jo
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Post by jo on Jun 28, 2018 3:30:10 GMT
Hi,i am new here.thank you for accepting me.unfortunatelly when I used to work back.in 2012 in a full time job as an optical consultant I ended up in a very messy situation....due to the fact that I couldn't cope with constant enterupting from.colleagues,bulying etc....fast peaced environment....long story short,i ended up having a nervous breakdown and since then I haven't been able to go back to work as I can't find something that involves working alone or similar.i have developed very bad anxiety as well and I am.sick and tired of pretending that I am like everyone else just to be accepted....and even though you say to people that you have adhd they don't seem to care or to.unferstand....anyways I have allied just once for employment and support allowance and I got refused....and I don't think they will ever give me any benefits,not that I would normally ask but I do need some help....as I have heard that thriugh this you can get help from.some agencies and they might look for suitable work for you....and I really can't find a suitable job on my own....i am hopeless...i am so disabled by the adhd which I just been diagnosed with and by my extreme anxiety but because I don't have a visible disability it seems like I don't deserve any help or understanding... So has anyone managed to get any benefit for adhd?if yes how and which one?
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Post by jp on Jun 28, 2018 10:56:48 GMT
Hi :-)
Big questions!
Are you newly diagnosed? Are you getting any treatment?
I guess you have been reading around already? If not then I think this forum as many answers to the kinds of questions you are asking.
If reading is difficult, or in any case... I really like the YouTube channel “How to ADHD”
Loads of other good YouTube stuff, Ted talks etc.
For myself even Simply getting a diagnosis has been a massive help - and relief!
Learning about the condition had also been helpful.
Medication is really working well for me. Doesn’t work for everyone and it’s no magic bullet since a lot of my disability is learned/ acquired.
Coaching has been great - but my life has been too chaotic recently to make best use of it. I think it will be key when I’m more settled.
CBT hasn’t worked much - the basic stuff delivered by a newbie psychologist that is (“Keep a record of your thoughts!” 😂😂🤣).
There’s been a few CBT techniques that have worked (like setting a regular alarm to check where I’m at). And I’m on a list for a more intensive course with an experienced therapist who hopefully can tune it for ADHD.
Educating my nearest and dearest has also helped. A bit 😜
Good luck
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Post by ADDZ on Jun 28, 2018 13:06:06 GMT
I’m not sure what category ADHD falls into, but surly anxiety is covered by DLA? I know people who’ve been rinsing it for years. It’s getting tightened up now with the government cuts etc.
Why not try being self employed?
Good luck anyway!
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jo
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Post by jo on Jun 28, 2018 14:45:47 GMT
Hi
Thank you guys for your resoponses... I am entirely new and I am just starting to understand how adhd has affected me till present... Not put on meds as I might have a heart problem... Self employed...its something to think about.... What do you guys work?
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jo
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Post by jo on Jun 28, 2018 14:50:28 GMT
JP What do you do for a living and when were you diagnosed? Thanks for the info...yes I do have trouble reading,mostly if I have to look for something and it's hard to find...haha
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Post by jp on Jun 28, 2018 15:37:09 GMT
I was diagnosed a few months ago aged 47. Or am I 48??? 😂
I currently have several jobs - all self employed. I’m doing a stint as Master Carpenter at a theatre. Also buying and selling and renovating vintage stuff of late. I take the odd film job - Art Department mostly (but have done all departments) - lots of different roles from production Designer to Prop Maker. I occasionally lecture about eco design (a previous career). Also teaching. Handyman....
So many different careers and jobs!
My ADHD coach suggested I think long and hard about NOT being self employed since it requires exactly the skill set that is most challenging for adders, certainly for me, especially after the honeymoon period of a new thing is over.
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Post by jp on Jun 28, 2018 15:40:26 GMT
Re meds:
There’s non stimulant options like Atomoxetine, Bupropion, Guanfacine, Clonidine....
