rkp1980
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Post by rkp1980 on Aug 19, 2017 14:13:30 GMT
Hello there, I'm a 37 YO gent who, for the last five years, has suspected having some attention problem. I've carried out research online and completed the WHO test. I appreciate this is not diagnosis. But I can't see what else I may have. My symptoms are varied. My main one is not being able to follow conversations. My awareness is like a wave that comes and goes. I can even feel when it's about to disappear. Once it's gone, it's gone for several minutes at a time, at which point I disappear into some weird mental place, with no memory of the conversation. Workplace meetings are impossible for me. Sometimes I find myself automatically writing out the conversation on a notepad so that I can read what was said afterwards, because I can't consciously follow the conversation. Sometimes I get into work in the morning with no memory of the previous day, other than cobbling together email conversations. People have complained to me that I show no interest in their conversations and that I look bored. The truth is, I have no control over listening to them - a conversation im which I listen to them is mostly impossible. I have to cobble together the conversation from fragments of being aware in intervals. Most of the time I feel like I'm living in a dream, therefore it's difficult to take anything seriously. I also have issues with anxiety, addiction and other nasty things like that. However, I'm more interested in resolving my lack of awareness. I appreciate I am self diagnosing here. My next stage is booking an appointment with the GP to see what they say and whether I get referred. I don't drive because I fear my lack of attention will cause an accident. However, as a parent now, I feel I have to get my license for practical reasons. I just wanted to share my experience. Perhaps those who have been diagnosed will say that I am jumping to conclusions. Any feedback is welcome. I just want to know what I have so I can find a solution or understand it better. Oh, and hi Thanks for your time.
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Post by procrastinator63 on Sept 4, 2017 13:32:19 GMT
Sounds familiar. I've been accused of being rude in social settings as my attention wanders. It doesn't help being tall as I can look around easily.
Also problems with anxiety and depression.
Love starting things, never finish them. Wasn't a probel (as far as I was concerned) at school but then again I started at 2 1/2 as my mum was a teacher and I had a free run of the school. Devoured encyclopeadias, few freinds, crap at numbers, good at art.
Highish IQ,now finding it more and more difficult to concentrate, even when reading a sentence my thoughts are hijacked.
What next ?
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Post by vagueandrandom on Sept 5, 2017 10:32:50 GMT
Hi rkp1980 and procrastinator63 What next? Ask your GP to be referred for specialist ADHD assessment. Be prepared for the question 'and what do you hope to gain from a diagnosis?' and for your GP to know very little. Some areas don't have adult ADHD services, so you would need to try to get referred out of area. In any case, some referral pathways require you to have a general MH screening first and some of the practitioners who do this don't know much about ADHD either. Hopefully, you both live somewhere with a specialist ADHD service and have clued-up and sympathetic GPs. rkp1980 you should tell the DVLA if you have ADHD and it affects your driving. This doesn't mean you can't drive and if you find a medication that works, it should improve your driving.
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rkp1980
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Post by rkp1980 on Sept 16, 2017 17:11:12 GMT
Thank you for your replies. I have my GP appointment on Monday. I think I'm prepared with what to say. Time will tell what the result is Best, R
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rkp1980
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Post by rkp1980 on Oct 11, 2017 15:05:24 GMT
Hello again,
So I had my initial GP appointment, in which I explained to my GP about my inattention, and anxiety issues. My focus was on telling the GP about how this impacts my work and personal life. The appointment lasted 2 mins and the GP arranged for bloods and a follow up mental health assessment.
Today I had my mental health assessment and. Well. Let's just say it didn't go exactly as I'd hoped.
My bloods were clear as I was expecting. The GP (the same one who did my initial meeting) printed off a mental health assessment form which had ten questions. Off the top of my head these were:
Can you fold a piece of paper. Can you count down from ten. Do you know where you are right now? Do you know what the date is?
And lots of other questions which aren't really related to my problem. The test lasted about five minutes and then I was out of the room, as quick as the GP could get me out. Essentially I passed the mental health test with flying colours, and the GP said I had no problems. I tried to get a little assertive at this point and I told her that those questions seem a little more focussed on whether I'm delirious rather than suffering from ADD or anxiety, and I again explained my problem to her. In hindsight, I probably should have told her about some of the more serious, depressive feelings I have been having at the moment, but I didn't want the focus to be on depression or anxiety, but on my inattention, which in my opinion is a key cause of why I feel how I feel. And I want that sorted out.
