Hi, I'm new to the forums, although I have been lurking, for the past month or so. I'm 17 years old btw. I discovered ADD a couple of months ago and when I was reading into depression on Wikipedia, I think I clicked onto ADHD, read about it and the symptoms of ADHD (inattentive) described me perfectly. I took many online tests, which all said I had a very high chance of having ADD, so I read even more into it.

I highly suspected that I suffered from ADHD so I finally decided to see a Doctor about it. I live in the UK and from what I've heard, it is not diagnosed very often over here, so I decided to go against telling the Doctor that I believed I had ADD. instead, I decided to just describe the symptoms I was suffering from and I asked him if it might be related to ADD or depression.

He suggested I should see a psychiatrist and on Wednesday, I'm going to get my blood tested, to ensure I don't suffer from any physical impairments. He said he didn't want to rush into medication, without therapy, first. The reason I want to be diagnosed as quickly as possible, is because my grades are suffering greatly and I'm feeling severely depressed. I think about suicide on a regular basis and I have just come to terms with it and tried to ignore the suicidal thoughts, but I can no longer cope with it.

Basically, I don't think I can cope with this anymore. I was considering going to see a cancellor in college to see if I can get tested and diagnosed through that method. Instead of having to see a doctor repeatedly, then a psychiatrist and then a psychologist etc.


I'd like to know what the people on this forum think is the quickest way to get diagnosed and also, how everyone was diagnosed themselves.

Sorry if there doesn't seem to be much point to this thread. I needed to get some stuff off my chest and ask a few questions. I appreciate your time.

You doctor is doing it the right way.

Whatever you do, continue on. It sounds like you are on the right track for a diagnosis. Hang in there it will come soon enough. :)

My guess is they will first try to rule out physical causes for your symptoms, so this means blood tests, etc. Once they rule out things like thyroid problems and diabetes, they will possibly run some neuropsychological tests, then you can look for a diagnosis followed up with treatment. Most doctors will probably treat the depression first as depression can cause ADHD like symptoms, so it is a good first place to start. It may take a while to work therough the medications with your doctors but it is worth the effort to get it right.

Work with the doctors and I'm sure they will come up with something to help asap. :)

good luck
ME :D

Hey there,

Welcome to the forum! Please keep your psych appointment on Wednesday. Although it can be frustrating to wait for a diagnosis, you want it to be the right one. Blood tests can help rule out other things that may be going on leading to your inability to concentrate and feeling blue. For instance, blood tests can determine if you have hypothyroidism, which can mimic depression or hyperthyroidism, which can mimic anxiety and ADHD-like symptoms of hyperactivity.

Not sure what the process to diagnosis is in the UK, but for me in the States it was a rather long one. Throughout childhood, my parents were strict authoritarians and as much as I hate to admit it, the structure and discipline helped me - a lot.

When I went to the university, I struggled. I sought help from my university's academic counseling center often, which helped me reinstate structure and order into my academic and personal life.

In grad school, things took a turn for the worse. Living nearly 1000 miles from family, personal and academic responsibilities exceeded my abilities to deal with them effectively. I couldn't keep track of my finances, lost important items regularly, & was having a lot of difficulty with my coursework. Mind you, I've always been highly energetic, "scatterbrained", disorganized, forgetful, and a bit impulsive, but living truly on my own for the first time proved quite the challenge.

First I went to academic counseling, and they referred me to psychologic counseling. A week later, the psychologist told me to see the psychiatrist. Two weeks later, the psychiatrist told me that I fit the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD- Combined Type. She gave me a Rx, which has made all the difference. Things are still tough & I still relied on academic counseling for ways to improve my studying/personal organization.

The key thing to remember, though, is that everyone is different. It's great that you have a psychiatrist appointment on Wednesday. You'll likely obtain a Diagnosis much faster. Just remember to be honest with your doctor. There may be other health concerns to address before ADHD.

Best of Luck in getting things sorted out! Hang in there, though, because it does get better.
:)

Thank you very much. I appreciate the responses so far. I'm going to stick with my appointment on Wednesday :)

Testing. Psychiatrist don't usually do it.

It may be obvious based on how you talk, i.e. non-stop or tangential or spaced out even.

Hey dark kirby,

I'm also quite new to this forum, and from the UK. I'm 26 and going through the process of getting diagnosed myself.

Like others have said, your doc is going the right route for a diagnosis. While it may be worth going to see the counsellors in college (they may be able to help with college re: your grades), they won't be able to diagnose you as only psychiatrists/medical doctors can do that.

