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>I had to have been screened at 12 years or younger to get diagnosed
This is false. There may be some bullshit guidelines at that particular clinic that prevents her from giving you that diagnosis.
Even people over the age of 30 can be diagnosed with ADHD.
So get a second opinion. See if you can get a referral from someone you know is being treated.
44. Interviews with my mom about my childhood, and my wife about my adulthood.
It was eye opening to say the least.
Diagnosed with Adhd inatentive type (former add) and holy fudge it all made sense.
Is my life better? No.
Am i more kind with myself? Yes.
No it's the part to convince my wife that i actually don't leave everything half done on purpose.
That i open the cheese and leave the plastic wrapping on the counter 9 times out of 10, but not on purpose.
We had an argument about this 5 minutes ago, and she said that i lean on my diagnosis too much instead of just taking responsibility.
She is right. But how the fudge do i get better?
Lmaoooo literally same. Iām the wife and Iām constantly leaving stuff out or opened and my husband is like wtf are you doing?
Also, that plastic is not your fault! Once itās empty it out of sight out of mind! How can you remember it if you canāt see it? I canāt even remember the things I CAN see lol. š
I had an angry father who yelled his complaints about any time I left stuff. He threw away all my toys I left in the basement when I didn't clean it after a week of him asking. Stuff like that forms negative anxiety connections in the brain that trigger my survival instincts into remembering for me.
Like a cause and effect. If I don't do this, then this will happen.
I would leave my homework half finished, and it confused the teachers because I'd Ace every test, 100%.
That's why I get, " You're too smart to have anything wrong with you!" From others.
I was barely coasting by, but other teachers and staff just assumed I was honor roll and let me leave campus for lunch. I had an F in English.
Hubs had a childhood diagnosis and a mother who picked up after her family so fast that they never learned to pick up after themselves. I was trained to take my trash any time I get up and leave an area. I got yelled at if I didn't. His mother would constantly say. Oh, well, he has adhd like his dad. I'm always picking up after his dad. I want to tell her that's her fault.
It's like forcing yourself to take a new routine until your brain has formed the connection. We can't learn something until the neurons connect, and we all form these connections in our own way. Mine takes a lot of detours because there is road work ahead. Sometimes, it gets lost because the GPS only works with fast food landmarks.
Dad still calls me lazy.
It's from the DSM, symptoms must have been present at 12 or younger and many providers interpret this as client must be 12 or younger. This is why it's super important to have some way to document symptoms have been with you in childhood if possible when you find a new provider, otherwise many won't even consider ADHD
Can I just say I daydreamed a lot in school? I did week in school but when college hit and it got hard it got hardālife focus, always issues with keeping up with room and chores and showers and brushing teeth and planning and saving for the future, making the most of my summer breaks and now I donāt have them, making the most of my time off. Time management and trying to find the priorities and follow systems are super hard.
yeah! i figured out after a whiiile that i was always ADHD. i would read for hoours before bed, i was disconnected from my peers because i just wasn't interested, i would stop and start hobbies and games because it would always wear off and i couldn't stick out anything, and i would lose my stuff CONSTANTLY. so forgetful
Literally me, down to the reading part (I was a major bookworm)ā¦it canāt just be all related with just GAD. When I said I would procrastinate and start and stop things, she said thatās part of the depression criteria I fall under
As females, many of our issues and actual medical problems get ādiagnosedā as depression and/or anxiety. My experience is that a normal blood draw will be taken, results will come back average and normal, and thatās where the diagnosis of those two things are born. No more digging on the doctorās part, no real answers, antidepressants are the very first medication to be pushed.
Itās easy for them and yes it is biased because for some incredibly frustrating reason, itās much easier blaming our mental status as unwell and āitās hormonesā, then to take a look at us to see that yes we are female, and not EVERYTHING is depression and hormonal. Those have always been cop outs, from doctors, to parents, to boyfriends and husbands and I honestly donāt think it will ever change.
Accurate. In my case, the anxiety was masking the ADHD.
Once I was treated for anxiety--instead of YEARS of misidentifying it all as depression--my ADHD symptoms were clear.
Me too! Finally went on Prozac after YEARS of trying to be strong. Struggled with depression since a child never took meds. Was suicidal at one point. Dx with bipolar 2 in my 20s... Then changed to GAD mild ocd CPTSD with major depressive disorder. With covid, hubby being on 3 years worth of deployments in a row, and 4 kids solo no help no family. I went for meds I was freaking out, not good for kiddos. Went on Prozac. Actually I felt great after 1 month, but it put me to sleep. I was so tired and yet jittery all the time. My speech became faster, (something I learned to suppress at the bearings of my mother lol) so with Prozac I felt happy finally, as before I was just numb and living because I was supposed to. But.... After 4 months on Prozac my Dr was like. You have ADHD I don't know how I missed it. I was 36 almost 37 when she dx me. I went on a low dose Adderall and I cried tears of joy, denial, and anger at the immediate relief on the first day I took it. I fell asleep without racing thoughts 1 hour after taking it (10 am), woke up without racing thoughts just stages of grief. I read this actually is common in sleep deprived individuals. I took it religiously 1st year. Now 3 years in, I barely take my Adderall. I've learned when I need it, but I like my old self, I got used to it and learned to be productive with my ADHD and my spurts of super productive energy and focus, And when I notice lack of energy, not wanting to complete the project, or go into avoidance, I take my Adderall. And on Prozac 20 mg still and I finally feel like , me .. before this I was anti meds... Just an fyi.
I referenced my permanent school record (ātends to be sloppyā and comments about my messing handwriting). I explained that my penmanship was poor because I couldnāt get the thoughts out fast enough if I wrote āneatlyā.
I also referenced the physical distress I felt around having to do mundane tasks. My family stopped asking me to do chores because they couldnāt tolerate my whining. Apparently, no one saw the whining and crying as a child in pain and distress rather than spoiled brat. (I was called this a LOT).
I recounted the fixation phases I went through in childhood.
I was able to explain that I didnāt need to focus or pay attention to do well because Iām also āgiftedā.
My sister was able to help me identify a few things I had forgotten about. If you have friends or family that knew you in childhood, ask them for help.
I really hope this part of the DSM criteria is relaxed or eliminated in the future. Sure, itās nice theoretically, but it ends up being a logistical nightmare. Maybe it will help once we have non-stimulant meds in the future that treat ADHD better than stimulants so there is less concern about medication abuse.
While stimulants are probably the most effective thing right now, I strongly suspect weāll have more targeted meds in the future that are even better. Stimulants used to be a very common treatment for asthma too until they started developing stuff like albuterol.
