I had to go to a different doctor that works in the same office as the old doctor. He told me that he did not "believe" there was such a thing as Adult ADD or ADHD. I was diagnosed three years ago. He wanted to know if I wanted to see another doctor and I said yes. I could not believe him. There are only a handful of doctors in my small town and they all think they are God.

What an idiot! So...does he think Hallowell and all the other physicians are just dreaming or nuts? What an idiot!

Wow! Not many doctors are left that squeeze their eyes shut to it still.
The first doc I asked about me having ADHD laughed in my face. He thought the idea of me having it was absurd. Apparently he thought only spastic, over energetic male toddlers have it. He knows better now. He's still a crappy doctor about all mental stuff though. Hell...he's crappy about all physical stuff too. Why do I still go to him???
Must be my need for stability and hate of change.
I always use him as a stepping stone to better docs though. ALWAYS now.
Oh...my first therapist didn't think I could have it either. They both didn't seem to think I fit the mold because I had a successful career. She agreed to send me to an ADD specialist though, and turned out I have a very severe case of ADHD.
I'm glad I can educate the medical profession.
Sigh!

Wow -- that's lousy (not to mention ignorant). At least he told you, rather than trying to convince you that you don't have it. Time for aother new doctor -- hope you have better luck.

Scattered

I felt like my head was going to explode when he said that. He said that "everyone has jumped on the ADD bandwagon" and he does not think adults have it, only children. I could not believe it, still can't. There is only one other doctor in our town to go to. I will see him on the 13th. I guess he does think that Hallowell and Amen are wrong. Too bad these small town doctors get a God complex. I had to go to a different doctor that works in the same office as the old doctor. He told me that he did not "believe" there was such a thing as Adult ADD or ADHD. I was diagnosed three years ago. He wanted to know if I wanted to see another doctor and I said yes. I could not believe him. There are only a handful of doctors in my small town and they all think they are God.

It would be one thing for him to say that after a thorough evaluation, he did not believe that you had add. However, to state that he does not believe in a disorder which is listed clearly in the DSM-IV, a disorder which has been recognised in one form or another for decades, which has been successfully treated with medication since before WWII, that's not even ignorance, that's malpractice.

Hi there hyperoin,
i agree with you entirely on that. Really these docs whome are so lucky to be educated and able to help people in many ways and in another totally disregarding. Beggers belief and in my opinion ought to be struck off the practicioners register quicker than i can spit. A person in that position should not be alowed to bring in personal beliefs in to the work place , leave at home ! The next thing could be a doc refusing conterception to some one because of religious beliefs etc the list could go and on. I do feel for you dixi peep cause i also going through the same thing at moment where i live on a small island nine miles by seven. In fact if any one has had to send a lettter addressing this isue with med practicioners if any one has any good lines to put in and are willing to share them please it could be helpful cause i seem to always get quite tongue tied in situations like this. All the best with your personal war peeps keep up the preasure. love jess x

You might be interested in what some other doctors have to say on the subject. The full text can be gotten at:

http://russellbarkley.org/adhd-consensys.htm

Excerpt from the International Consensus Statement on ADHD January 2002



We, the undersigned consortium of international scientists, are deeply concerned about the periodic inaccurate portrayal of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in media reports. This is a disorder with which we are all very familiar and toward which many of us have dedicated scientific studies if not entire careers.We fear that inaccurate stories rendering ADHD as myth, fraud, or benign condition may cause thousands of sufferers not to seek treatment for their disorder. It also leaves the public with a general sense that this disorder is not valid or real or consists of a rather trivial affliction.

We have created this consensus statement on ADHD as a reference on the status of the scientific findings concerning this disorder, its validity, and its adverse impact on the lives of those diagnosed with the disorder as of this writing (January 2002). Occasional coverage of the disorder casts the story in the form of a sporting event with evenly matched competitors. The views of a handful of nonexpert doctors that ADHD does not exist are contrasted against mainstream scientific views that it does, as if both views had equal merit. Such attempts at balance give the public the impression that there is substantial scientific disagreement over whether ADHD is a real medical condition. In fact, there is no such disagreement—at least no more so than there is over whether smoking causes cancer, for example, or whether a virus causes HIV/AIDS. The U.S. Surgeon General, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, all recognize ADHD as a valid disorder. Although some of these organizations have issued guidelines for evaluation and management of the disorder for their membership, this is the first consensus statement issued by an independent consortium of leading scientists concerning the status of the disorder. Among scientists who have devoted years, if not entire careers, to the study of this disorder there is no controversy regarding its existence. (emphasis added - mine)
Hope this is helpful! Scattered

manny thanks scattered But i afraid that you baptism is now being held...........wait for the water. there good girl you new name is STAR xxxxxxxx thank you xx jess

Thank you scattered.

