The day before yesterday; which might be your yesterday, but I can't work that out right now, I called the psychiatrist that diagnosed my PTSD and told him I wanted an evaluation for AD/HD.

He said there was no need, as he had already evaluated that I had "inattentive AD/HD", and felt that with my PTSD that I had no need to know about the AD/HD! He felt that it would have made my PTSD worse! Wrong!

Andrei [OLd Ancient] had already made an appt for me with his Psych as a back-up, and I attended that and filled out page after page after page of junk questions.....took about an hour and a half to get the same diagnosis.

AD/HD/Inattentive Type. No Hyperactivity apparent.

I am very angry at my original Psych, and that is why I haven't posted sooner. I'm not sure what I really feel right now, bit numb, a little confused. Mixed. Slight depressed. Sad.

As I am on an anti-epileptic med for another disorder, it appears that it is helping me cope; I told the Psych this, and he agreed that it had the capability. I stated I did not wish to commence stimulants as I reacted badly to stimulants in cough medicines ect, and he was fine with that.

Basically, I do not wish to medicate, but would rather address issues via other means; behavior therapy, ect, which I have really already done for all of my life. I figure if I have come this far, I can go the rest.

Good for you. If you're not comfortable taking additional medications, obviously, you shouldn't do it. I'd be willing to bet that, in your case, if you get PTSD and everything else under control, you'll be able to cope quite well as you did before.

I think it's fine that a doctor not give a diagnosis along with the main one. Remember, there is a reason that the only protected health records that you yourself can't see are psychiatric notes. Doctors sometimes make observations and have an easier time treating things if you don't know they're doing it...

BUT I am glad you got your diagnosis!

What is the enti-epileptic medicine you are taking, a benzodiazepine/antianxiety med? Did you say the doc thinks it helps ADD also? Do I understand correctly that your first doc felt that stimulants would make your PTSD worse or he thinks the knowledge would hurt you?

The med I'm taking, amisulpride might be good for you and you can get a prescription for it there as an antipsychotic but it is also a stimulant and good for depression/dysthymia. In my opinion, much less likely to produce anxiety. I didn't like regular stimulants but this stuff feels good, gives me some motivation & fills the gap of reward in me where I felt nothing was satisfying before, I can enjoy myself better & am not as desperate; searching for something missing if you know what I mean. No nasty side effects either. Only takes about a week or less to feel the effects. I don't know that it effects concentration as that's not so much a problem for me but focus perhaps since I'm not scanning the horizon as much, I can relax and do things and be satisfied. In that sense it relieves anxiety. I only take a very small dose, 25mg or less. It might make you anxious though less so than other stimulants.

Viktoria,

I'm glad you finally got your final diagnosis. It helps just knowing, having an explanation for things. I think you've done great with your life so far, and if it works why mess with it! :D

You and Andrei seem to be open, willing to work and change, motivated, and gifted people. With all that going for you I think things will continue to look up! You got us now, too! ;)

There is a right time for everything and this was the right time for you to find out. Don't look back!

Hugs,

Kim

Good for you. If you're not comfortable taking additional medications, obviously, you shouldn't do it. I'd be willing to bet that, in your case, if you get PTSD and everything else under control, you'll be able to cope quite well as you did before.
Thank you Exeter. Most times the PTSD is under control. But with that type of disorder there are always triggers, but I cope. I feel better today, and am looking at my life and how it was all affected in it's entirety. Interesting to look back now.

I think it's fine that a doctor not give a diagnosis along with the main one. Remember, there is a reason that the only protected health records that you yourself can't see are psychiatric notes. Doctors sometimes make observations and have an easier time treating things if you don't know they're doing it...

BUT I am glad you got your diagnosis!
LOL's Keith, some docs have to leave the room sometimes:D it's amazing what one reads about oneself:D But I never saw ADHD mentioned. I did see that he had written that I was refusing to accept the PTSD diagnosis; and that was true for a while, because I kept saying that some problems went way before the trauma.

BUT. You are right. :) I now look back and see that much of my PTSD treatment centred on behavior therapy....and that applies to ADHD too.

I am glad "today" I got a diagnosis, yesterday I wasn't so happy really.

What is the enti-epileptic medicine you are taking, a benzodiazepine/antianxiety med? Did you say the doc thinks it helps ADD also? Do I understand correctly that your first doc felt that stimulants would make your PTSD worse or he thinks the knowledge would hurt you?

The med I'm taking, amisulpride might be good for you and you can get a prescription for it there as an antipsychotic but it is also a stimulant and good for depression/dysthymia. In my opinion, much less likely to produce anxiety. I didn't like regular stimulants but this stuff feels good, gives me some motivation & fills the gap of reward in me where I felt nothing was satisfying before, I can enjoy myself better & am not as desperate; searching for something missing if you know what I mean. No nasty side effects either. Only takes about a week or less to feel the effects. I don't know that it effects concentration as that's not so much a problem for me but focus perhaps since I'm not scanning the horizon as much, I can relax and do things and be satisfied. In that sense it relieves anxiety. I only take a very small dose, 25mg or less. It might make you anxious though less so than other stimulants.
Hi Paul, the anit-ep med I am taking is rivotril, yes, it is benzo based, but affects the eighth cranial nerve and surrounding brain areas. I cannot come off this med. No choice. Yes, the doc said it could help with anxiety symptoms I suffer; which are frustration related. The first Doc felt the knowledge would not make treating my PTSD any easier. I didn't accept a diagnosis of PTSD for a long time, depsite not speaking or communicating in any form with any one for nearly a year. I went looking for diagnosis after that, and looked at all the really crazy ones; and found them in myself. :eek: He said that the last thing he was going to do was give me a disorder that was factual when I was so busy trying to find another. Oh, what research I did.

I don't wish to take any stimulant meds. When my PTSD is bad, I get my heart going weird. Very weird. Stimulants make this worse. I use coffee; and for me it works.

PTSD treatment is behavioral in nature, and as I endured that tedious work, the efforts put in place actually treated the ADHD by proxy; besides that, I was already high functioning before and PTSD ocurred, or any ADHD diagnosis was made. I am inclined not to break something that isn't badly broken.

I need to work on procrastination more than anything. But I also realize that no meds are ever going to solev all the problems with ADHD, and for me that means acceptance. Knowledge is power.

I will ask about the meds you are on, because it sounds good, but I am not sure if it will react well with the rivotril which I cannot stop. Depression isn't a major part of me anymore; it was a long while back.

Firstly, I want to try the behavioral way. It is what ended up working for me in the past; and probably will again.
Thanks for telling me about your meds, because all I have seen so far are the full on stimulants and I don't want to go there:)

Viktoria,

I'm glad you finally got your final diagnosis. It helps just knowing, having an explanation for things. I think you've done great with your life so far, and if it works why mess with it!

You and Andrei seem to be open, willing to work and change, motivated, and gifted people. With all that going for you I think things will continue to look up! You got us now, too!

There is a right time for everything and this was the right time for you to find out. Don't look back!

Hugs,

Kim
Kim, thanks for the vote of confidence. I feel as if it isn't really broken.....! Just needs a little fine tuning:D

As for Andrei and I, yes, we do work well together, and we seem to have this knack of getting to the core of things and baring out the demons, so to speak....so I don't see any huge hurdles to cross;)

I promise not to look back now! I couldn't have said that yesterday, but today is good. There are many answer to things I had none for prior to this diagnosis. Now I know why I am the black sheep ;)

Hugs, and you enjoy that trip! [room in the cage for me?]:p