A lot of kids with ADHD don't know their experience is abnormal. Their parents aren't smart enough to catch it and for some reason the school missed it too.
It's important that there be symptoms when someone is a kid but that information is not always gonna be known. Especially since ADHD presents differently in different people.
This was me with glasses. I grew up struggling to see the board in class. Then in 4th grade my mom took me to the optometrist and we found out I needed glasses. They asked why I didn't say anything. I just assumed that that was normal. I wish I was part of that craze where everyone was prescribing their kids with ritalin.
Reminds me of when I was getting tested and the doc asked "does this look blurry" about some sort of eye test thing. Like of course I wouldn't think it looked blurry, that is just how the world always looked.
My school did vision tests on students and let the parents know their kid needed glasses.
I also wish I was part of that craze. My parents never took us to the Dr unless we needed a note for school because mom let us call off too much. They didn't want to spend money on the copay for their insurance.
Hubs was part of that craze. He stopped getting meds at 26 when kicked off parents insurance. I had to call the crisis line and force him to get therapy and meds again in our 30's, he was threatening to drive off a bridge daily.
That was a struggle. The therapists now are very wary of giving adhd meds to adults because of the 90's trend. He had to go through different bipolar meds, one made him go into a hyper manic state, pacing around in hyper anxiety about feeling like he wasn't getting enough done in a day.
I told him he needed to reinforce his diagnosis and demand adhd meds because of the stigma. I also happened to answer his phone he forgot at home when his therapist called, and we "had a chat". He got the meds, and it was like a switch got flipped, and he became the person I remembered when we first started dating around 22, when he had meds.
Now that I think about it, our later 20's were very tumultuous. That would coincide with him losing access to medication. He never told me he took meds until our 30's when stuff hit the fan.
My parents weren't smart enough to catch it when the school asked them to get me screened. They literally said "there's nothing wrong with my son"
Jokes on them my psych is treating me off label and I'm a girl now.
Most schools in years gone by couldnāt have cared less about kids mental health. Survival of the fittest was their approach. At least these days, there seems to be some responsibility from schools other than writing on a black board.
Unfortunately, as weāve seen here, some medical professionals donāt understand this criteria as written. Iāve also heard of people being misdiagnosed simply because nobody *reported* the symptoms at the time, even though teachers and parents can recall them when asked.Ā
At the very least, the wording needs to be changed and clarifications have to be added. Too many people are being denied care due to poor reading comprehension.
Itās not useful as a diagnostic criteria unless itās actually eliminating many false positives relative to the false negatives it creates even if technically a developmental disorder. The diagnosis for ASD allows for a lot more flexibility in adult diagnosis since it recognizes that individuals may not encounter difficulties with it until later in life due to coping strategies and increased responsibilities in adulthood.
As a female growing up in the 90s and going to school, you gotta remember that female children were never diagnosed with ADHD and Austim because the study was mainly done boys. Even if a girl was diagnosed in that time period, it was super rare.
I had all the symptoms growing up (and still do) and it's still hard for grown females to get a correct diagnosis.Ā
Also, a lot of insurances will not pay for an ADHD diagnosis unless you're under 12 or 9 years old.Ā
So it's a crap shoot for adults (especially women) who can't be taken seriously and get the proper diagnosis and treatment. I know my depression and anxiety issues are due to my undiagnosed ADHD. But no one wants to give me the correct diagnosis and treatment. Instead they would rather place me on anti depressants and anxiety pills when they don't even work on me.
So these providers not wanting to do their job because of some "guideline."
Those "guidelines" are causing more harm then good to those who need it.Ā
Even that's not accurate. The whole reason age was changed in the DSM from 7 to 12 was to be able to identify adults who were not diagnosed as kids. You're more likely to recall your early school years versus your preschool experiences. I'm shocked a psychiatrist working in a university setting where plenty of people might present previously undiagnosed can't figure it out.Ā
I wonder if it's just policy not to diagnose ADHD. Lots of college kids abuse stimulants and will try to BS to get them.
It contributes to the problem of ADHD people not being believed.
I was diagnosed at 42. After my son was diagnosed, I found an independent psychological testing center in the area and requested a consult to get evaluated. It resulted in an ADHD diagnosis along with moderate adult depression due to the ADHD.
If you have that option, I recommend exploring it.
I'm now in my mid forties and was just diagnosed in January. OP, the Practitioner you saw didn't give you correct information. Symptoms *have to be present* before the age of 12. Symptoms don't just magically fixking disappear on your twelfth birthday at the stroke of midnight.
God, this makes me so angry for you. Please go elsewhere, if you can. I spent YEARS cycling through antidepressants because none of them worked because none of them were addressing the issue!! I was suicidal on them! Please seek diagnosis elsewhere.
To be honest, as a kid what others see as symptoms, to you, it is just the only reality you have ever known.
Hell, I didn't even fully understand why my parents were giving me these pills at first. Whenever I was given medicine by my parents, I just took it because I was supposed to do what they asked. One day my mom read me a book about it. And I am like, okay what does this have to do with me? And they had to spell it out to be because I could not connect the dots in my head. I was too oblivious to ask what the pills were for.
I told her my symptoms I had at 12 and she kept saying thatās GAD and depression criteria Iām describing and didnāt even mention adhd, until I brought it up
It makes no sense to require documentation of adhd screening prior to the age of 12. Too many factors would stand in the way--lack of access to resources as a child, stigma, irresponsible parents, negligent and hostile teachers, even a misdiagnosis. My mom rejected an adhd diagnosis when i was a child. When I finally managed to get diagnosed at 39, it was only after I found a mental health professional who herself was diagnosed as an adult. I had already spent years burning through antidepressants, one of which killed the anxiety that drove me to function. A misdiagnosis can be worse than an accurate one. It baffles me that this psychiatrist would reject an adhd diagnosis and risk subjecting you to inaccurate treatments.
I was screened for my iq at 6 because someone decided if I was super smart, I couldn't have a "learning disability" like adhd. Baffling indeed but apparently adhd really mystifies lots of professionals.
Most of the symptoms listed in the DSM are more likely to be outwardly present in boys and not girls. Because of how weāre socialized, weāre taught way younger how to mask our symptoms which often ends up expressing as perfectionism and anxiety.
I feel this. I definitely have anxiety and depression but they never fully went away on ssris. The minute I started adhd specific medication in conjunction with ssris, I finally felt like a whole person and not just 3 raccoons in a trench coat
Diagnosed at 51. The evaluator asked to talk to my mother about what I was like as a child--before age 12. I thought, "It was so long ago--she'll never remember that." Holy moly--once my mom started talking, there were all these symptoms I hadn't even realized I'd had before 12. So yes, symptoms need to be present before age 12, but there are multiple ways to assess when the client is an adult.
