Lived Experience Forum

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

Thank you, @Eve7 🙂

my motivation for the assessment is that I have previously engaged in 20 years of therapy, with a range of clinicians. DBT/CBT etc have only helped to a point. I’ve ended up with so many strategies that it’s like having a second job to implement, it’s exhausting. This leads to me second motivation, cycles of burn out that have repeated throughout my life, which I suspect is due to the cost of masking and over compensation. And lastly, it’s through talking with others who have been diagnosed, who have drawn my attention to ADHD traits I have, of which there are a great many, and witnessing the positive life changing experience a diagnosis and in some chances the right medication has had on them. 
In summary, I want to rule ADHD out before I belly up and accept a diagnosis like BPD for which the stigma is such that it would feel to me (and I stress “to me” as I do respect that BPD is a helpful diagnosis for others and I fully respect that) like a life sentence. 

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

@lavenderhaze @Thanks for your thoughtful reply. 
I do believe that a vast number of women have been misdiagnosed, ignored and/or gaslight for both mental and physical health issues, due to a male-centric approach to western medicine. 
One example of many: Countless women died unnecessarily from heart attacks before they conceded the symptoms are different for women. 
ASD and ADHD/ADD can and often do present very differently in females and I believe this is why we are seeing an influx of newly diagnosed individuals. It’s not a fad, or a trend, this is peoples lives and suffering a stake. 

I wholeheartedly reject the implication going around that the influx of people seeking ADHD/ADD diagnosis is just a grab at accessing stimulant medication. If it works, it works! No one battered an eye lid when I was prescribed SSRIs, even though they were well known to cause weight gain, brain fog, loss of libido, and lovely things like eye sight deterioration. ADHD medications have their own stigma attached. 

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

Thanks for the recommendation to check out @PizzaMondo ‘s post and book recommendations. 🙏🙂

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

@Eden1919 

I am so sorry that has happened to you 💛

You are the community I’m seeking to engage with on this forum, if you’re willing 🙂

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

Thank you @8ppleTree. As hard as this is, I’m not giving up. I may have to step away from the journey to bolster myself, but I’m determined to find the right support.

As a matter of fact, I did go to that session with everything written down, however he steered the direction of the appt with his questions and cut me off before I was able to get to the ADHD/ADD traits and challenges I’d carefully prepared. He also seemed to ignore the purpose of the referral (for an ADHD ax). It wasn’t right or fair. It felt like a money grab to me.

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

@tymeThank you

Ive allowed myself several weeks to recover and learn from that experience, which has been helpful, and am feeling considerably better. The loss of agency experienced was definitely injurious and I’ve recognised that I need to protect myself from that moving forward. 

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

@Doldip15  that sounds like a nightmare, my heart goes out to you, your grandchild and daughter, and family. 
I can’t help but feel half the diagnoses people are given are just a cop out by lazy/ill-informed clinicians. But this is not like receiving a bad meal a restaurant, it’s peoples lives, and sadly can be injurious. 

[AaaaahBlaaaaah]

Got it, thank you. I wasn’t able to log back in to see responses until today. So grateful for everyone’s kind and thoughtful replies 🙏💛

[tyme]

Hey @AaaaahBlaaaaah ,

Thanks for the response. We hope things get better. Keep in mind that MH has it's ups and downs - but please know you are not alone.

[Eden1919]

@AaaaahBlaaaaah  sorry it has taken me a while to respond i have been sick this last week anyway i am happy to talk to you just make sure you tag me so that i dont miss it.