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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 13:30:53 GMT
Just off for another appointment with the NHS psychiatrist. They made me see her after my private diagnosis so they could "confirm" it and then, apart from a trip to the GP, I've had nothing since. I need to be all brave and scary! If I'm going to be doing this without meds it's even more important that someone, somewhere in the NHS, bothers to give me some sort of support. Wish me luck!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 14:17:13 GMT
Good luck!! (I hope that doesn't happen to me!)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 15:22:35 GMT
I think it was because my private person was a "mental health practitioner" rather than a psychiatrist, but the psychiatrist had to admit that the diagnostic process he'd put me through was absolutely textbook and that he'd probably been more thorough than an NHS person would have been!
Appointment went okayish, I suppose. I got quite upset during the discussion about how the meds only made it easier to communicate because they wiped out my personality and took away all perception of other people's reactions.
Then she tried bringing up anti-depressants and there was almost an argument. Not only do I not fit many of the criteria for depression, I'm a direct contradiction for the rest! If she pursues that line of enquiry further I'm not going to play nice any more.
She's going to see if the psychologist will see me and I'm still on the waiting list for occupational health. Other than that, I've just to flounder on my own for another three months until I see her again.
My friend is a second-year psychology student and the closest thing I'm getting to any help from a "professional" (which he isn't, yet). It seems as though meds are the only treatment available round here and that there's nothing else - even the psychologist will have to be harrassed into seeing me! What more can I do?
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Post by tomas on Apr 23, 2012 19:21:49 GMT
Cake. Did they offer cognitive behaviour therapy then?
I got given the med with the line that the two treatments go hand in hand, still waiting for C B T six months on. My point is, was the CBT offered then?
Are you permanently opposed to trying a different med to that which you stopped taking? You say it zapped your personality. Understood. As an expressive person who derives an income from performance, you'll not want to dumbed down and how can I say... confined, restricted, altered?
What about if what you do have, could be helped with a medication that kind of alters a possible chemical imbalance in your brain? Brings it more to a kind of equilibrium when you may be at deficit at the mo? Ok so you'll be back in three months. Good luck without the med genuinely. It's very easy to say yes, I said yes quickly but it seems to work for me. We're not the same. You're also in a diff situation because of pain management med and poss bad med mix. I fully respect the no med decision though !
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 19:49:03 GMT
They didn't. I was only offered the chance to see the occupational therapist and I'm still on the waiting list. I'm hoping the Jobcentre's work psychologist will have helpful things to say, so at least I can be "together" professionally if not personally. It's a sad day when the Jobcentre are more sorted than the NHS about ADHD!
I've been coming to realise today that medicated-me was ignoring friends (those I don't see regularly in person), not truly enjoying anything, only popular because she wasn't me - things like that. And while I'm fixing those things and doing so well in other areas, I don't want to go messing around with myself.
I'm surprised how well the "system" I invented works. If I can continue to learn methods, techniques etc. and can get to see someone about the other stuff (the personal/social stuff) then I'd be happier to do it without any sort of chemical intervention anyway.
Can't believe she suggested anti-depressants just because I've cried both times I've seen her! If she's going to want me to dredge up very personal feelings, of course I'm going to be upset talking about them! I'm practically textbook opposite of the criteria.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 20:04:35 GMT
You are kidding, the Jobcentre work psychologist knew less than nout and I got told that obviously I wasn't 'suited' to care work or healthcare and I try something else. Their suggestion? Window cleaning. Right...
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Post by tomas on Apr 23, 2012 20:05:01 GMT
I'm not surprised you were offered anti depressants. It seems a lot of GPs, whilst reluctant to delve too much into mental health issues, are too quick to offer anti dep options. It's almost as if it's a logical route to try to just see what happens with you with GPs. I was, I went along with it, took the med (Fluoexetine) as prescribed and knew over time hey I'm not even depressed what the hell.
With a skeptical eye I thought... GP, you did that to kinda make me go away, to stop the problem. Anti dep meds are so easily prescribed it makes you wonder, GPs of course don't specialise in mental health but what they could do is stop using anti dep almost as a try this and see type med, as if everything you say in describing yourself and symptoms is consistent with depression even if they can see that yours aren't carbon copy depression symptoms.