You read my mind.

thanks for all of your posts. I am supposed to see another doctor on the 13th. He treats children with ADHD and at least he believes children have it. I am without meds now and it is hard to keep my mind on what I am doing. I work full time and have to get 3 children under six to get ready for school every morning and then a 40 minute commute to day-care, school, and then work. I am taking a new depression drug called Cymbalta. I started it this week. So far I can't tell if it is helping since I ran out of Adderal at the same time. You know I started to tell that doctor that I can even type better and faster when I take Adderall. It works.

If It was me I would have gotten up, walked out, and not paid my copay.
I don't pay to be insulted.

Better yet: Say

"I don't believe in paying for medical care."

...

"Does that change anything?"

....

"So does your belief change what every non-quack accepts as reality?"

:soapbox::D

If It was me I would have gotten up, walked out, and not paid my copay.
I don't pay to be insulted.

Better yet: Say

"I don't believe in paying for medical care."

...

"Does that change anything?"

....

"So does your belief change what every non-quack accepts as reality?"

:soapbox::D
Aw -- come on guys -- tell me what you really feel -- don't hold back!:p

Scattered

I am without meds now and it is hard to keep my mind on what I am doing. I work full time and have to get 3 children under six to get ready for school every morning and then a 40 minute commute to day-care, school, and then work.


I feel for ya peeps!! That is NO SMALL TASK, and my heart really breaks for you. I have been there. I was told by the first psychiatrist I sought out, after getting a pretty-lengthy evaluation and ADHD diagnosis from a psychologist who specializes in ADHD, that he is more interested in my depression and that "people don't DIE from ADHD, but they CAN die from depression." Although his comment wasn't terrible, he DID make a point that all of the professionals that I have seen seem to believe: If a person has symptoms of depression AND says that they have ADHD - well, just never mind the ADHD. All the professionals I have seen (well, not positive about the med prescriber . . . ) believe that ADHD is a trivial matter if one shows signs of depression.

I had told the psychiatrist that I had been to therapy and been taking antidepressants, prozac mainly, for the longest time. STILL - the problems of x,y and z continue. I could tell by the response that HE felt that distractibility, lack of motivation (all those symptoms that ADHD and depression share) were all needing DEPRESSION treatment. It's weird to me!!

I WOULD ALMOST RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE NOT MENTION DEPRESSION AT ALL WHEN SEEKING ADHD TREATMENT!

:o oops, sorry for the tangent.

Sue

Heya Dixie,

I called 17 psychiatrists- seventeen !!, before I found one that would see me, here in MD, last September-05. Most were older than the hills and were not accepting new patients, and out of the 16, I had 3 flat out tell me that they did not believe 'in ADHD'.

I actually talked to one for a few minutes and asked him if he thought if it was in my mind, or if I ate too much sugar...just for 'myth's sakes'..and he refused to answer and became so aggitated but told me that he knew for a fact that 'no other psychiatrist in the area believes in ADHD, either'.

I got depressed for a few days..until I thought about what a fossil he was (he had to be at least 90) and tried again looking in the phone book under every single psychiatrist in all the areas around Maryland. I'm not joking. I knew there had to be a way. I don't believe in futility.

I found one office that had a psychiatrist that worked one day a week with them. One day a week only. I called and told him my info, and he accepted me as his patient with no problem.

He is younger- 45 years old. I don't know if that makes a the difference to some people but it does to me. He's more open to new options. He's not stagnant in the 'old beliefs and systems'.
Plus, he has ADD, also.

He has his own office, in another nearby county, and has since left the other office, permanently. My first appointment is this upcoming Friday.

He is the best psychiatrist/md I have ever had. He's helped me in more ways than I can tell you- not just with ADHD, but with other serious medical factors that I have going on.

The best part, also, is that in his having ADD, is that he's compassionate..when I'm late for the appointment- and gods knows I try my derriere off to not be, but there are times when traffic absolutely bites around here, and I can't make it on time- he just comes out and looks at me and laughs, when I come in all red faced and flustered..and he says 'Hey...it happens. I took the next appointment. And I'll take you in after them. No biggie, K ?'