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2018 18:53:04 GMT
I'm 'Predominantly Inattentive' or ADHD-PI. There's no question I need help and I don't even have anxiety. Anyway, refused to apply for PIP for a long time because I don't want to be a burden on the state. I'd prefer someone with an even more difficult life got the moola. After quite some time of berating myself, I finally managed to rationalise it like this: ADHDers are Superstars. I will be able to repay whatever I take in benefits back into the economy two fold, absolute minimum. Content with this, I rang the number one day. Spoke to a helpful chap. He even took my card details on the fone. I came away from the conversation thinking, 'WOW, someone is really doing a top notch job somewhere.' That was until a 40 page questionnaire arrived in my mailbox. 40 fucking pages. I will probably get round to filling it in one day! Meanwhile, I'm jobless, minus figures in every bank account and having my card declined trying to buy petrol to get to job interviews. So I guess the answer to your question is 'Not at the moment!'
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jo
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Post by jo on Jun 28, 2018 21:28:14 GMT
Hi boost... Haha i know the feeling....i dont want to claim benefits and i Will probably not as i get so bored and tired filling out those forms for nothing...as most of the questions apply for fizical disability ...and afterwards they decline IT and you end up feeling more frustarted and hopeless... You are lucky you don't have anxiety....its a burden... It is difficult being different in a world that most of the people are wired differently and it's a world created by them and for them.... The only reason I was thinking is because you can get help getting a job suitable if you are on benefit to be able to access those organisations... But as I have said too much stress for nothing.... Thanks for your reply
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jo
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Post by jo on Jun 28, 2018 21:33:50 GMT
Jp you should be proud you have so many talents....it sounds like maybe you have more like hyperactive type or just hasn't been bitten by anxiety and had the chance to express yourself in all those areas... OK thank you for the medication you were saying....i had no ideea... But I am still at the beginning so still in the process to find out about things.... I am on antidepressants which I hate so to be honest I kind of hate the idea of meds especially when there is no certainty they will help... I am sticking to the one I take even though has done me harm and it's bad forbthe heart....just because I can't take again the horrible experiences when changing medication... I can't even stop taking them as the withdrawal lives me with extreme anxiety and many other things ....
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Post by jp on Jun 28, 2018 22:53:47 GMT
Thanks for the encouragement!
Yes I can do lots of things, except I’m utterly useless at perisistence or finishing so nothing I do ever amounts to much.
I was dx Mixed Type but had ALL the Innatentive (and bad!) and only a couple of the Hyperactive / Impulsive ones. So the psych couldn’t say PI.
I’ve also suffered from anxiety and have been twice diagnosed as such.
Sorry you are feeling stuck on your meds. It must suck - especially with anxiety making you anxious about change in case the anxiety gets worse! I guess you’ve considered there may be a more accurate and compete diagnosis for you? With better meds?
Anxiety is often comorbid with ADHD. Having ADHD is highly anxiety inducing! And pretty fucking depressing tooo. Well I dont need to suggest it. It plainly is!
At a simple level I for one can’t trust myself to not leave the cooker on when I go out, or to leave it in and lock myself out because I’ve forgotten the keys. I have to check and recheck. I can barely answer the phone or open mail in case I’ve done something wrong. I fear putting my card in a cash machine in case there’s ‘insufficient funds’ because I haven’t got around to sending out an invoice (or I’ve forgotten to actually do any work!) I avoid social situations in case I say something stupid or come accross weird which I usually seem to do. Etc etc etc
And it builds up over a lifetime of constant failure.
Since starting adhd meds I’m so much less anxious.
Just saying ;-)
I’m no psychiatrist but maybe you are on the wrong meds? Happens all the time.
