I think i have ADD. I used to see a therapist in highschool for depression and she told my parents that she thought i also had ADD.
but my parents are against medication and think ADD isnt 'real'

so now i am 22 and i go to college, and it is so hard for me to concentrate. plus i am an office manager and i keep forgetting things.
before this job i used to be a nanny, so it was easier on me.

My question is, I want to see a psychiatrist about my ADD issues but i am on my parents insurance....so they'd see that i went. Can they deny me insurance on meds and counseling with ADD?

Is there anyway i could pay on my own?

Hi and welcome Lana!

I don't know about your parent's insurance, but you might want to check out your college's health care program. It might be an option that keeps your parents out of the loop until you've settled the issues for yourself.

I'm sorry that you aren't getting any support from your parents, but maybe with an official diagnosis and some education they will open up. Until then have a look around here. Lots of info and LOTS of support!

Kim

P.S. If you have the chance you might like to introduce yourself in our New Members Introductions...

ADHD is the world's most widely researched childhood disorder.

As of 2 years ago, there were already over 6k research articles, books and professional papers on the subject.


Most people that don't think its real have read nothing and are going by the media or what they think they read or someone said.

Its like a "knee jerk" reaction.

If you go to www.chadd.org you will find the link to a journal article entitled : International Consensus 2002.

Its the single most definitive article on the "proof" if you will, of the existence of ADHD as a "disorder."

It's signed off on by over 80 of the world's leading scientists and has ablout 19 pages of references;all of which support ADHD as "real."

In that article on p.89, it says..... "ADHD is classified as a medical condition/disorder by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association.

You can throw in the World Health Organization too, even tho they weren't mentioned.

Good luck.:)

Another way to describe that would be myths and rumors.

Welcome Lana,:)

Don't have anything to add to the above except my greetings -- hope you find lots of useful information and support on the ADD Forums!

Scattered

You can also go to a general practice M.D..I went to lots of psychiatrist and got nowhere,but then again that was me.Its easy to find out if you have it.Have the doctor you choose give you one of those cards for a free month to make sure before spending money on meds that wont work for you.Also,you can always pay on your own,you just have to pay up front,so you should call ahead of time and ask the figure the first visit will be and tell them ahead of time you are self-pay cash.All they can say is no and then try another.You can probably tell Ive done this before,hu?LOL!!!!!You sound just like me with the parent situation.You have to understand they arent gonna get it just yet.You have to be a strong young woman and take command of your life and show them they are incorrect about ADD.Sounds like your already on your way,good luck to you!!!!

Why not invite your parents on the forum?

if i payed cash would i still get partly covered by insurance? Anyone know how much medication and a visit to the Dr would be? i'm so poor, lol.
what is a 'card for a month'? like a sample card or something?

i'm thinking that would work, and then after a month maybe i could show my parents how i am doing better in school (hopefully) and show them articles on ADD.

thanks guys :)

Have you contacted your parents insurance company directly and ask them if in fact your parents will be notified. When I was on my parent's insurance years ago I saw different types of specialists and they were not notified. Currently my husband has the main health insurance account and the only reason he knows that I see specialists is because I tell him.

really? that'd be so great cuz then i could see a profesional and get help. and once i'm doing better my parents wil be like 'hey what happened?" and i'll tell them "I told you i was ADD!!"

:D

Lana_23,
If you think you have ADD then your parents opinion matters very little in the diagnosis. You must seek a professional diagnosis. Some parents have a tendency to take anything their child does or is as a personal failure of their parenting if there is any negative conotation to it at all.

Your parents didn't fail, they aren't genetic misfits, and they also are not experts in the profession needed to determine if you have ADHD or not.

Don't get me wrong, having the support of your parents is the best place to be...especially when you are diagnosed with something like ADD. But it's NOT a necessity. Getting a proper diagnosis is a necessity. Once you get that cleared up in your life you can choose to tackle the dilemna of whether or not your parents believe it's real.

Just for laughs, you can start the conversation by walking in the room with a globe of the Earth, smile and say, mom...dad....I don't want to alarm you but....the world is actually round! :D

Learn to laugh about it and you'll feel a lot better about being a ghost...I mean, having ADD. :eyebrow:

Thank you. I will def go to a profesional as soon as possible.

what do you mean "...a lot better then being a ghost...I mean having ADD"
am i dead and didnt know it?

Its alot so brace yourself.I pay 150.00 the first visit,he gave me my adderal card so I didnt have to buy it.Then the next visit was 60.00(not bad) but then I went to get my script!!!UGGGGGGGG 191.81!!!!Then I had to go back again to get it upped day before yesterday and when I got my new script which is Adderal xr,two 30ml. a day it was 231.00 and some odd cent.It was awful,Im 29 so I really felt like a loser when I had to ask my parents for help but the funny thing is,they use to be like your parents and after a month on my meds they pay for it happily.It is a expence,but if your miserable you cant really put a pricetag on a happy productive life.Get the phone book out and start letting your fingers do the walking!!!LOL!!!

