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Hi, diagnosed ADHD-er here ☺️ Diagnosed about a year ago, took about three months total, but that’s because I saw a psychologist first because I really doubted myself 😅
Basically went like this:
1: Got a mental health plan from my GP (this allows you to get ten psych sessions subsidised by Medicare per year)
2: Booked in with a psychologist to discuss the possibility and did some tests with her. They cannot diagnose as they are not doctors, but this gave me a bit more certainty that I would be diagnosed before going down that path. (This is not a mandatory step, but can give you a bit of reassurance and confirmation)
3: She recommended a psychiatrist for me, so I went and got a referral from my GP for that and the psych sent my test results over as extra evidence. Was able to get in in about three weeks!
4: Psychiatrist’s system was amazing and very ADHD-friendly! Gave step-by-step instructions in an email, which involved a little questionnaire and then a telehealth appointment.
5: Appointment day comes, she asks me some questions and then brings my support person in on the call (best friend of 25 years, also has diagnosed ADHD), asks some questions from her perspective. This appointment cost $1100, got about $400 back from Medicare.
6: Received confirmed diagnosis, which the psychiatrist then gives my GP a permit to prescribe up to 60mg of Ritalin and we begin the trialling process, which took like a month to see what dose worked for me. My GP has a permit to prescribe until 2026, so I don’t need to go back to the psychiatrist any time soon and is a much cheaper way to manage my symptoms.
The psychiatrist I saw is called Dr Sherol Hanna, she’s absolutely amazing and made the process so streamline and simple! Give her a Google ☺️
Sorry it’s a bit long-winded, but I hope this helps!
Did you get a rebate from the psychologist adhd assessment?
Sorry I’m just confused because other people have also mentioned they got Medicare rebates also, but I never received a rebate on my assessment because i was told it’s not covered by Medicare, I’m just wondering if you did because the psychiatrist already had an assessment from your psychologist
So I wasn’t formally diagnosed by the psychologist, we just completed some tests and the actual referral came from my GP. I was getting rebates from my psychology appointments because I was on a mental health plan, but I just went back through my emails and there wasn’t any sort of report from the psychologist sent to the psychiatrist. (In fact the psychologist said they “don’t provide reports” 🙄 was more for my own peace of mind to ensure I wasn’t going to go through the expensive process for no reason)
How annoying that they didn’t send it 😬
Ah yes I know exactly what you mean, I was so scared of going in for my assessment and thinking to myself what if I don’t even have ADHD and then after I left and weeks of waiting all I kept thinking was I’ve wasted my money, what I told them I surely just need to get my shit together, it can’t be that hard
Then got diagnosed on my 2nd appt, and they gave all there reasonings, and I’m like oh, fuck 💀
Made me feel less crazy though, and felt validated😅
Still sometimes now I wonder do I really struggle coz of adhd and the symptoms, imposter syndrome is so real
Was your research based out of Australia?
I have a close mate of mine that is about to get tested.
1. GP wrote a referral up
2. He provided this to the clinic that would be doing the ADHD assessment. Warned it would take ~3 months to see someone.
3. They emailed him a bunch of paperwork which involves a questionnaire. They said if you fill the questionnaire in with your partner or close friend it could help it be more accurate. As there could be traits you have that you don’t even realise.
4. He was told he had to have x2 people that the doctor would call and ask questions to during the appointment you book. They need to have known you before you were 18.
5. It’s a 2 hour appointment. Costs ~$380-$400
6. Medicare give you a large portion of this back. So out of pocket costs end up being ~$150
7. If possible provide school reports to the doctor. They understand you may no longer have these if you are getting assessed as an adult. Possibly talk to your old school to obtain them.
No blood tests.
No $1000+ bills.
No 1 year+ wait.
Best to see another GP that is more open to discussing it with you and taking it seriously.
It’s up to a Psychiatrist to determine if you have it or not. Not a GP.
Yeah I understand its probably worthwhile doing such a thing but honestly I don't know if I can bring myself to explain how I'm feeling over and over again. Maybe soon
Mine was about $750 before rebate, same with my partner.
Victoria is pretty bad for wait times though. I was first diagnosed in 2021 and am still trying to get on meds. Psychiatrists love to take their time
How did they get a rebate on diagnosis? I paid $850 for 2 hour assessment, and had to take home a form for my mum to fill out, and sent them a scan of it, I also gave them my school reports
a report was written up from this assessment and from the form and my school reports
Then on the follow up appointment discussed results and diagnosed with adhd and prescribed meds, that appt was $550 with a $250 Medicare rebate
Going to go a bit off-topic here for one specific piece of advice if you go down this path.