Don't quote me on this - as I said I’m no psychiatrist, but Bupropion is an antidepressant AND treats ADHD. I believe Atomoxetine can also be useful for anxiety.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2018 18:30:19 GMT
Jo, just try and remember that your ability to help others will be greatly magnified if you can get onto a better medical cocktail. Everything is much harder for women, I suspect but behind every great man... there is a boss lady calling the shots
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jo
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Post by jo on Jun 30, 2018 11:36:31 GMT
Hi JP Thank you a lot for the info regarding meds. I don't have issues with forgetting things like if I close the stove and left the house but I thing in time I have forced myself to remember to do it as it is dangerous...i do remember once a few years ago back in my country going to work and beging my boyfriend to go at my place and check if I left the gas open... With me it is being overwhelmed in an environment that requires my attention and where I am constantly ask not to daydream and stuff like this... While in the past I did it a lot....since I had a job here at fucking boots opticians as an optical consultant....back in 2012....when I was in an environment where somebody was always giving ten things to do at once and been constantly interrupted....plus having to deal with mean people and bullying....since then I lost it....i also ended up thinking subconsciously that I am not capable, very low self esteem which I had it all my life.... But then I didn't know why I was like that...and had an enormous mental breakdown and since then I can't be around people....as people are mean and don't get me.... I ended up in such a big anxiety that is better sometimes and sometimes that episode after I quit that job of very bad anxiety repeats itself.... I find it that the best moments are when I am alone at home and I can do things without being enterupted by anyone....and enjoy myself and not take on board other peoples negativities advices and bulshit... Which is a Shame in a way...cose it's not like I won't like to be able to enjoy people as well....or have a true friend....but people like me are rare and usually don't use my time with people that aren't on the same level as me....in the way that I am different than many....and it is not easy...as the majority is formed by people who just take life like it is and believe that those incredible stupid laws and rules that they have created are the true reality.... It's more to say here...but maybe only if you are interested.... So yes I ended up in bad social anxiety Because at that place of work people made me thing I wasn't capable and that I was stupid.... And becose of the adhd I realize now I had issues with focusing and easily moving my attention from.a thing to another ....and I could have said in those moments to people to live me Alone as I am doing something and I can do something else as soon as I am done with that... But you want to for in,you see that people in this country,even it's many times fake don't say things to your face,or say totally negative stuff with a smile on their face and in indirect modalities... Not like in my country there we are more direct and if we feel like saying exactly what we are feeling we do it exactly...like saying something like "fuck you or gobti hell" or some that are crazier slapping you...haha Yes...long stories.... I haven't ever read a book even though I know many things and Bren to university and stuff... And can't watch films unless it's something I like...but get bored looking at if I like a moovie so I just re-watch some short series over and over again.... OK will take a break now but if you feel like it share more with me... Thanks
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jo
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Post by jo on Jun 30, 2018 18:18:40 GMT
Hi boost So what kind of medical cocktail would that be... I am still not diagnosed with what heart condition I have but the psychiatrist that I saw privately for the add diagnostic said that he can't put me on meds. .. 😊😊😊 How are your meds working for you and what meds you take?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2018 14:07:41 GMT
I've no idea, jo My thinking, however, is that if you went to school for 10 extra years to help people as a doctor, you should be able to navigate any secondary medical complications like heart issues, etc and be able to make a positive difference to someone's life. Some would consider the heart to be a primary issue of course but I suspect anyone with ADHD may feel what use is a good heart with a broken brain? It's like a caravan without wheels: This only goes one way. Depression. Anxiety+depression. Resentment. When the head of your family is in the pits of despair, how do the rest feel? Not great, I'll wager. Then your partner takes those negative feelings to work. Your kids take them to school. Before you know it, an entire section of the community is in the doldrums. The negative sphere of influence associated with untreated ADHD may be significant. The root cause? Funding is an easy excuse, IMHO. Far more likely to be clinicians who are too afraid to advocate on behalf of those in need? Too afraid to try new things in the pursuit of excellent patient outcomes? Start taking names of people who fob you off. Accountability is coming for us all
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Post by ADDZ on Jul 2, 2018 11:29:53 GMT
Hahaha...loved that smooth transition from body & mind...to snatch clip...then back to further health advice! Classic
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Post by vagueandrandom on Jul 3, 2018 11:30:52 GMT
)You can take meds with a heart condition as long as it’s carefully managed and there’s non-stimulants as mentioned before. The jobcentre should have a disability advisor, but you can only access them if you claim benefits. If there’s something like Remploy in your area, you can access help with looking for work with them. Also, investigate what help there is with MH charities locally, like Mind. They don’t generally have anything ADHD specific, but often run stuff for anxiety and possibly getting back into employment. You can also access counselling for anxiety via IAPT (it comes under different names, but it’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) and the National Careers Service might be able to help nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/
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jo
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Post by jo on Jul 8, 2018 22:11:52 GMT
Thank you for the advice!