I had my psych appointment last week. It was actually the second appointment I've had for this as my first one got me a referral 2 years ago which never materialised. I'd recommend making a list of symptoms to bring up with the psychiatrist, or maybe print off a list of ADHD symptoms and mark which ones you identify with as well as adding any extra ones not on the list that you experience, to give him/her the full picture. Sometimes it can be hard to remember all the reasons why you think you might have it when you're in the apt so this way you won't have to worry about forgetting anything.

Also, don't be afraid to push for a screening if you really believe you need it and the person doing the evaluation doesn't seem so sure. The first psych assessment I had was done by a careworker, not a psychiatrist (as is sometimes the case). When I mentioned ADHD, she said "well, I dont think so. You're in your 20s, you would have been diagnosed by now". (!) To which I replied, "well, not necessarily. I've done a lot of research and apparently a lot of girls get missed in school because they tend to be more inattentive than hyperactive". THEN she admitted she didn't actually know much about ADHD and agreed to give me a referral. :faint:

On the flipside, the evaluation I had last week was by a psychiatrist who listened to my symptoms and agreed that I do have strong ADHD traits and has put me forward for screening by a specialist (which I really hope will happen soon!!!).

It might be an idea to bring a bottle of water with you too, as you have to do quite a bit of talking durng the evaluation!!!

I hope that sort of answered your questions (although I feel liek I've gone off on a tangent here). If you've got any questions about the evaluation, I'd be happy to answer them.

S

Hi there I'm going through getting a diagnosis as well. There are no NHS diagnosing centres in Scotland and my GP didn't exactly bend over backwards for me initially.

After 10 months of I've finally got an assessment date at the LANCS place down in Surrey. This was actually quite quick once I decided to get out my wallet. Its amazing how much faster things happen when you flash wads of used tenners in front of suits.

Its going to cost me nearly £1000 once I factor in flights and accommodation but it will be worth it to know one way or the other. Once the diagnosis happens my GP hopes to get the treatment funded by the NHS.

In Scotland this is the only way for an Adult to get diagnosed.

The real issue is getting the GP to actually do something...GP's are the gatekeepers to all medical services, NHS or otherwise.

kilt

Thanks for all the advice everyone. It's nice to know there are people who care. I'm feeling a bit dissapointed at the moment. I went to get my blood tested and then I was asked to phone back sometime next week to discuss the results of my blood test and that's it. No speaking to the Doctor, no therapy appointment. I also saw on my electronic medical file that the Doctor had put down 'Depression, although no tears' which somehow annoyed me. I feel like if I want to be treated for my depression I have to come into his office in tears. Bleh.

Anyway, I feel kind of lost and depressed at the moment. I don't have anyone to talk about this, except for my girlfriend. I don't really speak to my mother much and I don't like to burden people with my problems so, this online forum is the only place where I can vent my frustration. I've decided to phone up the college cancellor and discuss the whole situation, hopefully I'll be seeing her sometime this week, because I feel kind of hopeless at the moment.

hi Dark

In the UK Adult ADHD is almost unknown so its gooing to be a hard slog for you. The blood tests are to check for thyroid I think (there are others who could confirm this). Thyroid imbalances can be easily treated so the GP is just checking that first....perfectly normal.

If that comes back negative then the work begins. Your GP acts as a gatekeeper to all the other services. It is important that he doesn't just reach for the easiest catch all diagnosis (usually depression). To avoid that you have to get into the driving seat and research the issues, making sure that you get someone else you trust to validate your self assessments.

Put yourself in the GP's shoes, he has people stacking up in the waiting room, time is short, he has to get up to speed with your case, find out what this appointment's about assess you, decide the next step, tell you, organise the next step and write up your notes all in the space of 10-15 minutes.

Its a production line so it's hardly surprising that something as unknown and complex as Adult ADHD isn't taken up...he doesn't know about it. He's just bought himself a bit of time in taking the bloods. If you're lucky he'll do a bit of research and when you phone back for the blood results you'll get a new appointment and he'll know a bit more about ADHD and things can move forward.

Basically he can't diagnose Adult ADHD so the object of the appointment is to get him to refer you to someone who can. He won't have that information so take it with you, makes his life easier.

kilt

DK, first off, you're taking the right course of action. Second, if you're very worried about your academic performance you might be able to delay your exams, even your finals, until you've got your problem sorted out. Since you've been labeled with depression by a GP that alone might be enough. Most universities have policies about accommodating those with "disabilities." If you're not able to to postpone, or your marks are miserable and you are facing being booted out of school, most universities have an appeals procedure that can let you address that.