So if you're going to go to a psychiatrist/md-having a Doc that believes in ADHD is highly crucial.
He doesn't have to have it himself..but he does have to believe it does exist.



Nova

Hey, I'm very happy for you Nova! Persistence pays off, eh?!:) My husband and I are talking about moving back east to be nearer our parents and some schools he's looking into and the only real hesitation I have is that I don't want to leave my doctor and psychologist. My psychologist especially is really terrific, amazingly patient and has a good sense of humor. He also wasn't thrown off the trail of ADD for a moment by the fact that I had been successful in school and my career. I sent a friend to him who thought she might ADD and he ruled ADD out for her in the first session, so it's not like he thinks everyone is. I've been spoiled and I don't want to ever see someone who's prejudiced or ignorant about ADD or who doesn't know more than (or at the very minimum as much) about ADD as I do. I'm only seeing him once a month now after going to see him twice a month for the past year, but knowing he's there is things hit the wall for me is really reassuring. The difference in my life, affect, and outlook is just so much different than a year ago. The right therapist makes such a difference. So for those of you still looking for Dr. Right -- don't give up -- you're worth it!


Scattered

Yep. Mine is highly flexible in his applications, too, Scattered.
And that's why I like him also.

The fact that I have to be on other meds for my TLE, and couldn't be on Adderall initially, at his suggestion (even though we've discussed my going back on it soon) tells me that he is flexible, AND looking out for my best interest at the same time.

What's TLE?

Congrats, Nova!

That's so ridiculous when someone says they "don't believe in ADD>" I mean, geez! It's not like it's a religious cult we're asking them to join.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
I posted information on it on here previously.
You can also google it, too Scatt.

Nova

re: #15, second last sentence...

The sad thing is, ADHD is almost always diagnosed in women as "Depression" and "Anxiety".

I believe the Underachievement induces something that, clinically, looks like "Depression".

The "Anxiety"-looking feelings emerge during stress-provoking situations caused by our inability to perform/handle things/ST memory retrieval problems -- that's how it looks: like a mood disorder, or anxiety disorder.)

Treat the ADHD symptoms, and much of it gets better.


It is still hard though. We still have to live with the failures of the past. eg. at age 35, I have not acheived all that I should have for my intellectual abilities. Every day, I see peers much much dumber than myself who are acheiveing much more than myself.

And that is so very difficult to live with at times... the sense of loss.

Nova, you are living proof that you have to be proactive when it comes to these matters. If you have something intractible like ADHD or bipolar, the MD's tend to give up on you right away and you all-too-often find yourself not listend to , and you get the "take this pill" response instead of a patient-doctor dialogue, or even worse, you get an outright denial that your condition is real....

When this happens, good medical care has left town and it becomes a good idea to seek care that is more appropriate to your needs.

Getting away from an MD who felt that a formal diagnosis was unimportant, and to a psychologist for diagnosis, and then to a psychiatrist for appropriate treatment has been the best move I have made... but getting to that point was not trivial, nor speedy.

Time and time again , I read about people who have to struggle to overcome the inertia of the medical system in order to even approach anything remotely resembling appropriate care for their condition, and that fact boggles me.

It is a jungle out there folks, if your medical care is working for you, stick with it, if not, you need to review it and ask yourself "why", or you could be in for a lot of pointless suffering. In any case, don't let the system make a victim of you, so be your own advocate, get diagnosed, and get treated.

ME :D

Emma;

I'm learning that ADHD and anxiety are often (always?) intergral.
I can understand how so many women end up treated for something other than ADHD... particularly those who are primarilly inattentive. It can be tough to spot.

I think it makes it even more important to act proactively in seeking appropriate care.

Me :D


re: #15, second last sentence...

The sad thing is, ADHD is almost always diagnosed in women as "Depression" and "Anxiety".

I believe the Underachievement induces something that, clinically, looks like "Depression".

The "Anxiety"-looking feelings emerge during stress-provoking situations caused by our inability to perform/handle things/ST memory retrieval problems -- that's how it looks: like a mood disorder, or anxiety disorder.)

Treat the ADHD symptoms, and much of it gets better.


It is still hard though. We still have to live with the failures of the past. eg. at age 35, I have not acheived all that I should have for my intellectual abilities. Every day, I see peers much much dumber than myself who are acheiveing much more than myself.

And that is so very difficult to live with at times... the sense of loss.

