Post by vagueandrandom on Jun 13, 2018 12:51:13 GMT
Background: I was diagnosed with ADHD by a specialist 3 years ago, was put on concerta and then I moved to somewhere without a specialist adult ADHD service.
I was sent to Secondary MH services where I saw a general psych who didn't think it would benefit me to treat my ADHD
and wanted to treat my emotional instability with antidepressants. He changed my meds to mph IR which made me worse,
but he ignored that and discharged me to my GP. I stopped taking meds.
I went private to try lisdexamphetamine (and got a second diagnosis) but had issues with it so stopped.
After lots of letters and complaints I found out that the CCG is now providing limited ADHD support . . .Yippee! I got myself referred. . .
I went yesterday . . . the same general psych in Secondary MH I last saw 2 years ago!
and guess what? I'm having another ADHD assessment! because that's all the CCG are funding . . .
to be fair, I brought all my NHS and private paperwork and he read it and accepted it.
He told me that he wasn't a specialist, but he had some experience of ADHD. He seems to have more of an understanding than he did last time.
I told him that I was there because I'd like to try some different meds.
Although I have a long history of MH issues, I'm not currently depressed. He asked me what my current difficulties are and I felt under pressure
to describe symptoms of depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and mania when I said that I lack emotional control.
I felt that he would rather treat me for a mental illness than to just treat me for the day to day frustrations of having ADHD.
When I told him that my moods evened out and anxiety reduced when I'd been on ADHD meds before
he agreed to try me on atomoxetine. . .BUT. . .he can't prescribe it as the CCG only funds assessment and not treatment . .
SO . . . now he has to apply to the CCG for an individual Funding Request to fund meds and, if successful, they will have to be
prescribed by my GP under shared care . . I don't even know if I'll get to see the psych again.
This is why I think that ADHD should only be treated in specialist clinics. Secondary MH expect you to have mental illness and not nurodivergence.
They understand and know how to 'cure' illnesses and don't understand that treating ADHD can improve day to day functioning in the world
and that this can be beneficial to quality of life. You don't have to be mentally ill to benefit from ADHD treatment.