Ready to get treated, don't know where to start...

[ArcadeFire79]

Greetings all!

After a lot of thought and research, I'm now convinced I have ADHD and I'm ready to do something about it. Trouble is I have no idea where to start.

I'm 33 and a full time college student and unemployed. Don't have insurance, but I do have money. I haven't been to any kind of doctor in over ten years as I never had a medical problem and I don't know the first thing about who to even talk to. A GP? Psychiatrist? Psychologist?

I started going back to school and realized I had a real problem with focusing. A problem I've had my whole life, but I thought I was just lazy and bored. The trouble is, now I am in school and I am interested and want to focus, I just can't.

I had been working nights for 4 years and thought that was the problem, so I had some money saved up and quit my job. That didn't help at all. Now I am at my wits end and I'm kind of worried I will waste money and time going to see the wrong person or even worse, have them tell me there is nothing wrong with me and send me on my way.

I have tried everything I could possibly get my hands on. Books on time management, self help, diet, exercise, you name it. I have been very anti pharmaceuticals my whole life until a lady I go to school with told me about her children who have it and I think I am finally ready to give it a shot.

Just don't know where to begin, what questions to ask, how much I can expect to pay, etc. Any kind of help anyone can give me would mean the world to me.

Thanks,

Paul

[ana futura]

Do you have health care provided to you by your school? Most schools offer something and you're probably already covered. Some universities have their own psychiatrists. Go to the Counseling Center and ask.

[sarahsweets]

You should see a pyschiatrist. It can me expensive in the sense of your doctors per hour charge, but anyone that impys there is expensive testing doesnt know what they are talking about,

[sarahsweets]

Also..welcome and if your name has anything to do with arcade fire the group, you have great tastes.

[lateralthinker]

A psychatrist is where you want to start. Preferably one that specializes in ADHD but not necessarily. One Dr. told me that it's hard to find ones that specialize because few adults get their ADHD dignosed and treated. In the end you're your own best expert. This forums is an endless source of educational material.

When you go, the doctor will run through a quesionaire - to see if you meet the DSM-IV criteria:

http://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/f...-ASRS-v1-1.pdf

It probably won't be in this exact format, but it should cover the bases.

You will also be asked a series of questions about your personal history, related and not related to ADHD, family history, health, and about any history of substance abuse. They'll ask a few whacky questions and ask for your input or have you recite a bunch of words or phrases from right field to make sure you have all your marbles. In the end if it is determined that you have ADHD, your p-doc will prescribe what they feel is most appropriate. They should also be able to work with you in terms of your financial resources and be able to prescribe something that has a generic available.

Follow up from there will be 1-2 weeks. then monthly, then every 3 months to monitor your progress. You should expect some adjustments, changes, and/or additions to what's prescribed. It's normal - trying to get the right medication and dosage that works in the long run is like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. In the 8 months I've been on meds I've only made it to the 3-month gap once and don't expect to make the 6-month interval any time soon.

You want to be wary of a doctor who wants to prescribes multiple meds or one that wants to add one for every side-effect. If you don't have depression now, what good is an ADHD med that is causing it? If you walk in trying to treat your ADHD and walk out treating depression, anxiety, psychosis, schizophrenia, and maybe ADHD you've probably wasted your time. Your doctor either has another agenda or found his or her license in a cracker-jack box. If he or she says ADHD is "fake" or a "made up disorder", "excuse for poor accountability", etc or makes a similar implication, just get up and leave. Hopefully you can skim out without paying. They didn't earn their fee.

Any medication needs to be accompanied by some form of therapy whether it be simply reading books or keeping a therapist on your speed dial. Also with ANY ADHD med you need to eat healthy, excercise, and consume alcohol and caffeine with extreme caution.

I hope this helps.