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jo
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Post by jo on Jul 8, 2018 22:35:17 GMT
Boost,
You are so right... Will see in the future if I will take some meds for the add... At the moment i realize that apparently some add meds might make you anxious as it raises dopamine.... But the antidepressants for example like I am taking,helps the anxiety,but it slows down the activity in the prefrontal cortex which is slow anyway in add... And that is why the antidepressant helps just a little.... To be honest I wish I wasn't on those antidepressants as it changed me a lot and I can't get off them... To be honest I wish I would be able to get off them and try the natural versions both for add and anxiety... Which for me seems impossible.... As those stupid pills make it impossible to quit them.... Even though I understand that even taking 5htp gives the same withdrawal symptoms so god knows what is right.... I was also thinking that instead of medicating us society should just accept us and offer us a place in this world not change us to be like everyone else.... In my opinion this society is wrong and is so far from what really matters in this world. And I am not sure but I have the impression that we with adhd are the ones that are right,capable to see things at a different level,and the rest of the world is wrong.... But maybe it's just my opinion....and just me... I do not know... In my opinion this society has "evolved" Into a totally wrong direction...i have add...i like quiet,nature the sun...i like to be able to daydream in nature...but maybe this is something that humans need to do...its a form of meditation....if you think about it... Instead,the rest of the world has created a totally different way,where they think that life it's about working,so much that you are so stressed out....and have no time to even breathe...and buying stuff going to cinemas,bars or whatever.... They think this is real and that what life's about.... Besides that we have created so.many stupid and mean rules and everyone believes in them....cruelty it's at the core of those rules....in fact If I think about it,they live at a very basal,animalic,instinctive level of surviving.... Am I making sense boots or youre not on the same level.of thinking? You seem a pretty intelligent guy... For me this is my big pain...not being able to fit in this world because most of the people out there arent people that can understand those things....and even if I feel like I am the one who sees things clearly....i feel lonly misunderstood and sad.... Became a bit nostalgic haha....
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2018 14:56:53 GMT
You're not alone with many of those thoughts One thing I would say and no idea if this helps because I've never tried any antidepressants (maybe I should?) but elvanse is particularly adept at returning me to baseline. When I'm bouncing off the chair in work, talking, laughing, not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I become calmer and quieter after taking it. Those days when I wake up angry and frustrated at everything it elevates me back to the land of 'perhaps I can get through this'. In my extremely limited experience, it has excellent antidepressant properties and if you have ADHD anyway, everyone's a winner? It's not like this is unheard of either. There's clearly already a medical precedent as per this Wikipedia entry: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atypical_depressionMight be worth a squint?
