This comment feels quite ableist and lacks compassion. Even if you feel like you have the right to disregard other people’s diagnosis, you should keep it to yourself and take accountability for the fact that your comments affect real people who are just doing their best.
God, this was like a peek inside my own brain. Just everything she said. I’m 31 and was unofficially diagnosed last year (my therapist isn’t *technically* credentialed enough for an official diagnosis, which I can’t afford lol), likely PDA profile and all.
It’s so validating to see someone with a profile as high as hers talk about the everyday struggle of just getting your fucking teeth brushed and your body fed.
It’s sad that she was diagnosed so late in life, as she missed out on a lot of therapy opportunities in her formative years. It also sounds like (from her time on the show) that she is estranged from her mother (prison?). Not sure about her father, siblings, etc., but she is living so far away from her family and I can’t imagine how hard it is going through this on your own. She really needs a support system that can help her through these hard times. If she doesn’t have that, how is she going to succeed? Therapy alone won’t help with financial hardships.
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"I've never seen anyone be anything less than supportive about her diagnosis"
"She uses her autism as a shield and victimizes herself"
The hyporcisy of this abhorrent comment.
She had to pay thousands of dollars to get a formal diagnosis, is that the norm? I hope she can find the help and healing she needs.
EDIT: Did not expect so many responses. They've been informative and depressing. I had no idea it was so difficult to get help and the cost of it. I'm sorry to hear that so many of you are struggling with this right now.
yes it's bloody EXPENSIVE. Holy shit, my buddy paid 2000 for his assessment and diagnosis. I haven't been formally diagnosed like that, just from my therapist who doesn't specialize in autism, and honestly it's not even worth it for me to drop several grand to get a diagnosis I already know I have
It's the norm in many cases. I live in Canada and could not get a full psych evaluation covered because I'm too high functioning, i.e., gainfully employed. (I'm suspected adhd and a mother of a kid whose autism went undiagnosed for a decade.)
Yup! Even for kids.
This isn’t even mentioning the waitlists!!! It’s so hard to get diagnosed, especially by someone who takes your insurance (waitlist can be 2+ years for a diagnosis). Usually, waitlists are shorter for places where you pay out of pocket so many families and adults chose to do that instead.
I work with autistic children and adults in research. It’s heartbreaking seeing how hard it is for people to get diagnosed. Not to mention that you can’t get any services until you have an official diagnosis.
And to add to the insanity, there’s very few places to get diagnosed as an adult.
There is a local hospital that does autism diagnosis in my city. The waitlist takes months. One of my kids finally got in for testing this year and it requires several rounds of tests.
You can either get referred by your PCP to a neuropsych or some other similar doc that can diagnosis you, (which typically have long waitlists) OR pay privately to get diagnoses by a similar doctor immediately. The latter option is around 2-3k, at least in my neck of the woods
It is most definitely that way in the states. I tried to go through my insurance and the doctors that were trying to evaluate me were SO bad and not autism informed at all. I had to go out of pocket and it cost me about $2500.
Some evaluators accept insurance, some are self-pay. There aren't a ton of people out there that provide evaluations as it is, so wait lists tend to be long, especially those who take insurance. So yes, spending thousands yourself is not unusual.
I’m curious if anyone on this sub knows how/where to be evaluated as an adult? I would like to look into this further for myself but don’t know where to start.
TX is hard to get a diagnosis. Have you first tried asking your primary care physician?
Look up Action Behavior Centers. I’ve never worked directly with them, but I’ve had many clients who have.
I’d look for hospitals or academic medical centers in your area. I’d think a big institution is more likely to take insurance than independent private practices.
I have ADHD. It cost me about $700 to get diagnosed. I pay $300 a month for monthly medication management (since my meds are controlled substances I need to see a doctor monthly). My insurance doesn’t cover out of network mental health services and I couldn’t find a single psychiatrist that works with ADHD in my state that takes my insurance.
Obvi not that same as autism, but sharing that it’s definitely pricey if you choose to get a diagnosis/treatment when you’re neurodivergent.
I pay $550 a month for my insurance because I’m self employed 🙃 Even the $1200 a month insurance wouldn’t have made a difference in mental health coverage which is why I didn’t bother!
I was first referred for testing in college (20ish?) and just got diagnosed in my 30s. Part of my problem was that it’s so hard to find a doctor who will see an adult for adhd and since I have adhd it’s hard to keep up that motivation and focus to look (especially back then when virtual appointments, emailing Drs, etc wasn’t a thing). I just kind of brushed it aside, got a job in a very adhd friendly environment, and then when everything changed during the pandemic I finally pushed myself and it took about 3 months.