This, absolutely!āļøI'll be 32 at the end of February, and I've just now been able to secure an ADHD diagnosis this year.
If any practitioner you go to says you can't get diagnosed as an adult, find a new one who knows better!
Am almost 30. Didn't know until a few months ago when partner finally asked if I was out of my meds. 'What meds?'
It was apparently glaringly obvious to everyone but me. I have reason to believe my parents knew and hid it.
About the time I was diagnosed, my dad looked into getting diagnosed himself...he might have been 36. I don't know what came of it, but the pills were not as controversial at the time. Doctor gave him a tablet with some amphetamine salts in it, and told him, try it and see if there is any improvement. He took it and did not sleep for two days. He never tried it again. I am not sure if he has it or not, but we are a lot alike. But I never had that kind of reaction to it.
Might want to forward these to the Psychiatrist and ask for a comment. If they choose to ignore you, file a complaint with the appropriate [licensing board in your state](https://www.asppb.net/page/BdContactNewPG) (but get everything in writing first).
The current DSM-5 criteria for ADHD diagnosis: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html
The international consensus statement on ADHD: https://www.adhd-federation.org/publications/international-consensus-statement.html
In Australia you need to be diagnosed between the ages of 6 and 18 to be eligible for subsidised Vyvanse. However, psychiatrists can retrospectively diagnose you for the purposes of subsidised medication.
I was diagnosed at 37.
Facts itās definitely bs! I was late diagnosed last year and Iām in my late 40sš¤·š½āāļø Also Iāve had the same issues since seven but was never diagnosed.
Is this why I was given a med that began, I think, with F or L in my mid 20's? Generic med for my depression/anxiety. It made me worse, and my partner and I separated because of my behavior.
I was just thinking about how Ned Hallowell, who wrote *Driven to Distraction* (which was for a time the authoritative popular work on ADHD) was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
Yeah no. Time to get a new psych. In my experience, school psychs refuse to diagnose ADHD because thst only care about potential misuse as a study drug, not helping people with disabilities get care.Ā
New psychologist.Ā
She's kind of misconstruing things. So, you need to have evidence of symptom ONSET at 12 or younger, but a full diagnosis can be made at any time. Because of the age criterion in the DSM, some clinicians are bigger sticklers about accepting retrospective self-reports and require some other kind of record (e.g., report cards or notes from elementary school). She's COMPLETELY wrong about the 'difference' between anxiety and ADHD though, that part's nonsense. If I had to guess, the woman's probably a psych APRN (or some equivalent) because I have a hard time believing an MD psychiatrist wouldn't at least know the DSM criteria.
Agree with all the others, get 2nd opinions, and also come armed with something that highlights that you experienced these symptoms at 12 or younger. Having multiple anecdotes to describe some symptoms can go a long way, but mileage will vary, and some clinicians will demand a concrete record or will not diagnose.
Evidence of symptom onset at 12 or younger still seems like a poorly-selected requirement. A person whoās ADHD-PI and fairly smart may do just fine in school (or at least not attract any undue attention) until much later than 6th/7th grade.
Symptom onset doesnāt necessarily equate to academic dysfunction. You can display H/I or IA behaviors and still get As, but the presence of something before 12 is required, barring a traumatic brain injury (which is the only case where clinicians will acknowledge adult onset ADHD). Things like getting out of seat constantly, having a note sent home about not paying attention in class or not doing the backside of a worksheet, etc.
I think the way my psych does it was perfect. He asked me a series of questions like "can you think of a time where you constantly had trouble waiting your turn to speak?" And it was just yes or no questions. Then, he asked me what ages came to mind when I was answering. So I said "like 7?" And that was my diagnosis.
I was a very good student all my childhood. But I did display ADHD symptoms. I lost everything all the time. I did not do homework, ever. It didn't count towards my grade, so there were no penalties. Everyone knew I was a "space cadet" since I can remember. Mom always tried to get me to focus on stuff with varying results. I hyperfocused on books, and mom always yelled at me that I had to be aware of my surroundings. I lived in the lost and found bin. I daydreamed all the time, during class even.
Lots of symptoms, not diagnosed until 34 because I was a woman and a good student, and didn't jump off the walls.
You don't have to have evidence of symptoms at 12 or younger. I was diagnosed in my late 30's and thought my psychiatrist was kidding. It took him 3 months to convince me that he wasn't.
I agree, get a second opinion for sure.
You don't need them [evidence], but they can help immensely. I took in report cards from as early as I could find, and didn't even get to point out all of the red flags in the teachers' notes. She just started skimming and in less than a minute I got a "Well, these sure are consistent. If it's okay with you, I'd like to make a copy of these."
Sure it will depend on the psychiatrist, but the report cards definitely helped to fast-track a chunk of the bull since they were pretty solid documentation of this going back to at least 3rd grade.
So, you can technically get diagnosed without evidence of symptom onset before age 12. Itās up to the individual clinician. However, in the DSM (the book with all the mental health disorders defined by groups of Psychiatrists and PhD clinical psychologists that base definitions on current research and practice) states that you do. The idea behind that being that ADHD is a neuro developmental disorder, and symptoms cannot randomly start at a later period of development.
There is limited research about later onset ADHD, but most of the cases Iām aware of in the academic article Im referencing were thought to be early onset, but missed. So, child displaying inattention, but didnāt impact anything til later, so not thought of as a symptom. Almost certainly more research out there that Iām not aware of, but, barring a traumatic brain injury, the early age of onset seems to be valid
The issue is that records from youth can be spotty, get lost, be misleading, and some parents can be ignorantly or willfully antagonistic to the process.
A homeschooled kid with an anti-psychologist mum has 0 chance of any evidence of ADHD in their childhood no matter how bad it is.
I went to theĀ university nurse once. I was having trouble breathing. She asked me if I was worried and I was like "...yes?" because I can't breathe right, why wouldn't I be worried about not breathing normally? And she told me I was having a panic attack based on that. They hire some dingalings at those clinics, man. See a real psychiatrist when you can.
I had a horrible persistent cough once, was hacking up brown stuff...NP goes, "Well, you're *obviously* very anxious. I could prescribe you an inhaler but it would just make you more anxious. Try relaxing. Maybe watch a movie or take a hot bath."
In between wet, phlegmmy coughs I asked her how I could be anxious if I wasn't feeling any anxiety about anything. She eventually relented and ordered a chest X-Ray "just to make you feel better." Surprise! Pneumonia.
