Lets start off with a true story from when I was in college. The long version makes for more information and I'd hope more entertaining while we're at it.

I enrolled, my junior year of college, in a Geography of Latin America class. I thought it would be a traditional geography class, but instead it was more of a socio-geography class in that we studied the people of the region - not the physical make up. This bored me to tears. I couldn't read the material without falling asleep, I was failing the class and desperate to get a C-. Exam time came and my roommate at the time noticed what I was going through and gave me a pill and said it might help. I found out later that this pill was adderoll xr. I took it, thinking that it wouldn't hurt at this point. I finished the book that same day, reading it cover to cover. While I can't quote verbatim, I can still remember the main points of parts of it to this day. I got a B+ in the class and aced the exam. She told me a probably have ADD.

I went through a follow up with that once through my school's psychiatric counseling services and they stated that I probably didn't have ADD due to the fact that I didn't act up in classes when I was a kid. Looking back, I know that I didn't act up or get into trouble as a kid because I didn't like getting in trouble. I didn't act up or goof off because I hated my classmates and didn't want to draw attention to myself. My method of escapism was reading. I read during lecture, I read during homework time (yet still managed to get it done some how), and read during recess. As I progressed in school, however, my reading lessened and my schoolwork got worse. The only reason I feel I graduated high school is because it was a public school which meant they catered to the lowest common denominator. My graduation from college was managed through sheer persistence, independent study and a miracle s.o. who had the patience to support my sorry behind through it, despite dropping out of college twice.

I'm now 26, married, and employed at a multi-national corporation doing tech support. I'm seeing a councilor for communication issues that I experience, as well as self-image problems and mild depression. All of which, I'm convinced stem from the fact that I can not focus on anything for more than 5 min. to save my life. I'm terrible with finances, (more than one account and I get things messed up). I can't read a non-fiction book and retain the information unless I slam a 20 oz espresso and then read each chapter about 5 times, then if I'm lucky, I'll manage to retain something.


To this day I don't understand how I've managed to stay employed and get the rewards that my company has bestowed upon me because I feel as though I barely do a single thing.


As a hobby, I'm an amateur screenwriter and an artist. My problem with my hobbies is that even though I enjoy them, I can't find within myself the focus or motivation to pursue to them to the best of what I know I can do. I'll sit down to write and if I manage to get even a few sentences of dialogue down, I'll get up and start fidgeting or look for excuses to not continue with my dreams/goals/desires/et.al..

I've decided to re investigate the possibility of having ADD, but every time I try and schedule a testing appointment the psychiatrist/doctor wants around $700+ for the initial test. With my income, combined with where I am at in life, this is a huge chunk of money to spend on a test that may prove contradictory to all the symptoms I'm experiencing. Needless to say I've very very hesitant to take that financial dive.

Does anyone have any suggestions at this point on what I should do? My marriage is in a rocky position because of my communication/attention problems, and I'm perpetually afraid of getting fired from my job because of the above, despite the awards bestowed to me. I try to keep from being depressed over this, but I feel as though my GP doesn't really believe me as he referred me to said $700 shrink when I explained what is going on. Because my insurance doesn't really cover the testing, he doesn't feel there is anything else he can do at this point.

I completely understand how expensive it can be to see a psychiatrist. I believe that part of the reason I don't have a good handle on my diagnosis/treatment is because I simply cannot afford to make multiple appointments with my psychiatrist.

However, if your life is being impacted in the way it is and you suspect that the cause is ADD, perhaps you should cough up the money and go in for an appointment? If it's not ADD, it could very well be something else. And, if it turns out that there's nothing psychologically wrong with you, you'll at least have some more direction.

It doesn't cost much to have your primary care doc write a script for generic Adderall or Focalin. You will find out real fast and cheap that you are Ad(H)D, based on whether or not the meds help.

It doesn't cost much to have your primary care doc write a script for generic Adderall or Focalin. You will find out real fast and cheap that you are Ad(H)D, based on whether or not the meds help.

Not true. The medication will most likely be helpful (as they are to most people) but it won't be indicative of a positive ADD diagnosis.

I paid for my testing out of my own pocket. It was well worth it as the evaluation not only provided a diagnosis, it removed doubt.

Me :D

For me the original cost was like an investment in my future. If you get help from treatment, you will be much more productive in your future endeavors which will pay you back over time and then some.