Okay..

I'm 22, I live in ontario canada. Long story short, I'm positive I have ADD/ADHD. I've had many years to sit on this, try to sort it out, work it out, fix it, change, change what i want todo but can't, etc.. I'm trying to make this thread as simple as possible, somethign that is hard for me to do. I'm constantly over explaining and just elaborating in such massive detail when it could just be summarized much more clearly and simpler. So anyways, i'm convinced i have add. i've never been so sure of anything in my life

i went to a psychologist, first session was $125. I told him in great detail everything,did the 6 page questionaire. He said he will need to see my grade school records. so i signed a release of information paper and then he said he'd fax it to them.

he said he'd call me back in for a 2nd visit after he's got my school records for grade school. because i told him that my report cards always said i could do better, i need to pay attention, i have potential, im easily distracted, the usual add comments.


so my impression was he wants to review the school data + what i told him/what he gathered from me first session, then call me back and either make me go through one more ssession, or just tell me right there what his assessment is

i guess

im hoping for next session = he tells me i have add, cause i already know.. i already know i do, i just need a "qualified" person to say it. i know what i feel, i know myself, i am finally getting clarity now in my life and understanding why i have been the way i have, no matter how hard i try to change it or want to do differently...... i even begin to at times, but fall apart very quickly or can't sustain my attention for long enough. wander off and not konw it. waste an hour and not know it. there i go again just overly explaining everything. anyways, getting back

so i went to go see my GP because in-the-mean-time im dying over here. this stuff is affecting my everyday life, work.. . it's a very seroius situation. i need help now. i need something now, because i'm that sure, but i cant just say that. i cant say give me adderall or concerta. i have to let them do their job, and i accept that.. it's just, in the mean time im dying over here. it's like i need someone to actually break into my home and hold a gun to my head

so i thought maybe i could explain my situation, explained im already awaiting word back from my psychologist for a 2nd visit..

i thought maybe i could explain this is a very desperate, serious situation. impending doom. can you please just give me SOMETHING in the mean time, on a TRIAL or LIMITED BASIS??????

but nope, he didn't wanna do **** for me.... and i can't be mad at him for that, but it was just so disappointing because i felt like.... i just wasted 3.4 hours in his waiting room (gp's), for him to do nothing for me. i knew he wouldnt...... but i thought i would give it a shot

i just felt like, what am i gonna do when i get home... its gonna be the same thing as yesterday, and my whole life. no matter how much i want to change it....it was just disappointing

[b]he was sayin some **** about how i should be going to a psychiatrist and that a psychologist can't prescribe me anything. only a psychiatrist can. but i was given the impression from my psychologist that if he diagnosed me, he'd give me some kind of paper or report stating that, then i take that and go to my GP and he prescribes me medication..??????

but here is my GP saying i shouldnt be seeing a psychologist and that i need a psychiatrist

so that made me think, if i keep going with this psychologist i'm seeing, he's going to write some report saying i have add. then im goign to take that to my GP and my GP is going to laugh and say "I don't accept this and cannot prescribe you anything based off what a psychologist is saying. See a psychiatrist."

thats what impression i wsa given when my GP said that


so now im going to ask my psychologist to explain what is going to happen. if you diagnose me, are you able to prescribe?? or do you have to forward me to somebody who can prescribe.. if so, will they prescribe right away first visit, or will they make me sit down with THEM for multiple "sessions" or "visits" as well? If so, why did i bother seeing you then? I may as well just went with the person who you'd end up forwarding me to

and ask him if my doctor is just cooky and if i should just get a new doctor.

either way, its just so confusing for me right now. i so desperately need this drug right now

it is my understanding that if i have add, then that means there is a chemical imbalance in my frontal lobe region.. i lack dopamine. if i lack dopamine, the drug increases the concentration of dopamine in the frontal lobe region which is responsible or associated with things like motivation etc

i mean if you have add you have add. the only thing you can do is treat or not treat.

im saying, i urgently need to be treated. it makes me so mad to think that IF I WOULD HAVE JUST did all this 6 months ago, i wouldnt feel like i need treatment right now..