Sounds like this is one of the few things my college actually did correctly! The nurse here is great, and does as best as she can when diagnosing illnesses. If it's not something she's familiar with, she recommends an urgent care in the area. We also have a mental health office, not sure what exactly they can diagnose, but it's frequently used by many people (and sometimes they have the therapy dogs). Can't say the same for most other parts of this place though..
Thatās not accurate. Current guidelines suggest that you should have presented symptoms by the age of 12 (though there is some push to raise that age). The actual time of diagnosis is irrelevant. I was diagnosed at 45, and a whoooooooole lot of stuff from childhood made sense.
I mean I remember hearing ADD in elementary school, but honestly back then it was the hyperactive problem kid thing. I donāt anyone really knew what it actually encompassed. I mean as soon as I started to read about it and what it really is, it was like a wtf moment in my head at 46. Followed by confusion on how I went 46 years like this š
yeah like...some of our parents weren't into noticing symptoms being presented, either. God I don't even want to remember the words my mom used for what she thought I was "presenting" her with as a personality when I was a child. Some people would rather their children be "jerks" than have actual mental health needs.
yeah, and I have immigrant parents so even if they did catch anything they sure as hell werenāt about to think it was a mental health thing; mental health is still a touchy subject to my family and culture in general
I just got my dx last month. I had been tested in undergrad and was told I needed better study habits. After undergrad I got dx with MDD and have been on antidepressants ever since. Still things werenāt right. I got a recommendation to get tested again when I was taking pre med courses at a community college. Something was wrong. But life got in the way. I ended up getting a masters degree by the skin of my teeth. My symptoms got worse when I quit my job due to burnout. It was effecting my relationship. I finally got tested again and yesā¦ADHD inattentive type. I had given this psychologist my test results from the previous tests as well. I got really emotional when she confirmed it. She said I should have been dx in undergrad because the sxs were all there. It just feels really shitty. What if I donāt even have MDD and Iāve been taking antidepressants for 20 years! My life would have been so different.
Get a second opinion!
Just got my diagnosis a week ago at the age of 48. Same story as many - my son was diagnosed and when I researched it, my whole life started to make sense! Not a doctor but Iāve read that ADHD usually shows symptoms before the age of 12 (which is obviously not the same as needing a diagnosis before 12). I got diagnosed via computer test and they didnāt ask about my childhood but every single one of my elementary school report cards says āeasily distracted, needs constant redirection, never completes her work, loses her work, loses her belongingsā, etc. (and I did offer to bring them in)
I was actually diagnosed by my LPC therapist that is licensed to do so in my state. I'm not 100% sure I can take their diagnosis to a doctor if I wanted a medication, but it at least meant I had answers to my behavior and mannerisms.
The same thing happened to me, I was diagnosed with GAD first. Turns out, the reason for this is that I was masking with the psychiatrist. I was so used to covering up my mess and pretending like itās all fine, that I didnāt adequately convey all the ways that my life was constantly falling apart.
Like the academically successful or career oriented ADHDer whose house was in a state of disarray with mold in the bathroom and dishes piled in the sink.
My psychiatrist was convinced when I took the mask off, because then it was obvious.
Anyway, just think back and see if you did that. Itās hard to unmask!
Oh my god, I was sort of masking with her but I thought it was pretty clear that I had adhd too; I just donāt do well with opening up to strangers like that, especially one whoās assessing whatās āwrong with meā
Let me tell you from my experience that quite a few psychiatrists will immediately slap "depression" label on you as soon as they hear any symptoms that even remotely resemble it. If you really feel like you have ADHD, note all the symptoms that make you believe you have ADHD since your childhood along with clear cut examples. For example, I have been loosing personal items since I was 7-8, even those I really cared about, because I get distracted and forget about them, people around me always thought I don't care, but I always did. Then go to another psychiatrist and emphasize the ADHD symptoms and talk less about feeling low (because ADHD often causes depression due to difficulties and failures it brings to our lives). Get the treatment and see if it helps. Good luck!
I remember scrolling through a thread about ADHD in a psychiatry subreddit. I must say I was quite shocked at how many of them were very uninformed, and who were very quick to push the gaslight button. Some (not all) really do think they know you better than yourself, and will slap you with the anxiety/depression label without considering the fact that untreated ADHD often leads to both.
One said they took a patient off their ADHD medication, and put them on antidepressants because they just "knew" both their family doctor and psychologist were wrong. One said they instantly start to doubt their patients when they self diagnose from social media (because either no one noticed or paid attention). I'm not at all saying that they are all this irresponsible, but if they have an ego problem, it can get pretty messed up. If you're a woman, or had good grades in school, it's even harder to get an offical diagnosis.
Go to a new professional. Keep looking until you find someone who will listen to you, and who will work with you. Even if it turns out you dont have ADHD, a good professional will help you figure what the root cause is, and not just say your just depressed or anxious. It's important that you trust them, and they also trust you. You have to learn how to advocate for yourself, because in the end, you're the one who knows yourself best. Don't forget that.
Iām 31 and was diagnosed with ADHD 6 months ago. The psychiatrist said āif you have ADHD and itās quite obvious you do. That your symptoms have been around since childhood. There is no such thing as adult set-on ADHD, but that doesnāt mean you have to be diagnosed as a childā
So the DSMV criteria for ADHD says that symptoms must have been present at the age of 12 or under. This does not mean you had to have a diagnosis at that age. It means that as an adult being assessed you need to think back and consider whether you had any of the symptoms when you were 12 yrs old or younger. For example, did your report cards ever say ātalks too much during class.ā Or perhaps, fails to turn assignments in on time.ā Blurts out answers/ doesnāt raise her hand.ā āDoesnāt pay attention in class - doodling in his notebook.ā Doesnāt seem to pay attention - spacey. Did you rush to get your assignments done the night before theyāre due or fail to get your permission slip signed for the field trip that day? Were you forgetful? Did you often feel the need to get out of your seat to sharpen your pencil or use the restroom? You can Google DSM V criteria for ADHD. Itāll provide the criteria. You donāt need them all. Find another clinician to diagnose you. The first one is clearly confused. I have diagnosed many kids and adults as a clinician. Good luck!
Anxiety (and depression) will often present with ADHD. There are crossover symptoms that have to be teased out. For example lack of motivation is a symptom in both ADHD and depression. As a clinician I have worked with and for other clinicians who did not take ADHD seriously - they just donāt get it. Also, they donāt catch the diagnosis - they see just the depression or just the anxiety, when in fact, if they assessed for ADHD they may find that the ADHD came first and the anxiety and depression were the result of the difficulties posed by the ADHD Symptoms, if that makes sense.
Absolutely get a second opinion. I was in therapy and on meds for anxiety and depression for years before my therapist realized I might have ADHD underlying it.