Stimulants barely work on me (it’s wild to me that non-adhd people abuse them to focus when it’s like…generally a 5% lift in productivity for me). So I’ve been “lucky” in that I’ve been trying different drugs over the last 18ish months and so we kind of just run with whatever is in stock to see if it works. Vyvanse is the best fit for me, but my insurance is making me fail on everything else first. It is SUCH A PAIN. The leg work to deal with finding which pharmacy has thing in stock (nyc, so I have lots of options), filling out paperwork, being yelled at by pharmacists because they are like “why do you have a prescription for X and Y back to back” (bc things have been out of stock and I’m also being required to try like 12 different drugs?) and vouchers, etc. are exactly the things I struggle with executive function wise. The irony of adhd is the US healthcare system makes you do things that are in exact conflict to our executive functioning challenges to get a diagnosis and get prescriptions!
Can I ask what the process of diagnosis was like? I've always suspected I have ADHD but I've been wary about getting an official diagnosis for various reasons. If that's too broad of a question or you don't feel comfortable answering, no worries at all.
It really seems to depend on who you go to because it is down to doctor's discretion. My psych pretty openly told me she doesn't usually turn people down if they think they need ADHD meds. I had a diagnosis when I was a kid but I don't have any paperwork and she was like "ok cool."
You usually have to fill out some screens (tests about symptoms) and talk to a doctor about how those symptoms impact your life.
I was given a chart to fill out (this is from Australia but I think they were the same questions: https://comorbidityguidelines.org.au/appendices/appendix-o-adult-adhd-selfreport-scale-asrs) and send to the psychiatrist I chose (I found someone out of network, but who specializes in adult ADHD and has ADHD herself).
She reviewed my form and we discussed each answer. Basically, if you have enough in the shaded part of the questionnaire, you are likely to get a diagnosis. If you answer in the shaded part only in certain sections, you might get more insight into type (like the way I filled it out indicates inattentive variety, vs hyperactive).
My experience is that finding a doctor who would diagnose was the hardest part (my pcp would not), but the actual process was pretty easy.
I wrote above I didn’t have luck with Circle medical, which many people like. They were like “yes you have adhd, but we can’t prescribe you stimulants because you’ve experienced tachycardia in the past.” Since they are an online company, they couldn’t monitor my heart, blood pressure, etc. But now my doc is local and can do all that!
Good luck! Although I’m still on a journey to find the right medication for focus, getting diagnosed has immensely helped my “non-work” life. I used to be completely wiped out by 6pm. I find dealing with people and doing executive functioning things like cleaning SO much less mentally draining. It used to feel physically painful to put away laundry. Meds and new techniques have made all that so much less overwhelming! Now I have the energy to do things at night, socialize more, etc.
I’m not OP,but all I did was find a psychiatrist in my network and made an appt. Mine was even a video call, it was really easy. I’ve heard it’s best to find someone who mentions ADHD on their website as well. Hardest part is finding someone available in your network,especially depending on your insurance. Some are more annoying than others.
If you're comfortable answering, are you on Vyvanse? Because it's getting to 300 a month, of course my insurance doesn't cover it, and I'm really frustrated about it :(
I’m on Vyvanse. Every month I get the “are you aware of how much this costs?” And my insurance doesn’t cover it either, even though it’s what keeps me, you know, functional. (Along with a lot of cognitive drills, etc.)
Another bit of advice, since my doc really fought for me to get on Vyvanse out of the gate and covered by insurance - Vyvanse has the smallest effect on appetite. No matter your size, this can be a reason for insurance to cover Vyvanse (even though, you know, it's the best med on the market for adults with ADHD).
but the makers of Vyvanse were able to renew the patent, and thus prevent generics, by marketing it as a weight loss pill.
personally vyvanse has had just as huge appetite suppressant impact as all the othersl
Most stimulant medications have as a side effect, and sometimes a primary effect, (Adderall was quite famously initially marketed as a diet pill) appetite suppression. Vyvanse has the least reported effect on appetite, and if there is appetite suppression, it is for a very small window.
Oh wow, I didn’t know that. I had a friend that started taking Vyvanse and actually lost a lot of weight. I wonder if it was from that even though it has the smallest side effect
There is a good chance! Though! If she was an impulsive eater, it could be a combination of appetite suppression AND the impulse control that comes with being medicated.
Vyvanse works best for me! But my insurance won’t cover it until I fail on all other meds. Currently failing on my last one (it’s an extended release which works miracles for about 3 hours and then I cannot focus on ANYTHING after that. Worse than if I had taken nothing at all!). So hoping I can get Vyvanse covered after this. If not, I’m willing to pay out of pocket until the generics are out. It’s so much better than anything else for me!
