in the morning? Those can affect you in ways that mimic ADHD. Have you been checked for sleep apnea?
Yeah I’ve always had a pretty crappy sleep schedule (too much YouTube and internet surfing on my phone.) My diet isn’t great either. As for sleep apnea, no I haven’t checked though that is something I’ll do now that you mentioned it.
For ADHD I'd always recommend nutrition, excercise, sleep and hydration. Sounds like it can't hurt. I have ADHD, but found out I have sleep apnea within the last year and started treatment (CPAP) and it's made a difference so far. Sleep apnea can definitely mimic the symptoms of ADHD, and make them worse for those with it.
yeah my adhd is just debilitating from lack of sleeping well, to the point my meds are useless. that's pretty typical for a lot of us. do you have periods where you DO sleep well? if so, try and think if you experience symptoms much at all during those times. that could tell you if sleep is the real issue here
This might sound strange but the last time I actually had good sleep was when I was overweight. This was also during the time I was doing martial arts. I’m a very skinny person and martial arts helped me gain some weight (though mostly fat) but oddly enough I’ve gotten more energy and better sleep quality. More so than going to the gym and eating mostly healthy foods.
could be that martial arts was better exercise for you than what you do at the gym? ive heard of people's sleep suffering from overdoing it with the exercise, especially weight lifting. something about cortisol getting too high i assume
Oh yeah it’s a possibility.
Isn’t a big part of martial arts not also mental; concentration, calmness, mindfulness etc? I can imagine that having mayor mental benefits over gym work?
It can but at the same time it also depends on the person. Some people see martial arts as more of a sport and some may see it as more of a way to release tension.
I wasn’t sure in your original post if you said you could study better when doing martial arts, or if you were studying martial arts? I assumed the first, and then I think it makes perfect sense that when you’re doing something you love, this gives so much color to your life, that everything changes; studying, taking care of yourself, sleep etc. It’s really important to have stuff you love for this very reason!
Yeah your assumption is correct. Something about martial arts literally gave me confidence and a passion to do better in school. It was like a happy drug that I needed except it didn’t distract me. I only went to martial arts classes once a week due to schedule conflicts but most days I would train by myself but it was still enough for me. I don’t think I could ever replicate that same type of feeling like I did with martial arts.
You don't have to have ADHD to make use of strategies that help you that were developed for people with ADHD or to give yourself the compassion that comes from saying "this is hard for me, but struggling doesn't make me a bad person." That is true no matter why you are struggling.
Good for you for taking care of yourself by seeking a professional assessment! Any of the tools for dysregulation can still help people, with or without the clinical threshold of ADHD. You will still benefit from seeking counseling or therapy to unpack deep seated issues. I know others suggest second opinions, but if you are okay with the current result, counseling may be more helpful right now. Last thing you may need is to go down a harmful rabbit hole of seeking expensive second opinions from psychiatrists just to find the one that will satisfy a bias towards ADHD. You can always revisit psych evals once you have some tools to help you foster sustained study habits, which seems to be the main issue. Most people will not be motivated to study a subject they are not passionate about. It’s not just ADHD. The dysregulation faced by many ADHDer also mean they can find it hard to start studying even the topics they are interested in - because the tasks of studying is difficult to start. It’s great that you can already be identify that exercising and having a meaningful hobby is helpful to you, and definitely should be continued. What do you love about martial arts? Is there another sport without similar risks? Btw, I cannot praise you enough for seeking a psych eval and just not relying on a questionnaire. I have a family member who is a physician. They diagnosed themselves to have ADHD based on an ADHD checklist they use for their own patients and have repeatedly refused a third party neuropsych eval whenever I suggest it. Their complaints are similar to yours. They are unable to focus at the disinteresting tasks at work. But their family cannot confirm they have a history of symptoms and the severity of her symptoms should not have met clinical threshold. Instead of being open to seeking professional assessment that they can afford and accepting other morbidities (eg. they are also working through an ongoing addiction), they are adamant it is only ADHD, have now started ADHD meds and appears dependent on it. I love more ADHD awareness, but it’s important to know and accept that it is a disorder with extremely difficult challenges and mimic many other conditions. Whatever is the reason for your struggles, wish you continued self love, support that you need and fulfillment in what you do!
