Do you feel that the financial investment for evaluation and treatment for your ADD has been worth while? Also, o you feel that your earning potential is better because of treatment? It's kind of hard to put a price tag on emotional well being but has it been worth it on that level if not from a financial point of view?

I am going to have to convince my husband that my mental health is worth the amount of cash that it will require to get it under control. My insurance is a joke when it comes to psych stuff so pretty much everything will be out of pocket.

Curious to hear your opinions!

ugh
I don't know how I could do it out of pocket. But is it worth it I have to say YES. In just the month I have been on strattara, and with coaching from my wife. I Haven't been such a SLUG. I am actually enjoying my daughter and didn't realize how much I tuned out. I am finially resting when I sleep. I have always been a sound sleeper but used to wake up so tired because my mind would not shut off. My wife used to tease me that I needed to take a nap before going to bed. I am able to get up in the morning and feel normal. I haven't been late to work in over a week which is an accomplishment for me. To just feel better it's well worth it. if you can afford it or budget it then go.

Funny, I am at that same point right now. The testing required for a full diagnosis is quite expensive, and I too am wondering if it is worth it financially.

Thankfully, my insurance does cover treatment, just not evaluation. With so many times I have failed in the past (not getting "better" after reading this book or that), it is hard to convince my husband or me that this will work.

I have recently read quite a few touching & amazing stories of how people with treatment were able to turn things around like dsherman (good for you!), so as far as treatment I think it is worth it.

Sorry, couldn't be too helpful since I am in the same situation... let us now what you decide & how you convince you husband.

Wow, I feel really lucky now. My insurance covered both my evaluation and my treatment. As of now, my out of pocket expenses are: $40/month for medications; $100/month for my therapist; and then $25/visit for my psychiatrist, but I don't see him every month unless there's been a medication adjustment.

Is $165/month worth it to me? HELL yeah.

If insurance wasn't covering it, though, I'd be paying the therapist $175/hour x4 plus whatever my psychiatrist charges for a med. management visit, plus cost of meds-- probably over $1000/month. I hate to think how much I'd have been charged for the evaluation. Considering my salary at my most recent job was $33k / year, I don't think I'd be able to handle $12k / year for ADD expenses. (On the bright side, I'd have almost a $10K tax deduction if I itemized... but itemizing and ADD kinda don't go well together... hehe... Oh, and can you say "AUDIT RED FLAG?")

The only way I could get treatment if insurance didn't cover me would be through the county. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure they do some fine work for a lot of really sick people who just can't afford to pay a lot of money, but I get the feeling they're not into prescribing drugs for adults with ADD. (Actually, I've been treated there twice for depression, and neither time did my therapist even raise the possibility of antidepressants. Now that I'm on Wellbutrin, I can see how depressed I actually was -- and it helps with the ADD symptoms, to boot :) )