So what do you do when you think you have ADHD? For me, I simply brought it up with my doctor during one of my appointments. “I think I have ADHD,” I said. “What makes you think you have ADHD,” replied the doctor. So I went on to tell him all of the signs that pointed to me having ADHD. He said that it sounded like it, but we have to check it out. He set me up with appointments for a therapist that specializes in ADHD to help me with coping mechanisms, a Psychologist to help in the diagnosis, and with an ADHD testing facility to get formerly diagnosed.

The problems started with scheduling. I was able to get a therapist rather quickly, but I was looking at four months before I could get an appointment with a psychologist, and six months to get tested for ADHD. So the waiting period began. In the mean time, I met with the therapist several times (she was awesome, by the way). She stated that I indeed had ADHD and was impressed with the ways that I had set up processes to help with my struggles with it (more on that in the future). She sent an email to my PCP letting him know of her “diagnosis”.

When I went back to my PCP, he accepted my “diagnosis” and prescribed the generic for Strattera, a non-stimulant drug that is supposed to help with ADHD. I wasn’t noticing a significant difference in my focus on Strattera. When I mentioned this at a later appointment, he doubled my dosage. This also had no perceivable affect on my focus. It did, however, help me to remain calmer in stressful situations, so I continue to remain on it for that currently. I cancelled the other two appointments since I had my “diagnosis,” something that I would later regret doing.

You may be asking yourself, why does he keep putting “diagnosis” in quotes? Well, you’re going to have to wait for the next post to get the answer to that. In the mean time, how were you diagnosed? Did you have any issues?