Good for you for trying to understand the true basis of your "depression" and "anxieties." I went through hell for five years knowing that sometime, somehow the whole house of cards was going to fall and the "fraud" of my "intelligence" would be exposed. I still have nightmares about missing essays, exams, or being faced with papers where I've totally studied the wrong information.

DK,

What gogogo says is true, your uni or college should be able to accomodate you where your exams are concerned. I was in a really bad way by the end of my 3rd year at uni, so I was able to claim "extenuating circumstances". My counsellor wrote a letter to the uni to advise that I had been suffering from depression and he recommended that my workload be reduced. The upshot was I was allowed to drop some classes and pick them up the following year (after I took a semester off to chill out) and resit any exams/coursework necessary withouth being penalized (i.e. just keep going with my classes, fail them then retake them the next year with a capped mark). Every college has a different process but it really is worth checking it out, your college counsellor should be able to help you there.

Where abouts in the UK are you?

Sx

Hey again. Thanks a lot for all the advice, everyone. I'm living in North Wales, so I'm afraid that everything here is going to be a bit primitive in comparison to more urban areas. Maybe this is not the case, as there are a few large cities near me. I am going to get the blood results tomorrow and discuss them with the doctor. I also attempted to get in touch with the college cancellor but she wasn't in the first time I phoned and when I phoned again she was busy and they recommended I called back later. this made me feel quite upset, as I felt like I was hassling people, which in turn made me guilty and then I started self loathing.

I'm going to attempt to book an appointment today and hopefully explain my situation. I feel as if I have hit a brick wall. It took so much energy and confidence to get in touch with a Doctor, I've tried to get in touch with the cancellor and I feel like i'm getting nowhere and I'm going to be stuck feeling like this forever :( Anyway, enough of the self-pitying *slaps self*. I'll report back later today.

It doesn't sound as if your college counselling service has a great setup there. Do they have an office you can drop into to make an appointment, rather than phoning? You might find that easier?

I know what you mean, it is so easy to feel discouraged when you come up against things like this but remember that your doc and counselling service are there to serve YOU, so don't be afraid of "hassling" them to get what you need. In particular with the counselling service, you're only asking for an appointment, which is the very least they could do for you, so don't feel bad about trying to get one! :)

Keep going, when things finally start happening it will feel so worth it.

Sx

Hi Dark Kirby,

I think you are doing all the right things too. Don't be discouraged by the slow pace. I am in the USA, so only have my country to base things on, but if you were to google Crisis center, are there any near you? Often here in the states, a person who has suicidal thoughts can go to an Emergency room, and be admitted to a Psychiatric unit where they are then tested and diagnosed. If things do not start moving forward for you, then this is the route I would take. I certainly hope that the UK healthcare system is enough like the USA's, that this could be an option for you.

Best of luck.

It doesn't sound as if your college counselling service has a great setup there. Do they have an office you can drop into to make an appointment, rather than phoning? You might find that easier?

Keep going, when things finally start happening it will feel so worth it.

Sx
Thank you very much for that. It made me feel much less guilty. Also, the councelling service is meant to be pretty good, from what I've heard. I could have gone to the desk to make an appointment, but I was kind of too embarrassed to do that. I phoned today and I managed to get an appointment booked for 2 weeks today :mad: it's better than nothing, I suppose and I also have a week off college next week, which should help me think things through a bit.

Hi Dark Kirby,

I think you are doing all the right things too. Don't be discouraged by the slow pace. I am in the USA, so only have my country to base things on, but if you were to google Crisis center, are there any near you? Often here in the states, a person who has suicidal thoughts can go to an Emergency room, and be admitted to a Psychiatric unit where they are then tested and diagnosed. If things do not start moving forward for you, then this is the route I would take. I certainly hope that the UK healthcare system is enough like the USA's, that this could be an option for you.

Best of luck.
Thank you very much for that advice :) I don't think there is anything similar in the UK, unfortunately :( although there are many phone lines I could call. I think about suicide very often but I tend to just ignore it. I didn't mention that I have suicidal thoughts to the Doctor...because it was kind of awkward. I just said that I felt depressed most of the time. I'm going to write a list of the symptoms and give them to him.

Unfortunately, the soonest I can see my Doctor is Friday, but on the plus side, my blood results were fine, I think.

Thank you very much for that. It made me feel much less guilty. Also, the councelling service is meant to be pretty good, from what I've heard. I could have gone to the desk to make an appointment, but I was kind of too embarrassed to do that. I phoned today and I managed to get an appointment booked for 2 weeks today :mad: it's better than nothing, I suppose and I also have a week off college next week, which should help me think things through a bit.