No I'm not working for Novartis but... What you say about social exclusion of your friends is exactly what I'm like pre Ritalin and ADHD diagnosis.
Should your system work over time, the NHS could do with hearing it. Let's face it, ADHD care in the UK is inconsistent, dare I say... taboo, lacking and resource threatened. I'd like to hear too so you can save me an appointment, petrol and parking. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 20:21:05 GMT
This was the psychiatrist that said that about the anti-depressants! That's why I was so shocked. Even the various GPs (I moved house part way through the process) have never once suggested them. My system very much relies on the fact that I love the chance to use my art markers, I like colours, I like lists, I like sticking all the completed tasks into a nice book and seeing everything I've done... I don't know if it'd work for everyone - it even stopped working for me when I got too ambitious and had to go back to basics with it until I got back into the swing of things - but I'd certainly be up for sharing it if I can find time to take photos of it! You are kidding, the Jobcentre work psychologist knew less than nout and I got told that obviously I wasn't 'suited' to care work or healthcare and I try something else. Their suggestion? Window cleaning. Right... Actually, the disability people at the Jobcentre have been very helpful and understanding so far. This particular Jobcentre is brilliant so I have high hopes.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 20:25:44 GMT
Talking about the misery of living with ADHD makes people cry. Durr.
Some ADs (not SSRIs) can help with ADHD. The main non-stim med for ADHD, atomoxetine, works kinda the way those meds do and is sometimes mistakenly described as an AD.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2012 20:29:42 GMT
The way she phrased it made it sound like she thought I needed them because I was so upset and that that might be how I always was. Made me wonder if she'd actually listened to any of the other words I'd said!
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Post by tomas on Apr 23, 2012 20:39:42 GMT
I'm a perennial list maker. I don't keep them in one book though that would be too logical,maybe I should. There's one on my desk waiting for me tomorrow AM too. I lose them or re write them out adding more more more until oops, the lists accidentally on purpose get recycled. To help the environment, you know?
Back to your experience though, oh I see. I misread. My anti depressant experience lasted one week on Citalopram (made me flushed, red faced and... Excuse the vulgarity but I couldn't get it up, it was that opposed to me), prompting a rapid and angry switch to any other ant dep , hello Fluoexetine , fast forward time,,attended psych appt.... Psych doc took me straight off them.
I felt so angry at GP. For that period of my life, my head and body were messed up by that stuff. At the time I wanted to make a complaint as I felt mismanaged and as a result, that had an impact on those around me, and my ----, whilst the GP in question ticked another successful prescribed anti dep on his quota (excuse my skepticism).
Cake, are you able to seek a second opinion from a colleague of the psych you saw or are things really understaffed there. You have that right but obv a similar waiting list. Or if you kick up a slight stink they might get you in quicker. Are you unhappy with the outcome of your appt? The system sucks, make it work for you. You've put the National Ins contributions in so....
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 13:18:35 GMT
I saw the work psychologist at the Jobcentre today and she was brilliant! She was very impressed with all my work so far with writing and performing and we talked about jobs I could be doing in the meantime. As my other preferred career would be as a commercial airline pilot, we talked planes and aiports until she decided to get me some information about the airport training place at Glasgow Airport. We even pinpointed a few of the jobs I'd be good at! She's also going to help me with finding an IT qualification that won't involve full-time study, because I can't seem to get any IT jobs just by being great at it And I'm going to see her again next week, where she'll have the airport info and I'll have the IT info and we'll sort through it all and find an answer.
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kreate
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Post by kreate on May 4, 2012 18:39:18 GMT
If you get offered C.B.T. ask for ADHD specific, as the usual anxiety model of C.B.T, is technically not very easy for us to put into practice. See Brighton ADHD Support Group website for more details end of June, as our topic on the 4th Weds in June will be on this.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 9:21:29 GMT
Well I glad you had more success with the job centre than me. Right now I am going to say something really brutal but simply true, take it as you want but I am not doing it to be nasty. Airline pilot? You won't pass the medical or psych evaluation simple as, even the slightest Hx of mental health problems and you won't get either a commercial license or a job, it's just the way it is. Plus do you really have 50 odd k or the credit rating to get training?
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 23:02:14 GMT
My credit rating is at the maximum it can possibly be, thank you very much.