I just wish i could find a psychiatrist that would see me like

monday
tues
wednesday
thurs
friday

and by monday diagnose me and prescribe me

i wish i could find someone who would take me like 7 days in a row, so i can end this nightmare

but no, i cant. they lump me in the general queue. they have other patients, so if they're booked next week, i have to wait 2 weeks. its just so awful. my life is about to get really ****ed up because of this ****, and i cant fix it. because this 'process of diagnosis' is taking forever. its going to be at least 4 weeks before i get someone to say to me 'yes you have add' or 'no you dont'

i already know i do, but i need it to be official, so i can get prescription and start treatment

so im going to ask the psychologist what are the exact steps taht are going to happen for treatment... cause if he forwards me to my GP, my GP is not going to accept anything because its from a psychologist

so maybe the psychologist will say get a new gp

who knows
i just need treatment
its killing me
already im just going on and on and on and i dont even realize it

anyways, i just wish i could expedite this process. thats all. its just really frustrating. i wish i could find a psychiatrist that was available immediately or OFTEN or something, that way i could find out a diagnosis really quickly instead of sitting here and painfully having to wait for WHAT YOU KNOW IS THE ANSWER ALREADY AND WHAT YOU KNOW WILL FIX YOU

i mean thats just the fact, im sorry
if u lack this chemical in your brain
you need the drug so you dont lack it

or you can just choose not to do anything about it, which is fine for some, but not for me. i cant keep living like this

Great.... I'm now reading about

http://www.ottawa-psychologists.com/faq1.htm

Psychiatrists can prescribe medication, while in Ontario, Psychologists cannot.

See I should have just read about this **** before even posting this thread. It's like I do first and then think later

So it looks like FOR SURE, my psychologist cannot prescribe me anything. All he can do is diagnose me, which is great, but how will i get treated? If my psychologist says you have add, does he just write up some kind of report saying i have add, and then hands me the report?? What do i do with it then? Go to a GP and the GP prescribes me something?? Or do i have to take that report to a PSYCHIATRIST and then will the psychiatrist prescribe me ONSPOT, or will i have to sit there and visit the psychiatrist for another 3-4 weeks......

like, i dont want to be seeing a psychologist at all, if i was suppose to go to a psychiatrist to begin with

but i dont mind going to the psychologist, if whatever he gives me, leads to immediate treatment. IMMEDIATE TREATMENT. I CAN'T WAIT ANY MORE. I CANT KEEP GETTING PUSHED IN THESE CIRCLES. go see a psychologist, then he forwards you to your gp, your gp laughs at you and says goto a psychiatrist, then you go to a psychiatrist, like damn

i just want this over with

so what should i do, should i stick with the psychologist? maybe if i take his report, and go to a different GP, that GP will take the psychologist seriously?? It was like my gp was totally writing off gp's like "No i wont write you a prescription if a psychologist tells me to"

i mean this guy is a legit psychologist, i saw his degrees on the wall lol and all that. anyway im just so confused. i hate how everyone is so booked

can a psychologist's recommendation or whatever be enough for someone qualified to prescribe me, to prescribe me? Or would i have to go back to step 1 with a psychiatrist, which in that case please tell me so i can stop seeing a psychologist

i know i just keep going and going but

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34094

based off that, it seems like i will get some kind of letter of recommendation type thing from the psychologist

and that if i find a decent GP, they will take that and prescribe me

Node I understand the tendency to want help now and I would ask the psychologist them self. I know some psychologist here in the states will have a professional access to MD's and physiatrist whom they work with. I am not familiar with the workings of the medical system in Canada, so I do not know if it works the same way up there or not.

I understand your waiting. I went to a place called "Alpha Behavioral Health" for "ADHD treatment". I paid for 2 visits, $20 each. The first visit was paperwork! The second visit was a PSYCHOLOGIST asking me what kind of help I need. There I found out that they only offer behavioral help. I feel that I need a combination of both medication and therapy. I regretted spending my $40 (I'm not insured by a company that helps with ADHD). So then I went to a school psychologist to maybe get some referrals to a psychiatrist. This on campus psychologist down-right accused me of wanting to get meds to sell and abuse. His sly word choices were enough for me to catch on. I was so insulted!

I have an appointment with a psychiatrist next week. Hopefully I'll get diagnosed the same day. I'm tired of this. I need help, also.

I've already been diagnosed with ADHD, and have a letter from a doctor confirming it. I could see a GP, but I'm afraid of rejection.

8 days until I see a person who can provide both medication based and therapy based treatment. I hope this goes by quickly.

I can hear how badly you want to be treated and start putting your energy into making your life better. And the treatment is just there, so close..

I know it may not be much, but being diagnosed isn't automatically the end of your pain. Yes being on medication will have a dramatic affect on your symptoms. But oddly enough, you will still find yourself struggling to manage the very things you struggle with today.

I hope you've made some progress since you first posted.

HI,
New to this forum and feel the same way as triton. I feel like meds will make it all easy. What kind of things will it not help with?

Your posts are long and I will need a while to come back and read them.

In the meantime, welcome to the board.

What Ontario City are you in or near?

And, are you in Post-Secondary?

But oddly enough, you will still find yourself struggling to manage the very things you struggle with today. And i would hope, make it easier to manage the things that you barely do right now. Thus freeing up more time and energy to concentrate on other things. Otherwise, what is the point if nothing changes?