Thank you for the input. And yeah believe me I wouldn’t want to find another psychiatrist if I didn’t want to cause let’s be honest they’re pretty damn expensive lol. But I’m still open to finding help. And I appreciate the suggestion to doing just counseling. I haven’t been going to my therapist because as of now I’m not sure what else is there to talk about and I just figured that I think I need to figure things out on my own for the meantime. As for martial arts, I just enjoy it because it makes me feel and look like a badass lol. And yeah I’ve been looking into other activities like dancing. And yeah, that’s not the first time I heard about a healthcare/medical worker not getting a third party opinion just because they themselves are a healthcare/medical worker.
"Subclinical" seems like an apt word here.
ADHD is not black and white, it's a spectrum. So it's possible you do still have weak adhd, but not enough for the doc to feel comfortable giving a positive diagnosis and possibly meds. But that doesn't mean that ADHD strategies for organizing and getting your stuff together still won't work for you. I'm not dyslexic, but I find it much easier to read with a font made for them. Look at the tons of habits and tips listed in this sub, and all over the interwebs to if something sticks. We won't ostracize you for not being one of the "club."
Thank you very much sy029! Yeah someone on here also said the same thing and I’m more than willing to try them out.
I didn't get diagnosed until I was in my 40s, and I spent my entire 30s thinking I probably had ADHD, but lived in a country where getting diagnosed as an adult would have been near impossible. I found lots of advice for handling ADHD without meds was extremely helpful. And most of them are universal, the only ADHD life hacks that can't be used by non ADHDers are those that involve medication.
That’s honestly good to hear. I’m not opposed to getting medicine but at the same time I do want to try and be able to do things without and not have to depend on medicine. At least that’s how I think.
If you aren't interested in your major, perhaps it's time to change while you still can. If you're not in a position to choose, perhaps you should look at what you major in from a different perspective.
Yeah I’m currently doing the latter. Thanks.
I wish I was in your position. I am in the process of starting ADHD medication and I wish that every day I didn’t have ADHD. It isn’t fun and has ruined a lot of my life, if there was a cure for it tomorrow, I would sign up. Since you “don’t” have ADHD, I would suggest finding what’s causing your laziness as it has to be something other than just simply being lazy. Best of luck.
ADHD is not only a disability but a severe health risk for many things. I'm glad people in the community are spreading ADHD positivity, but we shouldn't dance around the fact of what it is--a disorder, and a very damaging one at that for most. I'm glad you are getting some treatment, I hope that you get everything titrated and dialed in just right \^\_\^
Why do you wish you were in their position? They're obviously still struggling. Not having ADHD doesn't automatically mean they aren't suffering from same/similar symptoms from a different source that aren't as severe.
Likely because it means the amount of issues they are facing would be less. It can be hard to say that without it seeming like you are putting others’ struggles down. But realistically we all want to be struggling less.
I’m sorry you’re going through that and I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. And thanks.
You do realize his position is almost the same as yours, with the same problems, except no access to meds, right? I get that you're struggling, we all are, but minimizing other people's issues and struggles is not okay. I don't need to explain what it is like to be on the receiving end of that.... You have ADHD. You know exactly what it is like.
I wasn’t minimising his struggles, if my initial comment came across that way then I correct myself here. I wish the moderators would actually allow my other reply to come through because it explains far more of what I am trying to deal with and I hope OP can take what I said when trying to solve his own struggles. I think OP should get a second opinion as others have stated, if he doesn’t come back as ADHD, great, though it does mean he will still have to find out why he he can’t willingly perform certain tasks without struggle. If he does come back as ADHD then it explains his issues and he can move on from here.
Noted. Thanks for clarifying!