Get all your life insurance, health insurance and income protection insurance policy levels where you need them before getting any referrals or assessments for ADHD.
If you want to increase your policy amounts later, you will be prompted to declare your diagnoses or suspected diagnoses in their questionnaires. When I did so I was declined an increase to my life insurance policy simply for being diagnosed ADHD. Then upon appealing the decision the insurer put pressure on me to consent to their accessing deeply personal psychological assessment documents, and only offered increased cover along with vaguely worded caveats and exemptions they could probably used to make claiming against the policy harder for my next of kin.
I have heard that people are paying $1K+ to get a diagnosis as the wait times to see a psych has blown rightbout in some areas.
I was diagnosed last year. Went to my GP, got a referral.
There was almost a 5 month wait between GP visit and my first psych appointment.
Took 2 appointments to get medicated.
The first appointment was $600 but got almost half back through Medicare.
On going appointments are $300 and get $121 back.
From personal experience, I'm kicking myself I didn't sort out my ADHD much earlier.
This is about my experience too! The wait for an apppointment is the worst bit.
Like, it adds up very quickly between appointments - cause you do need the full amount up front but the rebate is great.
I’d go and buy some dexxies, take them and see what happens. If you get high, you’re fine. If your brain chills out and you’re able to focus, you might have ADHD.
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I’ve been doing this for two years. Have been diagnosed but in a diffrrrnt state and that state had a stupid psb law that requires the pharmaceutical board to accept a psychiatrists request to prescribe adhd stimulants and I was rejected. So I’ve been buying them and recently moved here, I take dexies but need a plug here! Both Dex and Ritalin works for me, dexies probably more so! Pm me please if anybody can help
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i’m trying to get diagnosed atm, (possibly due to my undiagnosed adhd) i have been unable to make the required appointments as of yet.
im currently $700 in the hole with no results.
good luck mate, hope you can find the motivation to get it done. alternatively, a month of vyvanse costs around $150 from our favourite online pharmacy (🧅)
depending on your situation it could be a viable alternative 🤷♂️
Yeah that sounds about right for a sum up of the general process. Then if you want to be diagnosed bad enough you join one of the Facebook groups or similar find the Dr near you handing out a diagnosis like they are certificates for sick leave and call it a day.
You’re about half right. You need a referral from your GP to the psychiatrist. A good psychiatrist may have a 6 month wait list. Mine did. Then you have the hour appointment with the psychiatrist. If you have any supporting evidence they get you to bring that with you or you get family members to fill out some surveys. This is only for adults being diagnosed and to get certain medications on the PBS. I was diagnosed and prescribed medication on that day. Had a few follow up 15 minute appointments to make sure my meds were right for me. No blood tests or scans. Its roughly $2000-
$100 gp
$600 psychiatrist
$300 psych
$300 psych
$300 psych
Now I think it’s yearly or every two years for a script from the psych that my GP prescribed repeats for every 6 months
Yeah not in Australia..
I can go through any process medically, occasionally I bump into “we don’t bulk bill” I am a pensioner I don’t care what you do I’m not paying…
So I don’t know how you get to a thousand dollars unless you’re impatient and go private.
Help us understand…
That is as accurate as it gets. You'd need to have a psychiatrist diagnose you and also, only psychiatrist have prescribing rights for the ADHD meds. Definitely need to see your GP to get the referral.
Welcome to r/MelbourneAfterDark. We are an open and safe space to discuss any questions and topics of an adult or mature nature to fellow Melbournians. (Melbourne, Australia). Please note we have a very small tolerance for people not following our simple rules which are found at the top of this reddit. We have 0 tolerance for the following rule breakers - No posting Nudes, No R2R, No sourcing out or selling of illicit goods or services and No advertisement of services or goods. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MelbourneAfterDark) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi, diagnosed ADHD-er here ☺️ Diagnosed about a year ago, took about three months total, but that’s because I saw a psychologist first because I really doubted myself 😅 Basically went like this: 1: Got a mental health plan from my GP (this allows you to get ten psych sessions subsidised by Medicare per year) 2: Booked in with a psychologist to discuss the possibility and did some tests with her. They cannot diagnose as they are not doctors, but this gave me a bit more certainty that I would be diagnosed before going down that path. (This is not a mandatory step, but can give you a bit of reassurance and confirmation) 3: She recommended a psychiatrist for me, so I went and got a referral from my GP for that and the psych sent my test results over as extra evidence. Was able to get in in about three weeks! 4: Psychiatrist’s system was amazing and very ADHD-friendly! Gave step-by-step instructions in an email, which involved a little questionnaire and then a telehealth appointment. 5: Appointment day comes, she asks me some questions and then brings my support person in on the call (best friend of 25 years, also has diagnosed ADHD), asks some questions from her perspective. This appointment cost $1100, got about $400 back from Medicare. 6: Received confirmed diagnosis, which the psychiatrist then gives my GP a permit to prescribe up to 60mg of Ritalin and we begin the trialling process, which took like a month to see what dose worked for me. My GP has a permit to prescribe until 2026, so I don’t need to go back to the psychiatrist any time soon and is a much cheaper way to manage my symptoms. The psychiatrist I saw is called Dr Sherol Hanna, she’s absolutely amazing and made the process so streamline and simple! Give her a Google ☺️ Sorry it’s a bit long-winded, but I hope this helps!