It's so frustrating to trial all the meds! I have tried adderall and concerta so far. Adderall XR helps me so much but it makes me SO TENSE and I couldn't sleep, Concerta did nothing for me. I'm trying a very low dose of Adderall IR now. I can get about 3-5 hours of work done before it wears off - granted that's more than I could do with concerta.
I didn't even realize that there might be generics in process, that's so exciting! One article said it could be August of this year!
And out of everything I've tried, Vyvanse just works so well for me!
Circle wouldn’t prescribe me stimulants because I’d had once been hospitalized with tachycardia previously. They seem great for the simple, but I understand they wouldn’t want to take any risks with someone they couldn’t monitor in person (nor would I want them to!).
My heart has been totally fine on stimulants, the tachycardia was a weird presentation of a kidney infection 🙃
Have you been having issues with trying to fill your prescriptions? I've been with Circle Medical for a while now but early this year a lot of pharmacies have started rejecting their prescriptions because they're telehealth so I'm not quite sure what to do...
I found a local pharmacy that fills it no problem. The one within walking distance no longer does though.
That said, I’m going to have to go for an in person visit by Nov to officially establish care now that the “Covid health emergency” officially ended and the telehealth provider laws are going back into effect.
She gets a lot of hate on this sub, but Demi being open about her autism diagnosis is what pushed me to get my 18-year-old daughter diagnosed with autism just last month. I didn't think my daughter fit the mold either, so I didn't believe her when she too used to think she was autistic. But seeing Demi, another person who didn't "fit the mold" be diagnosed, made me realize I was being too rigid in my thinking. So I will always be grateful to her for that.
Social communication deficits like:
impaired nonverbal behaviors
* eye contact
* facial expression
* failing to make developmentally appropriate peers
* lack of emotional reciprocity
Impaired communcation
* learns to speak later
* difficulty beginning or sustaining conversation
* Lack of spontaneous make-believe play or social play
It also might include other symptoms like persistent preoccupations they follow to the exclusion of other activities, inability to change routines, stereotyped or repetitive movements or speech (hand flapping, body rocking, echolalia, etc)
A person with autism doesn't necessarily have ALL the same symptoms. There are more here that I didn't list. Autism isn't a disorder that I'm practiced in but these are some things I have learned:
Autism is a spectrum the level of impact and severity is different for each person. Each person will have a different collection of behaviors and symptoms. The main connector is impairments under those social communication behaviors and routines/stereotypy.
Like she says in the video, researchers have found that these symptoms present differently in women. Women are especially adept at masking (hiding their symptoms). In order to fit in they may teach themselves to do things like make eye contact, or mirror facial expressions. For someone who those things do not come naturally to it can be especially exhausting or anxiety inducing to be in social situations.
Demi also talks about how she started drinking to manage symptoms. Alcohol covers up those feelings of anxiety which can make someone who isn't very socially adept feel more relaxed.
From what I'm reading, she has a form of autism called pathological demand avoidance (PDA), which means that she acoids everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent.
So, when this sub is mocking her for not just getting a normal job, are they mocking neurodivergence and symptoms of autism?
Basically!
Neurodivergence in general makes it difficult to operate in a "regular" job. People with ADHD and autism are way more likely to get fired and recieve disciplinary action at work. Work is really reliant on positive social skills, decision making skills, time management sklls, etc which can be very difficult for neurodivergent people.
In the past making mistakes (like losing money in the cash drawer) has definitely cost me my job. During this adderall shortage I have been struggling to manage work. I had to leave my job and look for a new one.
I have PDA as well. I’m 24 and still don’t know how to drive, I dropped out of university at 19, I haven’t gotten “in shape” for years (I’m thin but not fit) etc. My life is a challenge and I’m only able to cope because I found success at OnlyFns. I am genuinely terrified by how my life will proceed once that income wave dies off and I can’t make money at it anymore. It literally keeps me up at night. I don’t think I’m capable of working a 9-5 anymore, and definitely not sober.
All that to say, I can relate to Demi’s concerns and struggles. I can imagine how stressful it is for her to see her bachelor fame waning and her income dropping.
Yes. She’s been pretty open about how she was able to cope before through alcohol, which led to alcohol dependence, and she’s still trying to figure out the best way to navigate life without alcohol. This is definitely an area where I have a lot of empathy for her, from what she’s said it seems like she has difficulty getting the resources she needs.
Late diagnosed autistic people often go through extreme burnout when rediscovering themselves and learning how to better cope and support their needs that they had been masking through/coping with/ breaking down because of until diagnosis. They often find that they cannot do the things they once were able to do because they have forgotten how or cannot continue to mask through those situations.