Ditto for you too, Speedo!
I'm proud of your proactive-ness in your situation too !!


Nova

re: #15, second last sentence...

The sad thing is, ADHD is almost always diagnosed in women as "Depression" and "Anxiety".

I believe the Underachievement induces something that, clinically, looks like "Depression".

The "Anxiety"-looking feelings emerge during stress-provoking situations caused by our inability to perform/handle things/ST memory retrieval problems -- that's how it looks: like a mood disorder, or anxiety disorder.)

Treat the ADHD symptoms, and much of it gets better.


It is still hard though. We still have to live with the failures of the past. eg. at age 35, I have not acheived all that I should have for my intellectual abilities. Every day, I see peers much much dumber than myself who are acheiveing much more than myself.

And that is so very difficult to live with at times... the sense of loss.
So true. So true. I spent the last 4 days crying over the loss of yet ANOTHER great relationship with a guy AND having to leave a job due to the ADD.

I was always diagnosed with anxiety disorders and depression too, before the official ADD dx. :mad: Like you, I was also 35.

I get "anxious" when the slowly moving _ _ _ _munch in front of me in the checkout line doesn't stfu and get out of the way.:)

Just an observation I'd like to share.

I go see another doctor this morning. I hope he does not act like he is God. I will lose it.

dixie,

Hang tough.

My late dad was a psychiatrist.

One of my uncles was an eye surgeon, and my paternal grandfather, whom I never met , was a "horse & buggy" country doctor in Georgia.

Having been around docs all my life, including my professional life, I can say that there are a great many who can come across that way.

However, there are many more whom seem to be real "down to earth."

I think (imo) it's more of a personality problem than anything else.

The most important thing for an ADHD indivdual to do,imo, is to learn as much as possible about it, so that you can "hold your own" with anyone you talk to.

The Forum is a great place to get that type of information, and/or the references.:)

Hi there Mc Tavish,
i know your probably right on that. A problem that i have come accross is that some of these british docs etc psychs etc have a real issue with any thing american . I tell you its unbelievable and i must say its embarressing to be british at times but they really do have a hang up do you know a good place to get any refs etc from uk etc cause its like batting your head against a brick wall. ?? thanks jess

I went to another doc and he thinks it is all anxiety and put me on Buspar. The first dose made me sleepy and not give a kick about anything. Go ahead and laugh but should I be worried?

Tell the doctor that if he had to live with untreated ADD he would have anxiety too. Research indicates that most often the ADD comes first, and that it causes the Anxiety. Rather than the other way around.

No, Buspar should generally make you sleepy and sedated and not care about anything. It might help you with your anxiety, but it could also make some of the add problems worse, especially with regards to memory and motivation. In addition, anxiety drugs actually have more serious addiction issues than add drugs do.

I'm not a doctor, and I'm not going to second-guess yours. Try the medication, see if it helps. If it does, good, if it doesn't, talk to your doctor. He should, at the very least, be willing to listen to you if his prescription isn't helping.

re: #15, second last sentence...

The sad thing is, ADHD is almost always diagnosed in women as "Depression" and "Anxiety".

I believe the Underachievement induces something that, clinically, looks like "Depression".

The "Anxiety"-looking feelings emerge during stress-provoking situations caused by our inability to perform/handle things/ST memory retrieval problems -- that's how it looks: like a mood disorder, or anxiety disorder.)

Treat the ADHD symptoms, and much of it gets better.


It is still hard though. We still have to live with the failures of the past. eg. at age 35, I have not acheived all that I should have for my intellectual abilities. Every day, I see peers much much dumber than myself who are acheiveing much more than myself.

And that is so very difficult to live with at times... the sense of loss.
That's exactly right. I am certain more "conventional" accomplishments would brighten my mood substantially!

Buspar is still making me feel like I could slip off the edge of the earth. mOTIVATION IS zero and I have a lot of aches and pains like when I have the flu. I slept well last night but I could sleep longer but I have to go to work. I just want to flop down on my couch when I get home but I have three children to take care of..Sorry to be so grumpy. I wonder if I should keep taking this med. It is almost impossible to contact the doctor before my next appointment. He also wants to do some Psychological testing to reveal a possible learning disorder. He asked me if I was a good speller. I was. My problem was math and daydreaming. Would a CAT scan show ADHD or ADD?

Can you be a good speller and good handwriting and have ADD?