I'm also likely to have been med-free for years by the time I reach that point. I know I will pass the medical because I've already discussed it with the doctor who's allowed to perform the JAR medicals.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 23:36:42 GMT
If you are med free then you don't have ADHD, it doesn't go away like that. Either you need treatment or you don't.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 23:57:02 GMT
It hasn't gone away. Try reading my other posts and see why I decided not to take meds any more. Also, meds aren't the only treatment.
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Post by sherry on May 6, 2012 23:59:22 GMT
Yeah being an arsolette works for me pmsl ..
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 0:07:42 GMT
I am sure being am arsolette works wonders in the fuzz however getting a class 1 medical with ANY Hx of mental instability, ADHD or other psychotropic medication is another. The doctor can say what he wants the airline occy health and national authorities see things very black and White.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 0:12:28 GMT
And if you really have full blown ADHD therapy isn't going to work and all the wishful thinking in the world won't make it go away. Medication is offered for a reason, it works. I am see a lot of the wishful thinking in myself and you know what it takes a lot to realise that some things will never happen. But I refuse to waste my life on pipe dreams anymore and I hate seeing others led astray,
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 0:17:33 GMT
I'm having success after success these days and learning how to cope with my ADHD. I've decided medication isn't for me, at least for now. But do you know something? I've made massive improvements since my diagnosis even just through awareness, not to mention that I've managed to get to grips with a couple of techniques that have helped a great deal.
I have ADHD. Don't you dare try to suggest that's not true just because things have improved for me. You may have given up, but stop trying to drag the rest of us down with you.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 1:58:58 GMT
Given up? No but I have realised I need to accept the help offered ie correct medication along with therapies and that some things as a result of my genetics are not possible.
The fact u are refusing medication and think that therapy and self help alone will work says a lot. The whole 'creative colours' and pilot thing tells me something too. Btw how is your maths and physics? Can you explain ohms law to me? Drag coefficient? What is terminal velocity?
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 2:05:48 GMT
I'm not going to respond to you any more. I don't have to prove myself to you and the fact you're suggesting I'm a liar and delusional simply because my experience of ADHD doesn't fit in with what you think it should be is frankly insulting. Don't speak to me again.
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 9:29:39 GMT
So essentially fingers in ears and lalalala Also something I am familiar with. Harsh truths are harsh, if you are over 25 unless you can stump up the cash up front airlines won't recruit you, any history of ADHD, drug use, depression or mental problems and you won't get licensed and you are usually expected to have at least a 2.1 in maths, physics or aviation.
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Post by dannysquared on May 7, 2012 10:54:00 GMT
That's all the Oxford Aviation Academy ask for, just GCSE maths and physics. You can also train independently with no subject requirements.
My son, with his history of depression, is a First Officer with a well-known airline. He went to the OAA when he was 26 and took their business loan.
Cakedreams, don't give up! Just because one idiot hasn't bothered to do any researsh doesn't mean we're all like that.
I mostly lurk on this forum but I check in regularly so if you've got any questions I'll try my best to answer!
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2012 11:13:37 GMT
That's all the Oxford Aviation Academy ask for, just GCSE maths and physics. You can also train independently with no subject requirements. My son, with his history of depression, is a First Officer with a well-known airline. He went to the OAA when he was 26 and took their business loan. Cakedreams, don't give up! Just because one idiot hasn't bothered to do any researsh doesn't mean we're all like that. I mostly lurk on this forum but I check in regularly so if you've got any questions I'll try my best to answer! Yes, it took me about thirty seconds of googling to find people with ADHD and a class 1 medical licence. You just need to be off medication indefinitely (and for the last two years) and may have to jump through a few hoops re: getting letters from your doctor and flight instructor. I already have Standard Grade (Scottish GSCE equivelant) maths and I'm studying for physics now because I took biology instead at school. With my sister studying for a Masters in physics, I have all the help I need and I'm pretty good at it anyway. Thank you for taking the time to reply! So nice to wake up to this response from someone who knows what they're talking about. I have OAA down as an option but I plan to get my PPL first and then probably do their modular course instead.
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Post by sherry on May 7, 2012 16:10:09 GMT
Regardless of how pointless they maybe and unattainable you gotta have dreams. I dream of winning the lottery, but I would guess I have buckleys chance!!
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