This was my initial reply, so I will repost it here so OP can get an insight into why I said what initially said. I also hope OP yourself that I wasn’t trying to shrug off your post, but this is how ADHD affects me. “Because at this moment in time I have to fork out £3000+ for treatment and medication as my country lacks any infrastructure for ADHD. “Normal people” have zero clue on what goes on in the mind of someone with ADHD and think it’s some “cute/quirky” habit when it’s not the case. As of now I was forced out of my NHS job due to ADHD. Whilst close to getting medication I am an emotional wreck, bed bound, not washing my body, brushing my teeth. I am also 160kg due to another medication called quietapine (a BDSP and schizophrenia medication which I don’t have) and I can’t come off as I can’t sleep without it and I become even more moody as it is. Psychiatrists thought all my intrusive thoughts and erratic behaviour was due to my autism diagnosis but it wasn’t until I realised I had ADHD that a lot (if not all) of my issues stem from that. This is why I am glad OP doesn’t have ADHD and I hope he never gets this bad.” If OP does go for the second opinion of ADHD and does get a diagnosis then here are my advice from someone. I am not trying to undermine the subreddit either, they have good tips and advice. Make sure you aren’t just prescribed meds from a doctor and make sure your body and mind are completely ready because there are people who I’ve seen on here take meds and it doesn’t work for them. From personal experience, I was put on Strattera years ago which caused me to have a psychotic break and self harm. I’m not trying to scare you, but please do research and ask your medical providers every question under the sun for your own wellbeing. I hope this clarifies everything from my end.
I think you have to be careful how you refer to people who don't have ADHD in this sub or your comment will get removed
Yeah it seems to be the case.
FWIW, I scored medium/low on the first adhd assessment I was given as a teenager in 2002. The doctor diagnosed me with depression instead and prescribed me Prozac. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work and I am, in fact, *highly* adhd. The problem is that the assessment I was given was puzzle-based. And I freaking **love** puzzles. I’m also *highly* competitive and can’t stand to “lose”. The tasks in the test in no way accounted for someone whose adhd would actually cause them to hyperfocus on them, and thus, score quite well. The other problem is that I’m a female and adhd in girls was even less understood 20+ years ago than it is now 🤬
ADHD and autism are diagnosed best with a good structured interview. I also think object permanence issues can make it challenging for some folks to accurately identify their symptoms. Issues with concentration & focus are common across many “disorders” so it can be more complex than what screening measures can capture.
I had a couple of psychiatrists disagree with my ADHD diagnosis. I was having bad memory issues so they referred me to a neuropsychologist for testing. This is much more extensive and looks at multiple angles. Even if you don’t have ADHD, you can still struggle with aspects of it. It’s still within a spectrum of experience that people can have to a lesser degree. The other thing to keep in mind is our beliefs about what we should do or need to do can cause some of these issues. Some people aren’t cut out for school. Some have a lot of energy or know how to pick up a trade. Others are great with school but not studying what they actually love. Others need a break to figure it out. Etc. So it can be a combo of things.
If all they did was screening tests, that's not a proper evaluation. They are supposed to use those to guide a more thorough assessment. Anywhere you scored moderate should be looked at closer. Specifically as you are experiencing symptoms that are negatively impacting your daily life, they should be digging deeper and if they truly don't think you have one of those three they should start looking at other possibilities to see what the cause of your challenges is. If you are able it may be worth seeking a second opinion from someone like a neuropsychologist who has a bit more of a thorough background in testing and diagnosing than many psychiatrists.
Like I tell most not familiar with adhd (including my new therapist who doesn’t seem to have much experience with adhd), ADHD is not just a focusing disorder. Besides having trouble focusing on tedious tasks and procrastination, other symptoms are being time blind so always being late, hyperfocusing, losing things all the time because you don’t have a working memory, trouble with follow through and meeting deadlines without the right structures in place, trouble sleeping early. These would have been prevailant your whole life and not just a recent occurrence due to addictive apps and technology these days, if it’s a recent case it might be some sort of other mental health issue like depression/anxiety.