At this point she printed off a piece of paper with the mental well-being phone number, which I called but couldn't get through to anyone. So I'll try again later or tomorrow.
At this point I'm just wondering what the point is. I'm lucky that my anxiety and my inattention, whilst they are a real struggle for me, don't cause me to have much darker, depressive thoughts. I can totally understand why so many people fall through the mental health system and desperately need help, only to resort to more "attention seeking" desperation to get the attention they need for a proper diagnosis and help.
Being able to fold a piece of paper and count down from ten do not mean I'm ok. I feel totally, totally cheated by the NHS. I'm now considering going down the private route to get the assessment I feel I need.
Cheers
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Post by vagueandrandom on Oct 11, 2017 20:51:56 GMT
So your mental health assessment shows that you don't have one of the common
mental illnesses . .that's great . .especially as ADHD *isn't* a mental illness,
it's a neurodevelopmental condition. . .and now they've ruled out mental illness,
you should have a better case for being referred for ADHD assessment . .
BUT you'll need to go armed with evidence and prepared not to give up!
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rkp1980
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Post by rkp1980 on Oct 11, 2017 21:19:46 GMT
Thanks. I managed to arrange a call by someone from my local council's mental health charity, for an initial screening. This is in a couple of weeks. Will see how that goes
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rkp1980
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Post by rkp1980 on Dec 18, 2017 13:37:55 GMT
My update is that the local wellbeing service were unable to give me any information on AADD diagnoses, so I have taken myself off of their system.
Back to square 1.
GP - didn't want to help.
Wellbeing - were unable to help.
Looks like the next thing to do is to go private!
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Post by Old Vagabond on Dec 18, 2017 15:09:22 GMT
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Post by vagueandrandom on Dec 18, 2017 15:22:57 GMT
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rkp1980
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Post by rkp1980 on Dec 20, 2017 16:08:30 GMT
I'll be honest, I had such a bad experience going to my GP that it has completely put me off.
I might suggest that I see another doctor, one who will take it seriously.
Thanks for the additional links, I will check them out!
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jacobg
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Post by jacobg on Dec 28, 2017 19:00:02 GMT
I'll be honest, I had such a bad experience going to my GP that it has completely put me off. I might suggest that I see another doctor, one who will take it seriously. Thanks for the additional links, I will check them out! You can go for a private assessment it is very expensive and if you feel that you need medication. Even more so. My advice would be do not give up the Nhs is a merry go round of passing the buck and fobbing you off. If you feel you have a problem don't give up jump through hoops keep arranging appointments. Keep going keep explaining the same story keep asking! search for your local mental health referral centre. Ask to see a specialist again and again. explain over and over about how this is affecting your daily life and family bring family members to the appointments to show your history and how you are now. If that fails do it again start over again. Go down the cbt route. Only the people that truly need help will do this. It took me many years but I was also suffering with depression which hindered my search for help with the underlying cause of it which was ADHD. Keep going the more of their time you waste the less of a time waster you become. They might start you on different medication not for ADHD it might help you. None of it did for me. It was a process and a box I had to tick to get to the right person. I went to cbt appoinments they did not help but I went anyway. It wasn't til then explaining to them again and again I finally got referred to a specialist guess what he wasn't even a adhd specialist mainly broad mental health and depression but these are the doctors that finally get things done. They can diagnose you even with partial knowledge it wasn't until this year I actually spoke to A actual specialist in ADHD. All this and I was diagnosed with add when a child. But no records. Its not til later in life when ADHD took its toll on me responsibility family, work. Don't give up kick up a fuss. There are very few dr's that can subscribe adhd meds as some of them are controlled drugs. Keep going if you don't have ADHD you need to find out what's wrong with you if your serious about getting help. You need to see a specialist and you only get to them by constant persistence. I would keep quiet on the driving part of it though if you need to drive in future. as if you do get adhd meds they can impact driving. Though not for me. Helps me with my driving also. But the dvla will stop your licence at the drop of a hat if they think you have a problem.
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