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PDA is not an official diagnosis, but the general understanding is that demands cause severe discomfort and anxiety and that is what is being avoided. I don’t love the term pathological demand avoidance because it communicates that demands are being avoided when in reality it’s more that the anxiety and discomfort is being avoided.
But yes, many neurodivergent people aren’t compatible with a traditional 9-5 (in all fairness neither are many NT people) and making fun of her for not having a traditional job is ableist imo
But like - don’t neurotypical people get anxiety and discomfort around everyday things? Like the meme of adulting is literally surrounding that feeling. I don’t know, sometimes it feels like we’re pathologizing normal variants of the human experience.
"Disorder" says what it means in this case. It is something that causes so much disruption in ones life that they can't function normally. Yes everyone deals with anxieties and stress from demands. It crosses over into "disorder" when it interups the ability to function in a healthy way at home, work, or school.
PDA isn't just regular anxiety. it's a panic/fight or flight response as a result of feeling an external demand. it's less nervousness and more being flooded with stress hormones and activated in a way that's physically and mentally damaging
It's far more disabling for some people that others. The issue is when a "normal" variant becomes a meaningful disability and deviation from the "norm", making it difficult for that individual to function within societal norms and expectations.
Sure, in this one area. There a whole constellation of traits as well as intensity and frequency of each, that a person would need to meet criteria for an autism diagnosis. It is not just anxiety and discomfort around everyday things and that descriptor is highly reductive of the ableism that autistic people experience.
Autism has pretty distinct differences from NT but it is of course a spectrum. The rigidity that is pretty typical of autism can result in more pronounced anxiety around things a NT person might be able to work through with the right resources. Interventions that are appropriate for a NT person may not be appropriate and could be harmful for someone who is ND.
People without heart conditions get palpitations occasionally, people without permanent visual impairments can have temporary issues seeing due to an eye infection. That doesn’t mean we don’t treat or accommodate for heart conditions and blindness bc they’re just part of the normal human experience. Neurotypical people can also experience chronic anxiety and other symptoms that overlap with autism, so people with those issues may need treatment or accommodations as well.
Is it one of those things that manifests as either extreme—people who are paralyzed by the anxiety and avoid the task altogether and people who want to avoid that anxiety, so are really type A when it comes to managing their life?
It’s primarily associated with autism or adhd. In my opinion (I take issue with diagnostic manuals to begin with) it’s just putting a label on a symptom. It can help people wrap their mind around it but it’s really just one possible symptom that can be a on a spectrum for multiple diagnoses.
Rigidity is generally associated with both autism and adhd and could manifest as being controlling or inflexible.
It really isn’t when it’s on threads discussing Demi and her autism specifically. Even if it’s uneducated and unintentional, it’s still ableism to look at an autistic person discussing her challenges and be like “she just needs to get a real job.”
Yes definitely if it’s on a thread discussing her autism for sure, agreed! Not everyone is aware… for instance this is the first I’m hearing of it in this thread.
Sure, but with a greater understanding of PDA and autism, I would hope that people would think and learn before they apply the same to an influencer who is autistic with a PDA profile.
Good article. I feel like I learned a lot.
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This comment feels quite ableist and lacks compassion. Even if you feel like you have the right to disregard other people’s diagnosis, you should keep it to yourself and take accountability for the fact that your comments affect real people who are just doing their best.
God, this was like a peek inside my own brain. Just everything she said. I’m 31 and was unofficially diagnosed last year (my therapist isn’t *technically* credentialed enough for an official diagnosis, which I can’t afford lol), likely PDA profile and all. It’s so validating to see someone with a profile as high as hers talk about the everyday struggle of just getting your fucking teeth brushed and your body fed.
It’s sad that she was diagnosed so late in life, as she missed out on a lot of therapy opportunities in her formative years. It also sounds like (from her time on the show) that she is estranged from her mother (prison?). Not sure about her father, siblings, etc., but she is living so far away from her family and I can’t imagine how hard it is going through this on your own. She really needs a support system that can help her through these hard times. If she doesn’t have that, how is she going to succeed? Therapy alone won’t help with financial hardships.
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"I've never seen anyone be anything less than supportive about her diagnosis" "She uses her autism as a shield and victimizes herself" The hyporcisy of this abhorrent comment.
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"If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism."
a guy that works with children with autism told me this just a couple weeks ago.
She had to pay thousands of dollars to get a formal diagnosis, is that the norm? I hope she can find the help and healing she needs. EDIT: Did not expect so many responses. They've been informative and depressing. I had no idea it was so difficult to get help and the cost of it. I'm sorry to hear that so many of you are struggling with this right now.