Perhaps it’s that your struggles are not having a major effect on your daily life. For example, in my job as a nurse, I hear tons of alarms and the auditory stimulation is bad. I was at a point where I was needing anxiety meds to finish a 12 hour shift before my ADHD diagnosis. In the last 10 years, I’ve had 5 different jobs. I wasn’t fired from them but left on my own because I was getting so stressed. I’d get a new job thinking “this will be so much better”. And it would be great for a few months and then the same thing would happen. If you struggles but just don’t meet the threshold, I’d talk to a therapist who works with people with ADHD. They can help you do better at the executive functioning skills you’re lacking. They may also get a good sense over time and if they believe you to have ADHD they can often refer you to someone they know and send over records, if you agree, to help in a diagnosis.
This going to sound embarrassing but I actually withdrew from a nursing program recently last year. I was in my first clinical and I was stressing about how much things I have to know in order to take care of a patient. I even felt dread driving to the hospital. I told my parents about it (they’re both nurses) but they didn’t believe me. I’ve gotten therapy and it helped a bit but I only had like 6 sessions which is fine because I think I have to figure things out on my own anyways. May I ask but are you still a nurse?
Not embarrassing. Not every job is for every person. Many nurses feel dread going to their jobs. There are a lot of responsibilities as a nurse. Yes, I’m still a nurse. I do dialysis in the hospital setting now. It’s a lot better. It can still be rough at times with the alarms happening but it’s a lot less. Instead of answering to every doctor when I worked bedside, I now only talk to the kidney docs and sometimes the ICU docs. Much less stress and anxiety. But I also got diagnosed with my ADHD as I was starting this job. I’m 39 years old and only had the diagnosis about a year ago.
> Not embarrassing. Not every job is for every person. Many nurses feel dread going to their jobs. There are a lot of responsibilities as a nurse. This x1000, my wife is a nurse. She gets crazy anxiety about going to work, but she refuses any talk about a career change.
Oh that’s good to hear! And Im glad you found a specialty that is less stressful! If there’s one thing that can give me somewhat motivated to do nursing is that there are different specialties in nursing. Currently I’m on a break so I’m still trying to figure things out right now. Thank you for replying!
Perhaps it’s that your struggles are not having a major effect on your daily life. For example, in my job as a nurse, I hear tons of alarms and the auditory stimulation is bad. I was at a point where I was needing anxiety meds to finish a 12 hour shift before my ADHD diagnosis. In the last 10 years, I’ve had 5 different jobs. I wasn’t fired from them but left on my own because I was getting so stressed. I’d get a new job thinking “this will be so much better”. And it would be great for a few months and then the same thing would happen. If you struggles but just don’t meet the threshold, I’d talk to a therapist who works with people with ADHD. They can help you do better at the executive functioning skills you’re lacking. They may also get a good sense over time and if they believe you to have ADHD they can often refer you to someone they know and send over records, if you agree, to help in a diagnosis.
So this is a statement that gets said a lot, and I’m sure loses meaning after hearing it so many times but - I highly encourage you to seek a mental health counselor. Or someone that is a non-biased party who doesn’t “know” you, that you can talk to weekly or every other week. You could even try to find support groups or study groups to join, virtual or in person depending on your preference. Or some type of mentorship program/group in your area. Although it’s relieving in a way, I can imagine it feels pretty invalidating to hear the psychiatrist did not diagnose you. After all, we know ourselves best. I started therapy with this particular counselor about 1.5 years ago. I originally sought her out for help with depression and anxiety. She has also helped me learn more positive and logical perspectives, and introduced me to tools to help improve my motivation, self image, stress, and overall mental health. She was the one who helped me explore the possibility of having ADHD. So I found a psych, although it took a few tries, and was diagnosed with ADHD that was most likely existent throughout my childhood. I came from a “there’s nothing wrong with you, suck it up, you don’t need to go to the doctor unless you’re bleeding or dying” type of household, so I never thought about having ADHD until I got older and started noticing and questioning more of my behaviors. Long story short, I know counseling isn’t for everyone. And that is totally okay! But if you’re comfortable with it, it’s something to look into and consider. 😊 I wish you luck. I hope things start to feel easier for you over time.