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Post by jp on Jul 16, 2018 0:33:01 GMT
You're not alone with many of those thoughts Indeed 😁
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webcammy
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Post by webcammy on Jul 18, 2018 7:25:48 GMT
Hi Jo, this is my first time on these forums as well but I thought I'd reply to your post since I have recently applied for PIP and had my face-to-face assessment last week. I can fully sympathise with your plight; I've got a pretty erratic employment history with lots of gaps, although I've had some decent, high earning jobs in the past. I had a similar experience to you though in my most recent job. I disclosed my ADHD before I started and had to have a medical assessment over the phone, which I passed. It was in a call-centre type environment and we were basically treated like robots. We had to account for every second of the working day, including how long we spent in the toilet! Obviously this isn't all that easy when you have ADHD and don't even notice the time passing the same as other people or forget to select correct code to be in for the type of work you're doing (which was never explained to me anyway, I had to work it out for myself)! Anyway, after I finished 6 weeks of training I was placed in my department and left to get on with the job, which I did to the best of my ability. The problem was, I was hyperfocusing and spending too long on each case, so compared to my colleagues my statistics looked rubbish, even though I was doing a more thorough job, but that wasn't what they wanted. There was a total lack of support though and I didn't even have a manager at this point. After a couple of a weeks a new manager came from another department and took over the department. She was aware of my ADHD as I'd mentioned it to her in a brief meeting that we'd had. It seemed to me like she was on my case from the minute she started and was singling me out and trying to make things even more difficult for me than they already were! If I was 1 minute late back from my tea break she'd have a go at me in front of everyone else and was just constantly harassing me. I was working through an agency and eventually i got fed up with it and wrote to HR asking for reasonable adjustments to be made. SHortly after I got a phonecall from someone at the agency basically telling me that I've no right to go to HR etc. She was extremely rude and dismissive towards me and clearly didn't have a clue about employment law, so I gave as good as I got! Rather than taking my request for reasonable adjustments seriously, she set up a disciplinary meeting with her and my manager. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I ended up getting stressed out about it all and went in to a depression spiral and couldn't face going in any more and eventually was told I wasn't welcome back. I considered taking them to an employment tribunal or something, but decided it just wasn't worth the hassle in the end.
Anyway, the point of explaining all that is that it basically completely killed any enthusiasm I had for going out to work and trying to live a normal, productive life like everyone else seems to manage! I'm signed off now and have been for a few months. I've told the job centre that I refuse to look for a job until I can find an employer that actually takes the disability laws seriously and looks after their employees and treats them like human beings.
Moving on to the actual point of the thread finally lol... I've been on Universal Credit for a couple of years now I think. It's not enough to live on and doesn't even cover my bills. There is an extra amount of universal credit that you can get, but I don't think that many people qualify for it, and I wasn't even told about it. I only found out a couple of days ago that you can claim New Style ESA, even if you're on UC.
I applied for PIP a while back. The forms are horrendous for someone with ADHD and you have to really be organised and do your research to know what things to put so that you score enough points. The scoring system is quite arbitrary and open to interpretation but they don't want to make it easy for people like us in the hope that we just give up. Luckily I had the help of a family friend who is a retired psychiatrist. I think you can get the CAB to help you with the form as well if you make an appointment.
I had to go about 60 miles for the assessment which was a bit of an ordeal in itself. The guy taking it was pretty officious and wasn't remotely friendly or sympathetic, not that I expected them to be. I was in there for over an hour and he asked a lot of questions. They weren't particularly difficult questions, but it felt a little bit like they were trying to catch you out with some of them. I'd spent the entire previous day writing up about 4 or 5 pages of notes of things that I wanted to make sure I mentioned, I didn't get a chance to mention half of them though. Like most people, I have good days and bad days. I felt like I had to put on an act to try and portray to them how bad it can be sometimes, so I wasn't really being myself in there.
The welfare/benefits system in this country is pretty diabolical if you ask me, especially for people with mental health issues who are the least well equipped to be able to deal with all the form filling and lack the stamina and perseverance that's required! You have to see it as a bit like a game and make sure you're equipped and well prepared so that you can play them at their own game and be better at it then they are. The way I look at it is this: The law defines ADHD (I also have bipolar disorder amongst other things!) as a disability and therefore the law says that I'm entitled to this money to help me live a normal life and be a productive member of society - That's what the money's there for. Don't be ashamed of claiming what you're entitled to from the government; I bet you wouldn't refuse to accept child benefit, for example. If you have to use a bit of artistic licence to get what you're entitled to by law, then do it. Believe me, they will do the same to try and find enough spurious reasons to reject your claim. I believe that a lot of the time they reject you in the first instance in the hope that you'll go away, so you have to appeal and wait even longer.
Anyway, I've waffled on for long enough. I've gotta send off all the evidence and wait for an letter from them now. I don't know how long that will take, but I'll let you know if I'm successful or not. Good luck if you do decide to claim PIP or something. If I can help or give you advice that might help, let me know and I'll do what I can.
Cheers Cam
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