:eyebrow: I am currently trying to find someone to talk to about possibly having ADD. I am 99.9% sure I have it. My brother has it, my mom has it, my son has it, and I have no memory, attention span, concentration, sooo you get the picture;) .
I'm so tired of living like this, and WANT help. The diagnosis doesn't scare me at all, that would be a relief actually, to know #1 I'm not just nuts, and #2 that I don't have some odd disease and will have no functioning brain in 10 years:p . My problem is, I'm not sure I can get to the point of even stepping into the office of a psychiatrist. I haven't been able to even pick up the phone to make an appointment yet. As soon as I get to that point, I'm filled with anxiety and panic.
I've spent the last 24hrs trying to figure out WHY, and I think it's general rejection that so many ADD'ers feel. My mind is chatting away "what if the P-Doc thinks I'm being ridiculous". "What if they don't believe me". "What if they don't believe in Adult ADD". "What if they think I just want pills". "What if, what if, what if". It's debilitating, and I'm not sure how to get past this and actually just GO.
Did any of you go through this, feel like this?

Sure -- I went through much of the same. I was afraid I wouldn't believed and I actually had a childhood diagnosis to back me up but I still was sick to my stomach when I went in. I would encourage you to trust yourself more -- you deserve to be taken seriously. Even if it should turn out not to be ADD, something is causing you problems and should be addressed.


Secondly, the doctor works for you, not the other way around. Do a bit of interviewing. Find out whether this person works much with ADD Adults. Not everyone does or is as knowledgable about Adult ADD. A psychiatrist can diagnose and prescribe you medication, but it is rare these days to have one who will provide on going therapy/education about ADD. A psychologist can diagnosis and write a letter to your doctor verifying your diagnosis and your doctor can then prescribe medication if warranted. The nice thing about a psychologist is that they can offer follow up therapy and education as can a clinical social worker or mental health counselor. Who ever you see, be sure it is someone who is up on the literature about ADD. There have been a lot of advancements over the past 10 or 15 years in this field. Sometimes your local CHADD can recommend someone or even looking in the phone book for someone who list ADHD as an area of specialization.

I know it's not easy, but the results can be well worth it. My life really turned around after I got correctly medicated and treated. I wish you well!

Scattered

I can really relate to this, but do your research on who in your area deals with adults with ADD and you should find it easier than you think. Maybe writing down all the symptoms and history will help with the panic. First of all, it will reinforce for you that you aren't just "nuts" and, secondly, it gives you a good starting point when you do find someone.

You mention that your son has ADHD...maybe asking their doctor or therapist would be a good starting point for you. That's how I got started on the path to getting help.

Take a deep breath and try not to worry about all the "what-ifs". YOU know that you simply want some answers, and THAT's what counts.

Keep us posted!

Kim

Hi ladym
are you any further on figuring WHY ?

any tips welcomed

One thing that helped me was to read "Driven to Distraction" before I went to the shrink. It made me better educated about the syndrome and I could be confident then talking to the doc about it.