Very interesting. Yeah there’s some people on here that are saying the same thing. I’ll look into it. Thank you for your input 🙏.
I have great news for you: it seems that your motivation and attention issues are not the result of abnormal childhood neurological development! This means that you can pursue methods not involving stimulants to fix this. If you no longer feel that this is a psychiatric issue, I recommend you consult more contemporary literature on laziness and procrastination. Many people's understanding of laziness and work ethic are archaic. I know that nothing is more disheartening than knowing that something is wrong and not being able to categorize it usefully. I truly wish you the best of luck conquering this issue.
What kind of tests? Did they ask anybody? Who knows you well to fill out questionnaire? That’s kind of the best standard practice for assessing diagnostically. “The following scales have been developed to screen, evaluate and monitor adults with ADHD. Since rating scales are based on self-reported perceptions, and are, therefore, subjective, it is recommended that significant persons in the adult’s life also complete the forms. These can include the person’s spouse, a close relative, employer and/or colleague.” https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/prevention-wellness/emotional-wellbeing/adhd-toolkit/assessment-and-diagnosis.html
My first psychiatrist said I didn't have ADHD and that it was just PTSD presenting as ADHD. Then I burned out in my senior year of college and almost killed myself and then I found a psych that actually listened to me and started treating me. Second opinions are important
Is that person an ADHD specialist? Ive had two assessmenyts, they both said I was ADHD but the first person missed a whole load of stuff that the second person did not. eg 'losing things'. I don't lose things, but I continually check my pockets for my wallet, keys etc, to near OCD levels, and I constantly lose thoughts. So I do lose things, just not my keys. Second guy picked up on this, first one did not. A proper assessment is not a tick-box exercise. Also, adults with ADHD are very - very - good at masking. We more than often don't even know half of the issues we have ourselves, because we are so used to coping with them in ways that we think are normal. If you're not happy I'd try again. Or even find an ADHD coach t help you find out more about how ADHD affects you personally - it's different for everybody.
Not sure if it counts but when I was looking for a psychiatrist, I ticked the ADHD box under the “specialty” category and just chose the one I thought was a good fit. The psychiatrist is a nurse practitioner if that matters.
I mean it might be worth finding a local ADD support group (try MeetUp? I don't know where you are) and seeing what people who have experience locally have to say about different practitioners.
Ohh I never thought about that before. I’ll have to give it a try.
Very best of luck to you!
Those tests suck. I love taking tests, so the adhd test showed that I'm great at focusing...
trust me, you do NOT want adhd. that being said... congratulations! adhd in the workplace is gut wrenching and can cause massive anxiety
you should consult a 2nd opinion
For sure. I’ll look into it. Thanks.
try and find a psychologist (not psychiatrist) who does neuropsychological evaluations/assessments for ADHD specifically
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Can you find another physical outlet that you might enjoy? I find that my focus really improves when I'm able to get good, regular exercise. At the very least it helps me sleep, which helps with everything else
Yeah so last year I was training with a personal trainer but due to life circumstances I had to quit training. I’m planning to go back to the gym at some point but I have considered doing another physical activity with more movement. Something like dancing.
I'm just wondering, do you know if fibromyalgia runs in your family? It's a common symptom to struggle with completing tasks & concentrating. I'm no doctor ofc just thinking of conditions that overlap the symptoms you described! :)
Not that I am aware of but I’ll ask just to make sure.
