So I've always known I have ADD and the past few years I've really been meaning to start getting help. Now I'm finally doing it. So I have a few questions.

First, I think I need to get officially diagnosed so I can get medication, then I would like to start working with a therapist/coach on behavioral/organizational issues to help me actually get things done.

My first issue though is that most of the specialists I called today charge about $350-$500 for an initial consultation so that I can even begin meds. However, I know a general practioner that handles just about everything medically. He can also diagnose and prescribe meds. He's pretty intellegent but he is a general medical doctor not a psychiatrist. Anyway, with him it will only cost $75 and follow up visits will also be VERY cheap if I need to adjust or change medication.

I would also like to sit down with someone and plan out ways to be more productive/ organized/ and on-schedule. However, for that I'm thinking maybe I can find a local ADD coach or therapist that isn't a psychiatrist and therefore it wouldn't cost $400/hour.

So my current options are,

1) get a cheap consultation ($75) to get meds and then find a fairly inexpensive non-MD coach or therapist to work through developing structure/organization

2) go to a high priced specialist, pay $350-$500 for a consultation and then $300-$400/hour for med adjustments and behavioral changes.

I'm thinking the specialist will be more familiar with the latest medications so that's definitely a benefit.

Any opinions?


Oh, and approximately how much should I expect to spend on meds?

One final note: I have a degree in Psychology and am the poster child for Adult ADD so I'm 100% positive I have ADD even though I haven't been formally diagnosed.

caneaddict,

I'm a big believer in accurate diagnosses. As you know, there are many physical/mental conditions & disorders that cause difficulty with concentration. Depression, anxiety, environmental stress, hearing, seeing, learning disorders and then, of course, all the unknown causes we tag ADHD. Within ADHD, there are subtypes, each of which responds to a somewhat different therapy.

I am not terribly impressed with the medical treatment I've received/ing even though finally I am successfully managing a life-long battle with ADD. I had to take charge. Basically my MO is to diagnose myself via internet information, then go to my family doctor and get his second opinion. If the two of us agree, we go for it. I fired my shrink and my psychologist is next on my hit list. Sept. 19th and he is history. I'm in the IT business by trade but I swear I know more about managing my ADD then ANY professional I've met yet.

The meds for me are long acting stimulants. Adderal Xr 20mg/day seems to be doing the trick currently. I take specific vitimins: L-Tyrosine, Zinc, silymarin (milk thistle) and fish oil plus a regular multi-vitamin. Exercise and diet also help. My wife is my ADD coach. It is usually not advisable for your mate to be your coach but it works for me. In the morning we go over my schedule for the day and work out priorities together. The active ingredient is the interaction. It is hard to say outloud, I think I'll waste my day screwing around on the internet. Lists, memos, calendars, etc. are all the psychological tactics that work for me.

I am primarily inattentive type ADD with no comorbidities. I doubt my receipe, *as is*, will work for other subtypes or with co-existing disorders.

Bob

Thanks Bob,

So would you advise just getting my general practitioner to prescibe the meds and then get see a psychologist (only $150/hr) at first instead of paying the $400 for initial consultation plus $400/hr for therapy from a specialized Psychiatrist?

Also, I notice that you take alot of vitamins. I lift weights and therefore also take alot of vitamins (ON Whey proteing that includes lots of BCAA's, multivitamin, Creatine, fish oil etc.), will that have any effect on the ADD meds?

Thanks

caneaddict,

Risky for you to take my advice since I have no formal traing in the field. You know "a little knowledge being a dangerous thing." I can only tell you what I would do if starting all over.

1. Thoroughly research every presentation of disorder I experience.

2. Talk to my family doc about it and tell him what others have found effective. When he concurs, do it. Otherwise, why not? If the *why not* makes good sense, back to the drawing board.

3. Live happily everafter.

Look, you got the degree in psych. I'm a C++ programmer - both ******* complex stuff. Infantile play, though, to brain debugging.

Bob

Sorry I forgot:

I went for an ADHD evaluation. 1st day, a little conversation and questionaires on possible depression, anxiety and learning disorders. Then an IQ test and a TOVA test while on Ritalin. 2nd day. IQ test and TOVA without Ritalin. I was amazed at what I learned about myself. Worth every penny of the $50 copay my HOM charged me. You can figure about 6 bills if you are out-of-the-pocket.

If the vitamins are targeted to your specific symptoms they will most certainly help. You cannot go wrong with good balance diet, pumping a little iron and some aerobic.

Bob