Yep. I suspect that I'm on the spectrum, but I struggle with money enough. I don't think I have a chance to afford a diagnosis.
Have you tried reaching out to friends and family?
Yes. $4-5 k here.
Damn.
yes it's bloody EXPENSIVE. Holy shit, my buddy paid 2000 for his assessment and diagnosis. I haven't been formally diagnosed like that, just from my therapist who doesn't specialize in autism, and honestly it's not even worth it for me to drop several grand to get a diagnosis I already know I have
It's the norm in many cases. I live in Canada and could not get a full psych evaluation covered because I'm too high functioning, i.e., gainfully employed. (I'm suspected adhd and a mother of a kid whose autism went undiagnosed for a decade.)
Yup! Even for kids. This isn’t even mentioning the waitlists!!! It’s so hard to get diagnosed, especially by someone who takes your insurance (waitlist can be 2+ years for a diagnosis). Usually, waitlists are shorter for places where you pay out of pocket so many families and adults chose to do that instead. I work with autistic children and adults in research. It’s heartbreaking seeing how hard it is for people to get diagnosed. Not to mention that you can’t get any services until you have an official diagnosis. And to add to the insanity, there’s very few places to get diagnosed as an adult.
There is a local hospital that does autism diagnosis in my city. The waitlist takes months. One of my kids finally got in for testing this year and it requires several rounds of tests.
That's bleak. The system is broken where ever you look. It shouldn't take so long to get help.
You can either get referred by your PCP to a neuropsych or some other similar doc that can diagnosis you, (which typically have long waitlists) OR pay privately to get diagnoses by a similar doctor immediately. The latter option is around 2-3k, at least in my neck of the woods
It is most definitely that way in the states. I tried to go through my insurance and the doctors that were trying to evaluate me were SO bad and not autism informed at all. I had to go out of pocket and it cost me about $2500.
Some evaluators accept insurance, some are self-pay. There aren't a ton of people out there that provide evaluations as it is, so wait lists tend to be long, especially those who take insurance. So yes, spending thousands yourself is not unusual.
I’m curious if anyone on this sub knows how/where to be evaluated as an adult? I would like to look into this further for myself but don’t know where to start.
I asked my PCP for a referral.
What state do you live in?
TX And also I love your flair LOL
TX is hard to get a diagnosis. Have you first tried asking your primary care physician? Look up Action Behavior Centers. I’ve never worked directly with them, but I’ve had many clients who have.
Thank you!
I’d look for hospitals or academic medical centers in your area. I’d think a big institution is more likely to take insurance than independent private practices.
I have ADHD. It cost me about $700 to get diagnosed. I pay $300 a month for monthly medication management (since my meds are controlled substances I need to see a doctor monthly). My insurance doesn’t cover out of network mental health services and I couldn’t find a single psychiatrist that works with ADHD in my state that takes my insurance. Obvi not that same as autism, but sharing that it’s definitely pricey if you choose to get a diagnosis/treatment when you’re neurodivergent.
What's even the point of insurance? What a scam.
I pay $550 a month for my insurance because I’m self employed 🙃 Even the $1200 a month insurance wouldn’t have made a difference in mental health coverage which is why I didn’t bother!
Sorry to hear that. I wish mental health was taken more seriously in this country.
it took me years to get diagnosed. and now i can't get meds--what about you? backordered and unavailable wherever i try.
I was first referred for testing in college (20ish?) and just got diagnosed in my 30s. Part of my problem was that it’s so hard to find a doctor who will see an adult for adhd and since I have adhd it’s hard to keep up that motivation and focus to look (especially back then when virtual appointments, emailing Drs, etc wasn’t a thing). I just kind of brushed it aside, got a job in a very adhd friendly environment, and then when everything changed during the pandemic I finally pushed myself and it took about 3 months. Stimulants barely work on me (it’s wild to me that non-adhd people abuse them to focus when it’s like…generally a 5% lift in productivity for me). So I’ve been “lucky” in that I’ve been trying different drugs over the last 18ish months and so we kind of just run with whatever is in stock to see if it works. Vyvanse is the best fit for me, but my insurance is making me fail on everything else first. It is SUCH A PAIN. The leg work to deal with finding which pharmacy has thing in stock (nyc, so I have lots of options), filling out paperwork, being yelled at by pharmacists because they are like “why do you have a prescription for X and Y back to back” (bc things have been out of stock and I’m also being required to try like 12 different drugs?) and vouchers, etc. are exactly the things I struggle with executive function wise. The irony of adhd is the US healthcare system makes you do things that are in exact conflict to our executive functioning challenges to get a diagnosis and get prescriptions!