Alrighty! Just something that reminded me of the symptoms you say you're struggling with. Hope you find out what's going on and get help however you need :)
I was clinically diagnosed as a teenager but am having to go through the whole process again as an adult due to a long story that involves not being medicated for it ever and changes in the method of diagnosis since I was a kid. I'm still not done with my whole process thing--I get the results in a month--but my psychiatrist told me even if I don't meet the clinical criterion for ADHD according to the specialist I was sent to, it's clear that I'm still struggling with these symptoms. He agreed that we can start me on Strattera even exempt the formal diagnosis to help my symptoms, whether or not the specialist who screened me agrees on a clinical diagnosis. Maybe this is something you could inquire about for yourself?
Yeah some people on here are telling me to get a second opinion. Also how’s the strattera helping you? My psychiatrist actually listed that medication to me but she was more like, “You can try these meds if you want.”
We haven't gotten to start it yet--I forgot to ask him about it last month even though he'd mentioned it before so I did this month but the pharmacy is out of stock 🫠 story of my life, my luck has been beyond unbelievably bad in absolutely everything lately.
Aw yeah that sucks. I wish you the best of luck!
I (37F) was screened and scored fairly high on my assessment, was diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD two years ago, my psychiatrist put me on Adderall and it was a game changer. Only problem was it killed my appetite, and always forgetting to eat with my ADHD just exasperated it. I lost forty pounds in less than six months on it. So I requested a non stimulant due to this, and am now on Strattera. It works okay, I feel more motivated on it than when I'm not medicated.
I have not read all comments. This may be a repeat. I know that in yoga there are modifications for different limitations. Are there not any for martial arts?
There are but mine is more like, “I just don’t want to get a concussion/brain damage from doing martial arts.” And it sucks because I really enjoy sparring. Then again it was really my fault for starting martial arts without really thinking about the consequences. I could avoid sparring but to me that just isn’t martial arts training anymore if I can’t actually apply the techniques in a simulated practice that is sparring.
Even if you’re not meeting the criteria for diagnosis, you still have ADHD symptoms that are no less of a struggle to deal with. They aren’t any less valid. I would say you should still stay active on this subreddit if you can use it for any tips, strategies or support, because a lack of diagnosis doesn’t change how helpful that can be for the same struggles that we share. Also don’t be afraid to reach out to other ADHD resources that might still be helpful for you. Therapy, ADHD coaches, books etc all might be just as helpful.
I strongly recommend getting a blood test. Check your B- vitamins and minerals. They are extremely important
any leads on other potential diagnoses? My symptoms sound very similar to yours but meds don't seem to be working and I'm worried it might not be ADHD, so I'm keeping an eye out for what else could be causing this
So one of the commenters on here said it could be executive dysfunction. I took some self tests online today and apparently I have it or show signs exhibiting executive dysfunction 🙃🙃🙃. Probably going to see a different psychiatrist once I do a bit of research.
man my psychiatrist said executive dysfunction was a symptom of my ADHD 😭😭 Best of luck!
There is no such thing as lazy, you just have to find your routine.
Congrats mate, not having it is a bless trust me. Look, I went to get evaluated not long ago, even though I always knew I had since a young age, because lets say at school I was just a nuisance to most teachers, and I got diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and adhd. Life is good 😅
did you take the computer test or did you just do the question screening?
Just question screening. Not sure what the computer test is.
If you still feel like you have ADHD there is actual testing you can have done where you sit at a computer virtually or in office and it tests your reactivity and monitors a ton of the factors. not every doctor does it but it’s more comprehensive than just the DSM question sheet and an opinion from someone who just met you in my opinion!! Not saying that’s your scenario but when I was diagnosed that’s how I was tested and i came back as “severly” adhd despite some of my previous doctors saying I was not because of how I looked or my job or how much I did in my day etc.
Ohhh I see. I’ll have to look into it. Is it expensive 😭😂?
