I just returned from my first visit with a psychiatrist and left feeling conflicted.

The conversation kept steering from ADD and towards my workaholism, low self-esteem, overcommittment, and fear of displeasing others. All those are true, but I wanted to go in and talk through some of the other challenges I face:

-task skipping with no control
-2 foot piles of paper I cannot address
-inability to stick to an organizational system
-problems prioritizing
-sensitivity to touch
-problems reading in a focused manner
-forgetting what was said to me 20 seconds ago

I think I gave him more to work with because I talked about being a competent worker who keeps getting/finding more projects, about my organization's rapid growth under my leadership.

The focus of the meeting seemed to keep going back to me not trying to take on superhuman amounts of work. Agreed, but I think there was a lot more to talk about and I'm a bit let down.

I'm working so hard because I am afraid of the things I have forgotten. My self-esteem is out of whack from all the times I've been slammed for being unfocused or late. I guess I just think some of this goes together.

I left with a referral to an MSW to talk more, but I can't help but wonder if he had enough information about ADD to probe a bit deeper with me.

My insurance company does not say who has ADD/ADHD background, but I think I need to find an expert who can at least untangle this a bit.

Any advice is welcome. I'm a bit out of sorts.

THANKS!

My opinion is that as long as he talked with you about issues that really ARE issues, that even though they weren't what you wanted to talk about, I'd give him another chance or two.

After all, it was just one appointment, you can't possibly get through *everything* in one appointment, so give him some time to get to everything that he skipped before.

Maybe next time you can tell him straight out that you'd like to talk about those certain issues, and see if he lets you, or see if he has a reason for not letting you.

Thanks Diane. That is helpful. He referred me to a LCSW so we'll see. I need to be a bit more focused to tell them what I want to. I'll give it a shot or two. I do wonder if I need to be asking him some questions about ADD> I def. don't want a diagnosis for the sake of it, but I do want it to be on the table and to make sure there is a serious considertion.

Thanks again.

re: forgetting what was said 20 seconds before.

Sounds like you have an "auditory working memory" issue.

Have you had Testing?

If your intention is an assessment for ADHD, it is a waste of time to see any professional, regardless of insurance approval or not, who is not experienced and educated about adult ADHD. The psychiatrist I saw was very knowledgeable and comfortable about diagnosing Adult ADHD, but told me he only spent six months with children and did not feel confident about diagnosing childhood ADHD. My daughter saw a psychiatrist who told her if she had ADHD, she would have outgrown it by now as she was a young adult. I learned a valuable lesson about seeing just any psychiatrist. If you asked for any assessment for ADHD, the doctor should have discussed ADHD with you.

Sounds like you have an "auditory working memory" issue.

Have you had Testing?
Interesting. I've never heard of that, but will look into it. Thank you!

... a waste of time to see any professional, regardless of insurance approval or not, who is not experienced and educated about adult ADHD. ...I learned a valuable lesson about seeing just any psychiatrist. If you asked for any assessment for ADHD, the doctor should have discussed ADHD with you.
Your lesson here is instructive. I need to be more direct and clear about what I am looking for from the process and the doctors.

It sounds like your daughter's doctor really did her a disservice.

Thanks for the affirmation.

You are very welcome, DCadult. Another word of caution? Some doctor's staff may assure you of their boss' expertise where none exists simply because they don't know what you are talking about, either. I had an assistant strongly assure me that her orthopedic surgeon boss was quite capable of dealing with shoulder surgery; he wasn't and I wasted a year of my life waiting for the referral and appointments and treatments and then had to find a surgeon who did specialize in shoulders and was wonderful. Of course, the first, useless, referral still managed to collect three appointment fees, etc. from our provincial health plan before he told me he couldn't help me!

I hope I am making a good choice here, but after meeting 2x with the LCSW I'm ready to try something else. He has minimal experience with ADD and ADD diagnosis. I was clear that it really seems like all signs are pointing in the direction of an ADD diagnosis and that I think I need to work with someone who has that experience to help me get to yes or no.

He seemed to agree, but did not offer any sort of referral, so it makes me think he is not connected to folks who can/do perform testing etc.

Oddly, my insurance people have his office listed as one that does do ADD work, but it seems that is a general category.

I'm going to have to start over I think. Anyone have luck finding a specialist who takes their insurance on here or any other site?

Thanks,

DC