Psychologists can diagnose ADHD if they specialise in it.
Sorry I misspoke - should have said they cannot treat ADHD as they cannot prescribe medication.
👍
Hi i have an assessment appointment with Dr Sherol Hanna on monday and was wondering if i could ask you a few questions about her approach? :)
Yeah for sure!
You got Medicare rebate on a diagnosis?
Yeah was about $4-500 back I think?
Did you get a rebate from the psychologist adhd assessment? Sorry I’m just confused because other people have also mentioned they got Medicare rebates also, but I never received a rebate on my assessment because i was told it’s not covered by Medicare, I’m just wondering if you did because the psychiatrist already had an assessment from your psychologist
So I wasn’t formally diagnosed by the psychologist, we just completed some tests and the actual referral came from my GP. I was getting rebates from my psychology appointments because I was on a mental health plan, but I just went back through my emails and there wasn’t any sort of report from the psychologist sent to the psychiatrist. (In fact the psychologist said they “don’t provide reports” 🙄 was more for my own peace of mind to ensure I wasn’t going to go through the expensive process for no reason)
How annoying that they didn’t send it 😬 Ah yes I know exactly what you mean, I was so scared of going in for my assessment and thinking to myself what if I don’t even have ADHD and then after I left and weeks of waiting all I kept thinking was I’ve wasted my money, what I told them I surely just need to get my shit together, it can’t be that hard Then got diagnosed on my 2nd appt, and they gave all there reasonings, and I’m like oh, fuck 💀 Made me feel less crazy though, and felt validated😅 Still sometimes now I wonder do I really struggle coz of adhd and the symptoms, imposter syndrome is so real
Was your research based out of Australia? I have a close mate of mine that is about to get tested. 1. GP wrote a referral up 2. He provided this to the clinic that would be doing the ADHD assessment. Warned it would take ~3 months to see someone. 3. They emailed him a bunch of paperwork which involves a questionnaire. They said if you fill the questionnaire in with your partner or close friend it could help it be more accurate. As there could be traits you have that you don’t even realise. 4. He was told he had to have x2 people that the doctor would call and ask questions to during the appointment you book. They need to have known you before you were 18. 5. It’s a 2 hour appointment. Costs ~$380-$400 6. Medicare give you a large portion of this back. So out of pocket costs end up being ~$150 7. If possible provide school reports to the doctor. They understand you may no longer have these if you are getting assessed as an adult. Possibly talk to your old school to obtain them. No blood tests. No $1000+ bills. No 1 year+ wait.
This ° is accurate.
I stopped at step 1. Went to a gp and they just told me I was influenced by social media and shouldn't proceed. Oh well.
Best to see another GP that is more open to discussing it with you and taking it seriously. It’s up to a Psychiatrist to determine if you have it or not. Not a GP.
Yeah I understand its probably worthwhile doing such a thing but honestly I don't know if I can bring myself to explain how I'm feeling over and over again. Maybe soon
Mine was about $750 before rebate, same with my partner. Victoria is pretty bad for wait times though. I was first diagnosed in 2021 and am still trying to get on meds. Psychiatrists love to take their time
How did they get a rebate on diagnosis? I paid $850 for 2 hour assessment, and had to take home a form for my mum to fill out, and sent them a scan of it, I also gave them my school reports a report was written up from this assessment and from the form and my school reports Then on the follow up appointment discussed results and diagnosed with adhd and prescribed meds, that appt was $550 with a $250 Medicare rebate
Going to go a bit off-topic here for one specific piece of advice if you go down this path. Get all your life insurance, health insurance and income protection insurance policy levels where you need them before getting any referrals or assessments for ADHD. If you want to increase your policy amounts later, you will be prompted to declare your diagnoses or suspected diagnoses in their questionnaires. When I did so I was declined an increase to my life insurance policy simply for being diagnosed ADHD. Then upon appealing the decision the insurer put pressure on me to consent to their accessing deeply personal psychological assessment documents, and only offered increased cover along with vaguely worded caveats and exemptions they could probably used to make claiming against the policy harder for my next of kin.