[I did not mean to be so mean about doctors. There are some good ones like in your family but it seems to be few and far between these days. I would love to have met the country doctor you described. I live in Georgia..lol:)
QUOTE=mctavish23]dixie,

Hang tough.

My late dad was a psychiatrist.

One of my uncles was an eye surgeon, and my paternal grandfather, whom I never met , was a "horse & buggy" country doctor in Georgia.

Having been around docs all my life, including my professional life, I can say that there are a great many who can come across that way.

However, there are many more whom seem to be real "down to earth."

I think (imo) it's more of a personality problem than anything else.

The most important thing for an ADHD indivdual to do,imo, is to learn as much as possible about it, so that you can "hold your own" with anyone you talk to.

The Forum is a great place to get that type of information, and/or the references.:)[/QUOTE]

I was diagnosed with anxiety 15 years before I got my ADHD diagnosis. The very first dose of my ADHD medication -- I felt this tremendous knot of anxiety in my stomach release. If the buspar doesn't work, get back with your doctor. Is it possible to see a psychologist well versed in ADHD? They can sometimes make a diagnosis and recommend a trial of medication to your regular doctor -- that's the route I went.

Good luck!
Scattered

Boys and girls,

We need to put this thread to rest.

Any "doctor" that does not believe ADHD is a real debilating disorder is an ....

*** HOLE
*** HOLE
*** HOLE
*** HOLE

Do you know what the triple assterisk means?

Good.

Any doctor ... is an

*** HOLE

Get it?

Good.

Bob

Can you be a good speller and good handwriting and have ADD?
I'm generally a good speller and have good handwriting when I try. I have ADHD combined type.

Can you be a good speller and good handwriting and have ADD?
I've always been a good speller, except when my stress levels are too high. My handwriting starts out very nice but after the first paragraph or so my thoughts are going faster than my hand can go and my handwriting gets very sloppy as I try to keep up. I'm good at basic math but awful at advanced math (like algebra or geometry).

My granddaughter in 2nd grade reads like a 4th or 5th grader. Her handwriting is good when she takes her time with spelling words, but when she's writing an essay it gets quite sloppy. When she's practicing her addition and subtraction she has no problems at all, but when she has to rush in doing the weekly timed test she gets flustered and confused and gets stuck.

I've read somewhere that depression can cause add-like symptoms in some people, but from what I am seeing on the forum, far too many people are getting treated for everything BUT adhd, and eventually discover that they really needed to be treated for ADHD in the first place.

In all fairness, I think that the problem that doctors face is the knowledge that depression is the most common problem, and ADHD is much less common. So the first thing they take a shot at when forced to "guess" is depression. I hate to say it folks, but the doc has to guess occasionally, and is sometimes wrong.


ME :D




I feel for ya peeps!! That is NO SMALL TASK, and my heart really breaks for you. I have been there. I was told by the first psychiatrist I sought out, after getting a pretty-lengthy evaluation and ADHD diagnosis from a psychologist who specializes in ADHD, that he is more interested in my depression and that "people don't DIE from ADHD, but they CAN die from depression." Although his comment wasn't terrible, he DID make a point that all of the professionals that I have seen seem to believe: If a person has symptoms of depression AND says that they have ADHD - well, just never mind the ADHD. All the professionals I have seen (well, not positive about the med prescriber . . . ) believe that ADHD is a trivial matter if one shows signs of depression.

I had told the psychiatrist that I had been to therapy and been taking antidepressants, prozac mainly, for the longest time. STILL - the problems of x,y and z continue. I could tell by the response that HE felt that distractibility, lack of motivation (all those symptoms that ADHD and depression share) were all needing DEPRESSION treatment. It's weird to me!!

I WOULD ALMOST RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE NOT MENTION DEPRESSION AT ALL WHEN SEEKING ADHD TREATMENT!

:o oops, sorry for the tangent.

Sue

yes i totally agree i have been treated for depression since the age of 19, i'm now 32 and now have been diagnosed as adhd, i came off the depression tablets 18 months ago and haven't looked back, my partner has been a tower of strength to me and helped and supported and even told me to calm down in the supermarkets lol i still have trouble in my daily life and have the odd down day's but i keep battleing, i wasn't going to let depression get the better of me and i'm certainly not going to let adhd get the better of me, i just wished they looked into this yrs ago even back in school. but hey that's life isn't it!!

Dixie, my spelling and handwriting are both great. I'm an English teacher. I'm also adhd and dyscalculiac. :) How's the buspar going?