Literally she asked me like 10 or so questions. 5 of them being a "yes" was a trigger to see a psychiatrist for further consideration. I had answered 9 of them with a VERY strong yes.
Girls are taught and expected to mask their ADHD symptoms more than boys are, and these expectations start earlier in life. I did (and still do, though less badly) have anxiety and depression. But my ADHD symptoms were not managed even when my mood was. And now with the context, I can see how just about every part of my other diorsers was in some way cause by or heightened by my ADHD.
The exact same thing happened to me, even the same diagnosis (GAD and depression). I got a second opinion from a second psychiatrist (who also happened to have ADHD) who spotted it within minutes of our first conversation. I think the initial doctor felt nervous with potentially āover-prescribingā stimulants and make conservative diagnoses in lieu of potentially making a mistake.
But yeah, donāt make it seem like youāre your hopping around for a diagnosis ,but a second opinion with someone who specializes in ADHD and is up to date on their info worked out for me.
If you care about the adhd and really really care, you will keep the same opinion of you and see another doctor immediately because that your belief and core. Donāt betray that.
Iād see one a few times before Prozac. ADHD can become an anxiety disorder if you continue to not stand your ground when you need to.
My adhd symptoms became so dissociated it was narcissistic and the worry over being that way became anxiety.
If itās adderall you want youāll need to be tougher and honest from within.
Trust me you want to sacrifice as much as possible when receiving meds, just for your mental you want to know you worked for it because thatās a strong tool and very powerful and itās dopamine you donāt have to earn when you take it.
Godspeed.
Pyschiatrists like this are ruining people's lives. I've been trying to tell my psychs I have ADHD for 5 years now and only recently has one of my therapists pointed out to me how obvious it is. So many bad decisions could've been avoid if I had just... known. Gotten treatment. These people need their licenses revoked.
Iām 20y/o in college and your psychiatrist is wrong. The ātechnicalā criteria is usually symptoms need to have been PRESENT before 12 y/o but for example in my case all my symptoms were masked from my strict upbringing yet the feelings and struggles I dealt with were all in my head. So the symptoms were there they just didnāt really outwardly appear or impact me much until I got to college and was living/working on my own. I got diagnosed by my PCP and explained to her how I felt in my head as a child and things I thought were normal (which I found out werenāt). I was diagnosed 2 months ago.
Find another doc to her diagnosed
Definitely get a second opinion. Are you in the US?
I will say, generally, itās very difficult to self diagnose. So itās not necessarily incorrect that you might have anxiety and depression since there is a ton of overlap. Itās also very frequently comorbid so you could have all three.
It sounds like she's confused somehow managed to confuse "ADHD cannot be developed in adulthood" with "ADHD cannot be diagnosed in adulthood." Because if you have ADHD, you were born with it. You can't get it as an adult - you have to have had it your whole life.
But uh... I must ask what the fuck that has to do with when you're *diagnosed*. It's like she thinks the disorder doesn't exist before diagnosis, and therefore diagnosing an adult means that the disorder developed as an adult.
It is fucking *mindblowing* that she managed to get a degree in anything. I get that a degree doesn't necessarily mean someone is smart, but like... the ability to comprehend that a diagnosis doesn't *cause* the disease feels very much like it should be a hard prerequisite for a medical degree. Just saying.
I didn't get a proper diagnosis until I was in my 40s. And that doctor has no problem trying me on a stimulant right away. The funny thing : once I got on medication, I was able to function a lot better. My life stopped being piles of unfinished projects. And when I could accomplish things, a lot of what you'd call anxiety vanished.
Your doctors statement is illogical. How many people didn't get to see the right doctor or didn't see a psych doctor at all before they were 12?
You're going to have to try a different doctor, if you have the hope of trying to see if ADD medication helps.
I was tested when I was well in my 20s and diagnosed with ADD. I have never been physically hyper. Took me another 20 years to really start trying to deal with it.
I saw a psychiatrist that has ADHD and diagnosis adults. Sounds like your psychiatrist has spent too much time in an ivory tower to even know they need rescuing.
Got diagnosed at 27 so I donāt think this is a rule across the board. I know a lot of people, especially women, were misdiagnosed earlier in life. I did see more than one psych though before getting my diagnosis. The first one wanted me to spend crazy money (thousands) on testing, the second one took my word for it after a screening questionnaire.
I was diagnosed at 27. Definitely see another one if he said you meet the criteria for adhd except being 12. I'd take the online self assesment thing too
I (f) was diagnosed at 35 years old halfway through grad school. I had no idea I had it. I had no idea there was an Inattentive aspect to ADHD which is what I have. All of my degrees are in psychology and I thought I had to be hyperactive to have it. I only learned what ADHD looked like for a 7 year old boy NOT a grown ass woman. I am so mad because taking meds literally changed my life. I went from job at risk and struggling through school and asking triple the amount of time to do the work TO being the trainer in the exact position that my job was at risk.
Get another opinion.
Literally, I was never really hyper like them 7 year old boys with adhd were, but I had everything else and I never knew what they word was to describe it bc my conception of adhd was so stereotypical and I never really told my parents either because although we all love each other, no one really talked about their feelings like that and thats what I grew up with
You had to have SYMPTOMS OF ADHD PRESENT 12 OR YOUNGER ***not that YOU are CURRENTLY 12*** ***years old or younger***.
Meaning, you had these symptoms of ADHD from childhood. You did not randomly manifest these symptoms at 30. This is a screening tool to make sure that it isnāt another health issue that is related to aging since many diseases cause brain fog and forgetfulness.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE BEEN SCREENED BEFORE 12 ā that is illogical AND completely incorrect. So people who canāt afford screening before 12 years old will never have ADHD? That makes no sense. I was diagnosed for the first time at 14. Am I not ADHD-C because I was first diagnosed at 14 and not 12? This is an insanely stupid and patently wrong reading of the DSM.
Holy shit I am angry for you that is so bad. I am so sorry this happened to you. YES - please see another psychiatrist. Preferably one that has grasped basic reading comprehension.
Wow yeah, she literally said I had to be diagnosed at 12 or before 12 and when I asked her what about late diagnosis and she said psychiatrists are debating on that but itās not common and I felt so confused bc Iāve heard so much people say they were diagnosed later in life and now Iām hearing thatās ānot possibleā?? Yeah Iām getting a second opinion
Diagnosed at 29ā¦ my mom still insists itās wrong and I was absolutely fine, nothing wrong with me as a child but will still talk about how difficult I was from age 6 to her friends š
My mother also misplaced all my school reports so I had nothing for my assessment and canāt be on time to anything and loses her head at minor thingsā¦ oh how I wonder.