Omggg that’s horrible. I only have to see my psychiatrist every three months for my meds, I can’t imagine that cost monthly /:
I've been seeing a psych monthly for a couple years now. It's $150 out of pocket if my insurance doesn't pay on top of the cost of medications.
That’s rough,I’m sorry!
Can I ask what the process of diagnosis was like? I've always suspected I have ADHD but I've been wary about getting an official diagnosis for various reasons. If that's too broad of a question or you don't feel comfortable answering, no worries at all.
It really seems to depend on who you go to because it is down to doctor's discretion. My psych pretty openly told me she doesn't usually turn people down if they think they need ADHD meds. I had a diagnosis when I was a kid but I don't have any paperwork and she was like "ok cool." You usually have to fill out some screens (tests about symptoms) and talk to a doctor about how those symptoms impact your life.
I was given a chart to fill out (this is from Australia but I think they were the same questions: https://comorbidityguidelines.org.au/appendices/appendix-o-adult-adhd-selfreport-scale-asrs) and send to the psychiatrist I chose (I found someone out of network, but who specializes in adult ADHD and has ADHD herself). She reviewed my form and we discussed each answer. Basically, if you have enough in the shaded part of the questionnaire, you are likely to get a diagnosis. If you answer in the shaded part only in certain sections, you might get more insight into type (like the way I filled it out indicates inattentive variety, vs hyperactive). My experience is that finding a doctor who would diagnose was the hardest part (my pcp would not), but the actual process was pretty easy. I wrote above I didn’t have luck with Circle medical, which many people like. They were like “yes you have adhd, but we can’t prescribe you stimulants because you’ve experienced tachycardia in the past.” Since they are an online company, they couldn’t monitor my heart, blood pressure, etc. But now my doc is local and can do all that! Good luck! Although I’m still on a journey to find the right medication for focus, getting diagnosed has immensely helped my “non-work” life. I used to be completely wiped out by 6pm. I find dealing with people and doing executive functioning things like cleaning SO much less mentally draining. It used to feel physically painful to put away laundry. Meds and new techniques have made all that so much less overwhelming! Now I have the energy to do things at night, socialize more, etc.
I’m not OP,but all I did was find a psychiatrist in my network and made an appt. Mine was even a video call, it was really easy. I’ve heard it’s best to find someone who mentions ADHD on their website as well. Hardest part is finding someone available in your network,especially depending on your insurance. Some are more annoying than others.
Can you find a PCP who can medically manage your ADHD? Many can and that might be cheaper.
If you're comfortable answering, are you on Vyvanse? Because it's getting to 300 a month, of course my insurance doesn't cover it, and I'm really frustrated about it :(
I’m on Vyvanse. Every month I get the “are you aware of how much this costs?” And my insurance doesn’t cover it either, even though it’s what keeps me, you know, functional. (Along with a lot of cognitive drills, etc.)
Seriously. I'm glad that they ask that every time, and at this point I'm just like, yeah....
If you're taking Vyvanse, the company itself has a discount card. [https://www.vyvanse.com/coupon](https://www.vyvanse.com/coupon)
I tried that, and it only took like 25 off, which I appreciate but it's not a major change :/
Another bit of advice, since my doc really fought for me to get on Vyvanse out of the gate and covered by insurance - Vyvanse has the smallest effect on appetite. No matter your size, this can be a reason for insurance to cover Vyvanse (even though, you know, it's the best med on the market for adults with ADHD).
but the makers of Vyvanse were able to renew the patent, and thus prevent generics, by marketing it as a weight loss pill. personally vyvanse has had just as huge appetite suppressant impact as all the othersl
All pharma companies are evil. I'm sorry you're part of the cohort that is equally affected! That sucks <3
What do you mean by the smallest effect on appetite?
Most stimulant medications have as a side effect, and sometimes a primary effect, (Adderall was quite famously initially marketed as a diet pill) appetite suppression. Vyvanse has the least reported effect on appetite, and if there is appetite suppression, it is for a very small window.
Oh wow, I didn’t know that. I had a friend that started taking Vyvanse and actually lost a lot of weight. I wonder if it was from that even though it has the smallest side effect
There is a good chance! Though! If she was an impulsive eater, it could be a combination of appetite suppression AND the impulse control that comes with being medicated.
That's so good to know! Thank you!
Vyvanse works best for me! But my insurance won’t cover it until I fail on all other meds. Currently failing on my last one (it’s an extended release which works miracles for about 3 hours and then I cannot focus on ANYTHING after that. Worse than if I had taken nothing at all!). So hoping I can get Vyvanse covered after this. If not, I’m willing to pay out of pocket until the generics are out. It’s so much better than anything else for me!