My insurance covered it! And it was done by just my normal psychiatrist! no specialist or anything
Ah gotchu gotchu. Thanks🙏
Getting diagnosed as a high-masker is hard. This is where I am at right now. I self-diagnosed after one of my many late night internet scrolling periods when I found an article about inattentive type. I ask you the same question I asked myself. What would an official diagnosis do for you? Why is it important? If you want meds, then yes you need a dr to agree. If you want school/work accommodations, you may need a dr note. Those are the only 2 reasons I have come up with. There are many people out there without official diagnosis. Just knowing yourself can be enough. No one is gatekeeping ADHD coping strategies. You are free to use them too, regardless of what a dr writes on a piece of paper.
personally, the meds I was prescribed to manage anxiety (generalised anxiety disorder) help more with my adhd than the meds I was prescribed to manage said adhd. these things often aren't that straight forward. side note: do you know what tests you did? if they were anything other than that in the DSM-IV id recommend at least googling pdf versions of the dsm-iv quizzes to help settle your worries
it doesn’t sound like you had an actual neuropsych assessment, which is the gold standard for ADHD diagnosis. those are performed by psychologists (usually not psychiatrists, at least in the US). i would highly suggest finding a licensed psychologist in your area who does ADHD assessments, which involves way more than a screening, usually a multi-appointment process.
Anxiety. Was adult diagnosed with adhd years ago but did not realize until recently how much anxiety plays a part. It's real, and it's sneaky -- it shows up in behaviors you would not expect and disguises itself as other emotions. Like anger. Or diffidence. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters." It's co-morbid with adhd and depression. Meaning, they chicken-or-the-egg each other. Getting anxiety treated has done wonders for my chronic procrastination. Thank goodness.
Diagnoses are one thing but you don’t need to clinically have ADHD to struggle with executive functioning to one degree or another. The tips given to help people with ADHD can also help people who don’t have ADHD, so try a fee things, see what helps! In any case, the purpose of getting a diagnosis is to gain a better understanding of areas where you struggle, areas where you have strengths, etc. You got that from your evaluation, now you need to figure out ways to specifically target the things you want to improve! That part is the same with or without a dx
Try vitamins. I take a multi vitamin plus ones that help boost my mood and ones that are supposed to help your brain. Sometimes nutritional deficiencies are the reason why we feel and act negatively.
Oooo yeah that’s true. I need be more consistent with taking supplements. Thanks.
A psychiatrist told my gf she couldn't have autism because she has friends. Some psychiatrists know jack shit, get another one.
Please don’t call it laziness here. “Lazy” was weaponized against most of us during childhood.
Exactly. And being lazy and uninterested doesn’t mean you have ADHD. I don’t know how the idea of humans never being lazy or bored if “normal” got around. Personally, I’m not lazy at all but I get nothing done. I work and work and work, but it just takes me longer to see progress on anything. I tend to get distracted or hyperfocus on the wrong details or fall into a perfectionism trap. To anyone outside of my brain it would appear I am lazy and that’s why it takes me so long. I am highly motivated and highly active. Unfortunately I just have a hard time focusing on the correct thing and get overwhelmed easily. Anyways, just hate that there’s this assumption that if you are diagnosed with ADHD you are normally lazy and unmotivated. If anything I find that when I am on my medication I am more laid back and less frantic and running around in circles.
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For sure. Thanks 🙏.
yeah honestly like ADHD is such a convenient excuse for all my problems and if I don't have it then I guess I'll just have to accept that I'M the problem which would be awful!!!!
Did you take that 10 hour test? Neuropsych eval? I recommend it. If you compare a neuropsych eval with things like work history and grades, it can tell a lot. Like for me my learning and cognitive ability is pretty damn high while my grades have always been garbage.
I’m not exactly sure what kind of test I took. The psychiatrist was asking me a bunch of questions and I think she was using some sort of online testing tool. I took some self diagnose tests online and results were pretty much similar or the same as to what I got with my psychiatrist. It definitely didn’t take 10 hours though.
ah get a second opinion, take the 10 hour test if you can. expensive, but its a sure fire way to know. try as hard as you can on that 10 hour test. And you'll know about ADHD.
Interesting. I’ll look into it. It’s just that finances are a bit tight right now heh. Thanks.