Glad you managed to get an apt. Good luck with it, keep us posted on your progress!


Thank you very much for that advice :) I don't think there is anything similar in the UK, unfortunately :( although there are many phone lines I could call. I think about suicide very often but I tend to just ignore it. I didn't mention that I have suicidal thoughts to the Doctor...because it was kind of awkward. I just said that I felt depressed most of the time. I'm going to write a list of the symptoms and give them to him.

Unfortunately, the soonest I can see my Doctor is Friday, but on the plus side, my blood results were fine, I think.

I'm not sure if you were referring to Crisis centres or being able to go to the ER if you're having suicidal thoughts but, as far as I am aware, in the UK you can go to any A&E to get help; however, I really would recommend telling your doctor when you seem him that you are having these thoughts. A fact like this can change the severity in their rating of your symptoms and will get you the help you need much faster.

Glad you managed to get an apt. Good luck with it, keep us posted on your progress!



I'm not sure if you were referring to Crisis centres or being able to go to the ER if you're having suicidal thoughts but, as far as I am aware, in the UK you can go to any A&E to get help; however, I really would recommend telling your doctor when you seem him that you are having these thoughts. A fact like this can change the severity in their rating of your symptoms and will get you the help you need much faster.Thanks http://addforums.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif I went to see a Doctor yesterday. Different person to the guy I saw last time. He communicated with me a lot more. My blood is fine, apparently. I gave him a sheet describing my ADD/Bipolar like symptoms. He read over it. He is not sure what to think so in the meantime he has put me on anti-depressants (Amitriptyline) and he wants me to come back and see him in a week. Hopefully then, I will get therapy/councelling from a psychiatrist and I will be able to attempt to ge tested for ADD/Bipolar.

What sucks is, my body hasn't taken kindly to the meds. My mouth is dry and my heart speeds up a lot. It's kind of annoying. Oh well.

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. It's also a pretty good med for adhd, since it improves attention. It is not unusual for it to be given for ADHD. I don't know how long it takes for it to start working.

ME :D

Yes... I would tend to think that Desipramine would be optimal though (unless of course one has anxiety also). Amitriptyline, while it does help in the beginning, is probably a better sleeping pill than an ADHD treatment. In my opinion, it is significantly biased towards norepinephrine over serotonin from personal experience (though results from studies are not consistent, ranging from 6:1 to 1.6:1), though one also has to combat the histamine antagonism (which unlike some NRI's that act on histamine, the sedative effect increases with increased doses throughout the therapeutic range, so it's always a battle of one effect vs. another).

Desipramine has very little impact on histamine and serotonin, and has a very high binding potential for norepinephrine reuptake pumps.

Of course, in this situation, amitriptyline may be more appropriate considering the broader picture of other coexisting conditions.

Thanks guys http://addforums.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif I'm not noticing much at the moment, although I am sleeping a lot more, which is the last thing I need http://addforums.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif.

Did you only start them yesterday? Most antidepressants need to buld up in your system so it will probably take a couple of weeks before you see the difference. I'm not too familiar with the particular medication you're on but is feeling sleepy one of the side effects? If so, hopefully that will wear off when your body gets used to the meds. If not, your doc shold be able to help when you go back to see him.

Hey everyone. Quite a bit has happened in terms of me getting closer to being diagnosed. I disliked the side effects of the Amitriptyline, so my Doctor has put me on Citalopram, which I much prefer and apparently is better for treating depression, anyway. I have also been to see my College councellor person. It was nice being able to speak to her about my problems. Turns out, my college has a department where I will be able to be screened for ADD. However, I have had to take a few tests, to see if I'm a retard, basically. I got pretty much full marks in the numeracy and language tests, which means they don't think I'm stupid and which has lead them to believe there are other, underlying problems.

I'm being screened for dyslexia next week, which doesn't bother me, as I know i'm not dyslexic. I am aware of the fact that several of the symptoms of ADD also apply to dyslexia. My councellor has told me to describe my symtpoms at the end of the screening and apparently, they should be able to set me up for ADD screening. I'm about 99% certain I have it and hopefully I should be diagnosed within the next couple of weeks. Thanks a lot for the help everyone. I shall report back.

That's great that you've made so much progress, and that your college can screen you for ADD so you can get everything done under one roof!

I just got my NHS questionnaire and sent it off yesterday...then my Mum will be sent one to fill in about my behaviour in childhood, and THEN hopefully I will get an appointment for the neuropsychological testing and the rest! I hate the waiting...

There isnt a quick way to get diagnosed... it takes time, get all the history from partents and schools ... good luck