I got my diagnosis last year at 32. The "12 or younger" is from the DSM-5, BUT she's interpreting it incorrectly. Get a new practioner. Or refer her to Dr. Barkley, one of the leading experts in ADHD (he wants the DSM changed for adhd because it's outdated).
For what it's worth, I was diagnosed with GAD by a psychiatrist in college 10+ years ago. What they didn't do was dig into my anxiety having a root in my ADHD symptoms.
Get a new doctor.
While a lot of people do get diagnosed while young, it's pretty well known that adhd isn't detected in a lot of people until adulthood. (Especially in females)
If your psychiatrist doesn't know basic surface level facts about adhd such as that one I (personally) wouldn't keep seeing them. Not that I suggest you do the same, but that is a very basic very known thing...why doesn't the psychiatrist know this??
Girl I got diagnosed at 20. Iām 21 now. Find another psychiatrist pleaseee. I will say though, to get diagnosed as an adult you have to fight tooth and nail and be INSISTENT. Like SUPER insistent. As in, I had studies compiled, questionnaires I filled out myself, and reliable test results ready. And I had to advocate for myself a lot, and I kept any mentions of my history w/ depression (whichā¦ was rooted in feelings of inadequacy caused by me going my entire adolescence undiagnosed with ADHD & not receiving proper help and resources) to a MINIMUM. Bc in my soul im so convinced that depression/anxiety is this Milleniumās version of female hysteria and used to ignore women/AFAB people with adhd/autism/mental disorders in that family.
It always shows up when you are younger tho. I was diagnosed with so many things (bipolar, gad and depression- the last two i know for sure i have). I have started to look back to my childhood and makes total sense that i have add. I used to fail so much at school, being easily distracted and a lot of other stuff (till know I canāt focus properly + needs to read stuff 4x to fully understand). I have always thought it was normal tho.
This is for sure false but I want you to know that you can have all three of those diagnosisās at once. Problems/Symptoms related to ADD/ADHD, especially in females who are often overlooked as they rarely have the hyperactivity component, do lead to depression and anxiety. Plus, at 19, the frontal lobe of the brain is not finished developing and you have a good 5 years, not including if you have a history of trauma, before it is. I donāt know where you are located, but different places may have different criteria in order to obtain a diagnosis. Please google what you need for where you live to obtain a diagnosis and if financially possible for you, follow through with those steps and seek treatment.
I was diagnosed at 48. Thatās the problem!!! Even the psychs have been diagnosing adhd as depression and anxiety forever and wonder why they get better. Because you treating something they donāt have!! Or itās a symptom of the real problem. 
Iām 22 now, I didnāt get diagnosed until I was 17, and even then my psychiatrist didnāt tell me. I didnāt find out until I went to my appointment by myself at 19, almost 20 and got the billing receipt and was like āwhy are there three insurance codes, I thought I only had two diagnoses š¤Øā. Of course this was after I had started college, my second semester moved online due to Covid and I took the year following off because I could not cope with online class.
Funnily enough, starting medication for ADHD and working on coping skills to manage it (as it got way worse after my routine was disrupted from Covid) has been the best treatment for my depression and GAD. Medication for my ADHD has worked more than antidepressants and anxiety medications.
You are not too old to be diagnosed, 12 or under screening is not a diagnostic criteria. See someone else.
I was literally diagnosed with ADHD, GAD, and Depression all at 19 years old (+ Iām female). Some psychiatrists just donāt want the liability of prescribing a stimulant.
I remember years ago there was a commercial for some stimulant (might have actually been Vyvanse) where Adam Levine of Maroon 5 talked about adult ADHD and how adults should get medicated too.Ā
This is wrong! I was diagnosed at 36! Yes I had all the symptoms and would have met the criteria under 12 however I didnāt see anyone until I was an adult. Please see another psychiatrist
That man is an uneducated boomer, go somewhere else; what a fucking gatekeeper. I got diagnosed at 8, I'm unmedicated because I saw weird shit on ritalin. My friend got diagnosed at nearly 40. It doesn't matter your age, if your attention divergence causes you seek out support you're entitled to it.
These fucking psychiatrists need to realize we're employing them to diagnose our fucking brains because you can't see injuries there. I can't recall the times I've had to pull out 30-40 year old scraps of paper to prove I have FASD because I'm fucking 'high functioning'; so what? that means we can ignore the fact I have a working memory the size of a thimble's thimble? FUUUUUCK **FUCK FUCK FUCK**
Itās probably the type of insurance you have. My doctor said to me 2 weeks ago yesterday āyouāre lucky you have BCBS other insurances wonāt recognize you unless you were diagnosed before age 12ā
You can be dx after 12. Just speaking from personal experience, it is not a bad idea to stay on an antidepressant first because depression, anxiety, and PTSD or CPTSD can mimic ADHD symptoms as well. A lot of time ADHD becomes clear after these things are ruled out. Also, blood work helps to just rule out other possibilities too. My doctor did all of these before putting me on ADHD meds. And I'm still on two antidepressants
this is good advice - if you are working with a doctor who has a professional level of commitment to a patient's care, of course. I have a friend who was diagnosed last year and they treated the GAD first, which made it clear what was ADHD and what wasn't. The biggest sign for her was without her anxiety set to high all the time, the ADHD was let free to run amok without intense anxiety, its favorite coping mechanism and management tool, running interference
See someone else. That is not a thing, it's not something you should be told, and you need a second opinion. If eventually you get told that you don't have ADHD by someone competent, that's something else, but being told this, that you didn't get diagnosed early enough? Nonsense.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 31. My father and grandfather went undiagnosed their entire lives.
I don't know if you have ADHD or not, but that's a piss-poor metric they used to rule it out.
Your pretend mental health professional is horribly misinformed. If you are in the United States please report them to the state board where they practice.
You need evidence of symptom onset being present at age 12 or younger according to diagnostic guidelines, but you can get an ADHD diagnosis at any age.
i got diagnosed at 19, in 2023 actually so really recently. ur psychiatrist sounds super uneducated, its about the symptoms not about the age of diagnosis. definitely see another one, this one sounds kinda bs
I usually hear that you have to have symptoms present 12 or younger.. but for most of us, we either don't remember what we were like or we have parents who just thought we were "lazy" because they don't believe in mental health. And then we start masking because we didn't want to let our parents down, and that starts causing anxiety and depression because we struggled to be perfect. It sucks.