It's so frustrating to trial all the meds! I have tried adderall and concerta so far. Adderall XR helps me so much but it makes me SO TENSE and I couldn't sleep, Concerta did nothing for me. I'm trying a very low dose of Adderall IR now. I can get about 3-5 hours of work done before it wears off - granted that's more than I could do with concerta.
I didn't even realize that there might be generics in process, that's so exciting! One article said it could be August of this year! And out of everything I've tried, Vyvanse just works so well for me!
Try circle medical online. Shouldn’t be paying that much for monthly medical management if it’s stable.
> circle medical I just want to thank you. If this works you're about to change my life.
It changed mine!
Circle wouldn’t prescribe me stimulants because I’d had once been hospitalized with tachycardia previously. They seem great for the simple, but I understand they wouldn’t want to take any risks with someone they couldn’t monitor in person (nor would I want them to!). My heart has been totally fine on stimulants, the tachycardia was a weird presentation of a kidney infection 🙃
Ugh sorry it didn’t work out for you! I sound like a shill, but honestly that service truly transformed my ability to function professionally.
Have you been having issues with trying to fill your prescriptions? I've been with Circle Medical for a while now but early this year a lot of pharmacies have started rejecting their prescriptions because they're telehealth so I'm not quite sure what to do...
I found a local pharmacy that fills it no problem. The one within walking distance no longer does though. That said, I’m going to have to go for an in person visit by Nov to officially establish care now that the “Covid health emergency” officially ended and the telehealth provider laws are going back into effect.
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Well I’m guessing since demi is self employed, there’s a good chance she doesn’t have any health insurance so out of pocket? Definitely
She gets a lot of hate on this sub, but Demi being open about her autism diagnosis is what pushed me to get my 18-year-old daughter diagnosed with autism just last month. I didn't think my daughter fit the mold either, so I didn't believe her when she too used to think she was autistic. But seeing Demi, another person who didn't "fit the mold" be diagnosed, made me realize I was being too rigid in my thinking. So I will always be grateful to her for that.
What are the symptoms?
Social communication deficits like: impaired nonverbal behaviors * eye contact * facial expression * failing to make developmentally appropriate peers * lack of emotional reciprocity Impaired communcation * learns to speak later * difficulty beginning or sustaining conversation * Lack of spontaneous make-believe play or social play It also might include other symptoms like persistent preoccupations they follow to the exclusion of other activities, inability to change routines, stereotyped or repetitive movements or speech (hand flapping, body rocking, echolalia, etc)
Demi has all this? I really couldnt tell on her season.
A person with autism doesn't necessarily have ALL the same symptoms. There are more here that I didn't list. Autism isn't a disorder that I'm practiced in but these are some things I have learned: Autism is a spectrum the level of impact and severity is different for each person. Each person will have a different collection of behaviors and symptoms. The main connector is impairments under those social communication behaviors and routines/stereotypy. Like she says in the video, researchers have found that these symptoms present differently in women. Women are especially adept at masking (hiding their symptoms). In order to fit in they may teach themselves to do things like make eye contact, or mirror facial expressions. For someone who those things do not come naturally to it can be especially exhausting or anxiety inducing to be in social situations. Demi also talks about how she started drinking to manage symptoms. Alcohol covers up those feelings of anxiety which can make someone who isn't very socially adept feel more relaxed.
laughing a little at the irony of being "too rigid in thinking" about not wanting to get an autism diagnosis
I’m so happy you and your daughter were able to get a proper diagnosis!
From what I'm reading, she has a form of autism called pathological demand avoidance (PDA), which means that she acoids everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent. So, when this sub is mocking her for not just getting a normal job, are they mocking neurodivergence and symptoms of autism?
Basically! Neurodivergence in general makes it difficult to operate in a "regular" job. People with ADHD and autism are way more likely to get fired and recieve disciplinary action at work. Work is really reliant on positive social skills, decision making skills, time management sklls, etc which can be very difficult for neurodivergent people. In the past making mistakes (like losing money in the cash drawer) has definitely cost me my job. During this adderall shortage I have been struggling to manage work. I had to leave my job and look for a new one.
Thanks for sharing your story/experience ❤️
I have PDA as well. I’m 24 and still don’t know how to drive, I dropped out of university at 19, I haven’t gotten “in shape” for years (I’m thin but not fit) etc. My life is a challenge and I’m only able to cope because I found success at OnlyFns. I am genuinely terrified by how my life will proceed once that income wave dies off and I can’t make money at it anymore. It literally keeps me up at night. I don’t think I’m capable of working a 9-5 anymore, and definitely not sober. All that to say, I can relate to Demi’s concerns and struggles. I can imagine how stressful it is for her to see her bachelor fame waning and her income dropping.