Have you contacted your parents insurance company directly and ask them if in fact your parents will be notified. When I was on my parent's insurance years ago I saw different types of specialists and they were not notified. Currently my husband has the main health insurance account and the only reason he knows that I see specialists is because I tell him.
Do that. My parents' insurance companies in no way, shape, or form inform my parents, or anyone else, of what I've used them for, unless I've gone over and above coverage.

So, look into your parents' insurance company disclosure policies, and then find out exactly what you're covered for so you know what you can/can't get out of them. You can do this yourself without any parental approval. Just call whatever insurance company you deal with and ask away.

There is a health information privicy act that allows medical professionals to only document so much about your paticular diagnosis....usually insurance companies recieve diagnosis using a diagnosis code...like sore throut 161.6, UTI-33.11 so on some forth. The diagnosing code may be all that is seen of explination of benefits if that.

I agree with suggestion above see if you can dig up an explaination of benefits from a previous visit to a doctor you went to even if just for a sore throat. Look at the information and see what is revealed. See if the information reveals diagnosis by name, doctors name, specility ect...

..also have you recieved any of the expliantion of benifits in your name??Seem to me you being an adult the insurance company would be sending this information in your name to your address.......you should be the one getting this.

My ex-husband had my daughter on his insurance and all her stuff came to him until the day she turned 18 then it began arriving in my daughters name.....it was still his insurance but any medically related stuff came in my daughtes name.


Above member is correct the visits and medications can be expensive... Drugs thar are newer and have not been allowed to come in generic form will be a lot more expensive...My regular Adderall used to cost me almost $180.00 and month because all I could get was brand name,,, now regular Adderall (not xr) for 120 pill I pay 100.75 because it is generic.

Unless you have prescription card you may ask the doctor you see to try you on medications that are less expensive ie drug that have generic alternitives!!!!

Have you been to the counseling center at your school? They should have contacts with other resources--perhaps someone on the psychology faculty could help.

Also check with the college's student health center.

When I was in college, these services were provided to students--if not free of charge--then at a rate much lower than in private practice.

That a therapist suggested ADD at one time is in your favor. And no matter whom you make an appointment with, be sure to first ask if they treat ADHD.

Best Regards,

DBR

Thank you everyone. All the info you gave is very helpful
i thought i replyed and thanked you all yesterday, maybe i didnt hit 'reply'!
duh.

anyway, i will let you all know how it works out.

Thank you. I will def go to a profesional as soon as possible.

what do you mean "...a lot better then being a ghost...I mean having ADD"
am i dead and didnt know it?
That was just me playing with words. Some people don't believe in ghosts....until they meet one! So, just because you might believe in ghosts and your parents don't...doesn't mean they don't exist...same with ADD.
It was a bad play with words.....sorry....you are far from dead....either that or you are a darn talented ghost being able to type and all. :eek:

Its alot so brace yourself.I pay 150.00 the first visit,he gave me my adderal card so I didnt have to buy it.Then the next visit was 60.00(not bad) but then I went to get my script!!!UGGGGGGGG 191.81!!!!Then I had to go back again to get it upped day before yesterday and when I got my new script which is Adderal xr,two 30ml. a day it was 231.00 and some odd cent.It was awful,Im 29 so I really felt like a loser when I had to ask my parents for help but the funny thing is,they use to be like your parents and after a month on my meds they pay for it happily.It is a expence,but if your miserable you cant really put a pricetag on a happy productive life.Get the phone book out and start letting your fingers do the walking!!!LOL!!!

B, have you shopped around? I was off insurance for two years and found as much as a 50% difference in price based on where I bought my meds.
In fact, I got so sick of paying more than $200 for Zoloft that I started buying it from the canadian pharmacy website for less than half.

You might check that out too!

Fighting boredom:
okay, i wasnt sure if i was a ghost, since wandering ghosts dont usually know they are dead.
but i checked and i'm alive so all is well :)

I would love more info FightingBordom,Its killing me!!!!!!!My hubby makes good money,he has his own landscaping bus. but it just drains constantly.Thats mainly what we argue over.

Once upon a time, many people believed the earth was flat, and that if one sailed out too far, they would simply drop off. Now, we know that's ridiculous. Go through your college for evaluation, if you get no where by calling the insurance yourself. It would be nice if your parents could make this about you, and not them, but if they don't, it will continue to be their loss. Regardless, you are beginning to take your first steps on the way to maturity by taking control of this situation in your life. :) This is a good thing. You can be respectful toward your parents, but you don't have to live your life according to their beliefs, rules, etc. You aren't living at home, right? Hang in there. It gets better.