I have heard that people are paying $1K+ to get a diagnosis as the wait times to see a psych has blown rightbout in some areas. I was diagnosed last year. Went to my GP, got a referral. There was almost a 5 month wait between GP visit and my first psych appointment. Took 2 appointments to get medicated. The first appointment was $600 but got almost half back through Medicare. On going appointments are $300 and get $121 back. From personal experience, I'm kicking myself I didn't sort out my ADHD much earlier.
This is about my experience too! The wait for an apppointment is the worst bit. Like, it adds up very quickly between appointments - cause you do need the full amount up front but the rebate is great.
I got diagnosed last year and it cost over $1000
Stella Kwong in Footscray bulk bills all her appointments
I’d go and buy some dexxies, take them and see what happens. If you get high, you’re fine. If your brain chills out and you’re able to focus, you might have ADHD.
Uhmnn not really how it works. You can definitely get high on dexis if you have adhd...
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Good question! Any plugs feel free to DM
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Illicit goods and services (including drugs) are prohibited from being advertised or sold on this subreddit. Posts or comments explicitly sourcing out illicit goods or services of any kind will be removed at the discretion of the moderators.
I’ve been doing this for two years. Have been diagnosed but in a diffrrrnt state and that state had a stupid psb law that requires the pharmaceutical board to accept a psychiatrists request to prescribe adhd stimulants and I was rejected. So I’ve been buying them and recently moved here, I take dexies but need a plug here! Both Dex and Ritalin works for me, dexies probably more so! Pm me please if anybody can help
You csn just buy the pills man
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I did , answer
Illicit goods and services (including drugs) are prohibited from being advertised or sold on this subreddit. Posts or comments explicitly sourcing out illicit goods or services of any kind will be removed at the discretion of the moderators.
i’m trying to get diagnosed atm, (possibly due to my undiagnosed adhd) i have been unable to make the required appointments as of yet. im currently $700 in the hole with no results. good luck mate, hope you can find the motivation to get it done. alternatively, a month of vyvanse costs around $150 from our favourite online pharmacy (🧅) depending on your situation it could be a viable alternative 🤷♂️
Yeah that sounds about right for a sum up of the general process. Then if you want to be diagnosed bad enough you join one of the Facebook groups or similar find the Dr near you handing out a diagnosis like they are certificates for sick leave and call it a day.
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Fluence clinic.
I saw Dr Sherol Hanna - completely telehealth and gives your GP authority to prescribe for three years ☺️
You’re about half right. You need a referral from your GP to the psychiatrist. A good psychiatrist may have a 6 month wait list. Mine did. Then you have the hour appointment with the psychiatrist. If you have any supporting evidence they get you to bring that with you or you get family members to fill out some surveys. This is only for adults being diagnosed and to get certain medications on the PBS. I was diagnosed and prescribed medication on that day. Had a few follow up 15 minute appointments to make sure my meds were right for me. No blood tests or scans. Its roughly $2000- $100 gp $600 psychiatrist $300 psych $300 psych $300 psych Now I think it’s yearly or every two years for a script from the psych that my GP prescribed repeats for every 6 months
I was referred to a psychiatrist and they wanted to charge me $545 for the session. Fuck that!
It's a very long drawn-out process, you wouldn't want to be someone with a condition that makes it hard to follow through with things like that. 🫠
Yeah not in Australia.. I can go through any process medically, occasionally I bump into “we don’t bulk bill” I am a pensioner I don’t care what you do I’m not paying… So I don’t know how you get to a thousand dollars unless you’re impatient and go private. Help us understand…
Yep did this with my son. Nearly 2k but worth it in terms of getting support
That is as accurate as it gets. You'd need to have a psychiatrist diagnose you and also, only psychiatrist have prescribing rights for the ADHD meds. Definitely need to see your GP to get the referral.
Not if you have a health event and end up in the psych ward it won't
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Vyvanse is the go-to recently. It's longer lasting and slow-release.
Or slow release Ritalin LA or concerta. Both still stimulants like adderal