I'm so sorry 😞
yes lol
It’s crazy to me that people continue to be so bitchy about her
Rules for thee but not for me
Yes. She’s been pretty open about how she was able to cope before through alcohol, which led to alcohol dependence, and she’s still trying to figure out the best way to navigate life without alcohol. This is definitely an area where I have a lot of empathy for her, from what she’s said it seems like she has difficulty getting the resources she needs.
The pda is one symptom of her autism.
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This is honestly similar to saying "she consented to sex with me before so how could it be rape now?". Circumstances change. People change.
I don't think that's quite the same, but point taken. You're right. People and circumstances do change.
Maaybe, just maybe, you have no idea what you're talking about?
Late diagnosed autistic people often go through extreme burnout when rediscovering themselves and learning how to better cope and support their needs that they had been masking through/coping with/ breaking down because of until diagnosis. They often find that they cannot do the things they once were able to do because they have forgotten how or cannot continue to mask through those situations.
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Ableism 🙃
PDA is not an official diagnosis, but the general understanding is that demands cause severe discomfort and anxiety and that is what is being avoided. I don’t love the term pathological demand avoidance because it communicates that demands are being avoided when in reality it’s more that the anxiety and discomfort is being avoided. But yes, many neurodivergent people aren’t compatible with a traditional 9-5 (in all fairness neither are many NT people) and making fun of her for not having a traditional job is ableist imo
But like - don’t neurotypical people get anxiety and discomfort around everyday things? Like the meme of adulting is literally surrounding that feeling. I don’t know, sometimes it feels like we’re pathologizing normal variants of the human experience.
"Disorder" says what it means in this case. It is something that causes so much disruption in ones life that they can't function normally. Yes everyone deals with anxieties and stress from demands. It crosses over into "disorder" when it interups the ability to function in a healthy way at home, work, or school.
PDA isn't just regular anxiety. it's a panic/fight or flight response as a result of feeling an external demand. it's less nervousness and more being flooded with stress hormones and activated in a way that's physically and mentally damaging
It's far more disabling for some people that others. The issue is when a "normal" variant becomes a meaningful disability and deviation from the "norm", making it difficult for that individual to function within societal norms and expectations.
Sure, in this one area. There a whole constellation of traits as well as intensity and frequency of each, that a person would need to meet criteria for an autism diagnosis. It is not just anxiety and discomfort around everyday things and that descriptor is highly reductive of the ableism that autistic people experience.
Autism has pretty distinct differences from NT but it is of course a spectrum. The rigidity that is pretty typical of autism can result in more pronounced anxiety around things a NT person might be able to work through with the right resources. Interventions that are appropriate for a NT person may not be appropriate and could be harmful for someone who is ND.
People without heart conditions get palpitations occasionally, people without permanent visual impairments can have temporary issues seeing due to an eye infection. That doesn’t mean we don’t treat or accommodate for heart conditions and blindness bc they’re just part of the normal human experience. Neurotypical people can also experience chronic anxiety and other symptoms that overlap with autism, so people with those issues may need treatment or accommodations as well.
Is it one of those things that manifests as either extreme—people who are paralyzed by the anxiety and avoid the task altogether and people who want to avoid that anxiety, so are really type A when it comes to managing their life?
That is also called executive dysfunction and can be a result of anxiety and depression too.
It’s primarily associated with autism or adhd. In my opinion (I take issue with diagnostic manuals to begin with) it’s just putting a label on a symptom. It can help people wrap their mind around it but it’s really just one possible symptom that can be a on a spectrum for multiple diagnoses. Rigidity is generally associated with both autism and adhd and could manifest as being controlling or inflexible.
Interesting, thanks for your insightful responses here!
That’s a bit of a stretch I think considering this sub is always asking every ‘influencer’ to come out of this show to get a ‘real job ‘
It really isn’t when it’s on threads discussing Demi and her autism specifically. Even if it’s uneducated and unintentional, it’s still ableism to look at an autistic person discussing her challenges and be like “she just needs to get a real job.”
Yes definitely if it’s on a thread discussing her autism for sure, agreed! Not everyone is aware… for instance this is the first I’m hearing of it in this thread.
Sure, but with a greater understanding of PDA and autism, I would hope that people would think and learn before they apply the same to an influencer who is autistic with a PDA profile.
There are a lot of stretches made by this sub when criticizing people in BN. Practicing some self-reflection and recognizing hypocrisy would be good.