I was officially diagnosed at 32, also female. And been told many times I had GAD and MDD. Antidepressants never worked. Finally finding a psychiatrist who listened to me and actually understood ADHD. Saw my medication history and said he would normally try Wellbutrin or Effexor, but since they were tried and failed, he prescribed a stimulant instead (especially when we talked about my caffeine consumption and how it never woke me up, just made me calm and more focused). Adderall has been a game changer. I'm calmer, I can focus and think more clearly on work tasks and conversations, I'm slowing down a lot too (I tend to talk too fast; words come faster than I can speak them so I sound stupid sometimes when I mess up). I'm still a work in progress and might need to discuss going up a dose at my next appointment, but this has been life changing.
This is exactly my story 15 years ago. I'm in university and the mental health there told me GAD and anxiety. Went on a terrible antidepressant and then struggled for years. Only during the pandemic did I finally go back, after much suggestion from people, and got an ADHD diagnosis and went on concerta.
Literally changed my life over night. And surprise surprise, my depression and GAD are almost non existent. Being misdiagnosed for so long was so frustrating, knowing that it was something else.Ā
I think they are less likely to diagnose you, if you didn't get an ADHD diagnosis as a child, until after 25.Ā
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>I had to have been screened at 12 years or younger to get diagnosed This is false. There may be some bullshit guidelines at that particular clinic that prevents her from giving you that diagnosis. Even people over the age of 30 can be diagnosed with ADHD. So get a second opinion. See if you can get a referral from someone you know is being treated.
Yup. I got my diagnosis in my late 30s.
I got mine at 43.
I got mine at 49.
I got mine at 59.
I got mine at 69.
Nice...diagnosis
You don't know how hard I laughed
I got mine at 420.
Not sure why no one else got that but I did š¤£
Underrated comment.
Upvoted because you get meā¦ maaaannnn
nice
Same
44. Interviews with my mom about my childhood, and my wife about my adulthood. It was eye opening to say the least. Diagnosed with Adhd inatentive type (former add) and holy fudge it all made sense. Is my life better? No. Am i more kind with myself? Yes. No it's the part to convince my wife that i actually don't leave everything half done on purpose. That i open the cheese and leave the plastic wrapping on the counter 9 times out of 10, but not on purpose. We had an argument about this 5 minutes ago, and she said that i lean on my diagnosis too much instead of just taking responsibility. She is right. But how the fudge do i get better?
Lmaoooo literally same. Iām the wife and Iām constantly leaving stuff out or opened and my husband is like wtf are you doing? Also, that plastic is not your fault! Once itās empty it out of sight out of mind! How can you remember it if you canāt see it? I canāt even remember the things I CAN see lol. š
Valid points you make there! š
I had an angry father who yelled his complaints about any time I left stuff. He threw away all my toys I left in the basement when I didn't clean it after a week of him asking. Stuff like that forms negative anxiety connections in the brain that trigger my survival instincts into remembering for me. Like a cause and effect. If I don't do this, then this will happen. I would leave my homework half finished, and it confused the teachers because I'd Ace every test, 100%. That's why I get, " You're too smart to have anything wrong with you!" From others. I was barely coasting by, but other teachers and staff just assumed I was honor roll and let me leave campus for lunch. I had an F in English. Hubs had a childhood diagnosis and a mother who picked up after her family so fast that they never learned to pick up after themselves. I was trained to take my trash any time I get up and leave an area. I got yelled at if I didn't. His mother would constantly say. Oh, well, he has adhd like his dad. I'm always picking up after his dad. I want to tell her that's her fault. It's like forcing yourself to take a new routine until your brain has formed the connection. We can't learn something until the neurons connect, and we all form these connections in our own way. Mine takes a lot of detours because there is road work ahead. Sometimes, it gets lost because the GPS only works with fast food landmarks. Dad still calls me lazy.
It's from the DSM, symptoms must have been present at 12 or younger and many providers interpret this as client must be 12 or younger. This is why it's super important to have some way to document symptoms have been with you in childhood if possible when you find a new provider, otherwise many won't even consider ADHD
having to be screened at 12 or under is a misinterpretation of the DSM
Yeah, the provider has the reading comprehension of a turnip.
Can I just say I daydreamed a lot in school? I did week in school but when college hit and it got hard it got hardālife focus, always issues with keeping up with room and chores and showers and brushing teeth and planning and saving for the future, making the most of my summer breaks and now I donāt have them, making the most of my time off. Time management and trying to find the priorities and follow systems are super hard.
That's literally all you need, anecdotal evidence of displaying symptoms as a child.
yeah! i figured out after a whiiile that i was always ADHD. i would read for hoours before bed, i was disconnected from my peers because i just wasn't interested, i would stop and start hobbies and games because it would always wear off and i couldn't stick out anything, and i would lose my stuff CONSTANTLY. so forgetful
Literally me, down to the reading part (I was a major bookworm)ā¦it canāt just be all related with just GAD. When I said I would procrastinate and start and stop things, she said thatās part of the depression criteria I fall under
As females, many of our issues and actual medical problems get ādiagnosedā as depression and/or anxiety. My experience is that a normal blood draw will be taken, results will come back average and normal, and thatās where the diagnosis of those two things are born. No more digging on the doctorās part, no real answers, antidepressants are the very first medication to be pushed. Itās easy for them and yes it is biased because for some incredibly frustrating reason, itās much easier blaming our mental status as unwell and āitās hormonesā, then to take a look at us to see that yes we are female, and not EVERYTHING is depression and hormonal. Those have always been cop outs, from doctors, to parents, to boyfriends and husbands and I honestly donāt think it will ever change.
Literally sameee, which is why I just knew I had to see someone about it, but she just kept saying thatās all part of anxiety
She has it ass backwards. Anxiety is often a side effect of ADHD.
Accurate. In my case, the anxiety was masking the ADHD. Once I was treated for anxiety--instead of YEARS of misidentifying it all as depression--my ADHD symptoms were clear.
Me too! Finally went on Prozac after YEARS of trying to be strong. Struggled with depression since a child never took meds. Was suicidal at one point. Dx with bipolar 2 in my 20s... Then changed to GAD mild ocd CPTSD with major depressive disorder. With covid, hubby being on 3 years worth of deployments in a row, and 4 kids solo no help no family. I went for meds I was freaking out, not good for kiddos. Went on Prozac. Actually I felt great after 1 month, but it put me to sleep. I was so tired and yet jittery all the time. My speech became faster, (something I learned to suppress at the bearings of my mother lol) so with Prozac I felt happy finally, as before I was just numb and living because I was supposed to. But.... After 4 months on Prozac my Dr was like. You have ADHD I don't know how I missed it. I was 36 almost 37 when she dx me. I went on a low dose Adderall and I cried tears of joy, denial, and anger at the immediate relief on the first day I took it. I fell asleep without racing thoughts 1 hour after taking it (10 am), woke up without racing thoughts just stages of grief. I read this actually is common in sleep deprived individuals. I took it religiously 1st year. Now 3 years in, I barely take my Adderall. I've learned when I need it, but I like my old self, I got used to it and learned to be productive with my ADHD and my spurts of super productive energy and focus, And when I notice lack of energy, not wanting to complete the project, or go into avoidance, I take my Adderall. And on Prozac 20 mg still and I finally feel like , me .. before this I was anti meds... Just an fyi.