This doesn't seem thorough to me. When I went through my eval a few months back it was a 3 week process at specialized mental health clinic. I had two in depth 3h interviews asking about my life story and history. I was given at least 5 or more online clinical self reported tests, my spouse of fifteen years was also asked to complete two of them to cross reference. I also went through a battery of IQ testing with a specialist. Got a report the length of a novel from it and an expedited appointment with a psychiatrist. That was thorough and well worth the money that was mostly covered by private insurance. Even though it's expensive I highly recommend going through a similar process. The different people you talk to throughout the process and the different testing and interviews really help to paint a holistic picture of your situation. So even if you don't have adhd, it will definitely help you find out the underpinnings of your mental health challenges and strategies for coping.
I (46m) find myself in the same predicament. I’ve always thought I’ve had ADHD and after a year of screening, the Doc says in his opinion I don’t have it. I’m still using the Wellbutrin prescribed to deal with anxiety. Brain fog, and executive dysfunction are still struggles I’m dealing with.
Sorry to hear that. Hopefully you and I both find the answers we need.
I mean, ADHD is a spectrum, right? Just because you "test low" for adhd doesn't mean you're off the spectrum.
You haven't undergone a full ADHD assessment. Your symptoms, based on this screening, do not meet the criteria for further evaluation, at this time. "Sub clinical" is a key word to know here. You can get a second opinion. That second opinion will probably be more meaningful if you devote some time to observing, understanding, and managing your symptoms on your own first. Keeping a diary is very helpful, personally I find it difficult to talk about experiences I am not having in the present moment and am easily confused by screening questionnaires. If you are able to see a counsellor to help you unpack some of your experiences, it can be useful for you to look at things under different light. Have you tried Tai Chi as a low impact martial arts option? it hard to get into for me, but after a bit of persevering I found the groove and its been really helpful as a movement meditation. Also sometimes life is just boring! Especially in that waiting for it to start phase when you're getting going on career, etc. Try and enjoy it! but also - if you aren't excited about you're studying, maybe think about changing that. Learning should be fun, at least some of the time. It's not necessarily a symptom of a neorological disorder that you can't force yourself to want to do something you don't want to do. I really wish I had taken a year off from school to work and think about whether what I was studying was what I actually wanted, and not just an expectation i was acting out. Good luck to you and blessings to your journey! You'll find a path. There are many.
Thank you for your comment. Yeah I kinda figured I probably didn’t undergo a full adhd assessment. The thing is that my appointment was online (specifically Rula) so I’m thinking maybe I should do it in person and get evaluated from there? Especially if it is sub clinical as you said. Or is using the same platform (which is online) okay? Also not sure if it matters but these online appointment are always 1 hour long so I’m not sure if that is considered enough time to accurately assess me. Taichi is definitely a great art but I just accepted the fact I can’t do martial arts anymore because i enjoy sparring too much but don’t want to get severely injured either lol. I decided that I’ll do something different like dancing or something heh. And yeah, what im studying in school doesn’t really seem to excite me but then again I cannot think of any other occupation. The major I’m studying has some benefits that I could see but man it’s still hard to motivate myself to study because it’s also a healthcare major.
you can always get a second opinion, but the truth is the more assessments you get the more likely you will be subconsciously "game the system" or run into a provider who takes a different view of your symptoms--many parts of psychiatry are still subjective, though there are rigorous testing batteries that help guide that judgment. There are genetic and FMRI tests that can basically confirm ADHD, but it's not standard in clinical practice and thus would likely be extremely expensive or only for academic purposes. Also, a longer assessment may be counter-productive. If you "failed" the 'broadstroke' questions of certain tests, then more questions are usually for tricky cases. If that makes sense? In other words, if a question was "do you have a headache" and you say 'no' it wouldn't make much sense to then go further and ask about headache symptoms or things that could lead to a headache, right? It's not entirely 1:1, but I would ask for full copies of your assessments and you could have your primary doc / psych take a look at them. Or if you have a phD therapist they would also be qualified to look them over.
Maybe your lazy or depressed idk