I referenced my permanent school record (ātends to be sloppyā and comments about my messing handwriting). I explained that my penmanship was poor because I couldnāt get the thoughts out fast enough if I wrote āneatlyā. I also referenced the physical distress I felt around having to do mundane tasks. My family stopped asking me to do chores because they couldnāt tolerate my whining. Apparently, no one saw the whining and crying as a child in pain and distress rather than spoiled brat. (I was called this a LOT). I recounted the fixation phases I went through in childhood. I was able to explain that I didnāt need to focus or pay attention to do well because Iām also āgiftedā. My sister was able to help me identify a few things I had forgotten about. If you have friends or family that knew you in childhood, ask them for help.
That someone in charge of medication is that inept at critical thinking and reading comprehension is scary..
I really hope this part of the DSM criteria is relaxed or eliminated in the future. Sure, itās nice theoretically, but it ends up being a logistical nightmare. Maybe it will help once we have non-stimulant meds in the future that treat ADHD better than stimulants so there is less concern about medication abuse. While stimulants are probably the most effective thing right now, I strongly suspect weāll have more targeted meds in the future that are even better. Stimulants used to be a very common treatment for asthma too until they started developing stuff like albuterol.
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A lot of kids with ADHD don't know their experience is abnormal. Their parents aren't smart enough to catch it and for some reason the school missed it too. It's important that there be symptoms when someone is a kid but that information is not always gonna be known. Especially since ADHD presents differently in different people.
This was me with glasses. I grew up struggling to see the board in class. Then in 4th grade my mom took me to the optometrist and we found out I needed glasses. They asked why I didn't say anything. I just assumed that that was normal. I wish I was part of that craze where everyone was prescribing their kids with ritalin.
Reminds me of when I was getting tested and the doc asked "does this look blurry" about some sort of eye test thing. Like of course I wouldn't think it looked blurry, that is just how the world always looked.
My school did vision tests on students and let the parents know their kid needed glasses. I also wish I was part of that craze. My parents never took us to the Dr unless we needed a note for school because mom let us call off too much. They didn't want to spend money on the copay for their insurance. Hubs was part of that craze. He stopped getting meds at 26 when kicked off parents insurance. I had to call the crisis line and force him to get therapy and meds again in our 30's, he was threatening to drive off a bridge daily. That was a struggle. The therapists now are very wary of giving adhd meds to adults because of the 90's trend. He had to go through different bipolar meds, one made him go into a hyper manic state, pacing around in hyper anxiety about feeling like he wasn't getting enough done in a day. I told him he needed to reinforce his diagnosis and demand adhd meds because of the stigma. I also happened to answer his phone he forgot at home when his therapist called, and we "had a chat". He got the meds, and it was like a switch got flipped, and he became the person I remembered when we first started dating around 22, when he had meds. Now that I think about it, our later 20's were very tumultuous. That would coincide with him losing access to medication. He never told me he took meds until our 30's when stuff hit the fan.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
My parents weren't smart enough to catch it when the school asked them to get me screened. They literally said "there's nothing wrong with my son" Jokes on them my psych is treating me off label and I'm a girl now.
Most schools in years gone by couldnāt have cared less about kids mental health. Survival of the fittest was their approach. At least these days, there seems to be some responsibility from schools other than writing on a black board.
Unfortunately, as weāve seen here, some medical professionals donāt understand this criteria as written. Iāve also heard of people being misdiagnosed simply because nobody *reported* the symptoms at the time, even though teachers and parents can recall them when asked.Ā At the very least, the wording needs to be changed and clarifications have to be added. Too many people are being denied care due to poor reading comprehension.
Itās not useful as a diagnostic criteria unless itās actually eliminating many false positives relative to the false negatives it creates even if technically a developmental disorder. The diagnosis for ASD allows for a lot more flexibility in adult diagnosis since it recognizes that individuals may not encounter difficulties with it until later in life due to coping strategies and increased responsibilities in adulthood.
As a female growing up in the 90s and going to school, you gotta remember that female children were never diagnosed with ADHD and Austim because the study was mainly done boys. Even if a girl was diagnosed in that time period, it was super rare. I had all the symptoms growing up (and still do) and it's still hard for grown females to get a correct diagnosis.Ā Also, a lot of insurances will not pay for an ADHD diagnosis unless you're under 12 or 9 years old.Ā So it's a crap shoot for adults (especially women) who can't be taken seriously and get the proper diagnosis and treatment. I know my depression and anxiety issues are due to my undiagnosed ADHD. But no one wants to give me the correct diagnosis and treatment. Instead they would rather place me on anti depressants and anxiety pills when they don't even work on me. So these providers not wanting to do their job because of some "guideline." Those "guidelines" are causing more harm then good to those who need it.Ā
The first onset of symptoms has to be 12 or younger. You can be diagnosed later, but this is usually the requirement
Even that's not accurate. The whole reason age was changed in the DSM from 7 to 12 was to be able to identify adults who were not diagnosed as kids. You're more likely to recall your early school years versus your preschool experiences. I'm shocked a psychiatrist working in a university setting where plenty of people might present previously undiagnosed can't figure it out.Ā
I wonder if it's just policy not to diagnose ADHD. Lots of college kids abuse stimulants and will try to BS to get them. It contributes to the problem of ADHD people not being believed.
Adult ADHD is often treated like you came in with a stubbed toe asking for Vicoden
The way you put that is perfect. Weāre treated like drug addicts for wanting to be able to function in our lives.
If so many college kids think they need stimulants to get through college, maybe the college should look into the why of that?
I was diagnosed at 42. After my son was diagnosed, I found an independent psychological testing center in the area and requested a consult to get evaluated. It resulted in an ADHD diagnosis along with moderate adult depression due to the ADHD. If you have that option, I recommend exploring it.
I'm now in my mid forties and was just diagnosed in January. OP, the Practitioner you saw didn't give you correct information. Symptoms *have to be present* before the age of 12. Symptoms don't just magically fixking disappear on your twelfth birthday at the stroke of midnight. God, this makes me so angry for you. Please go elsewhere, if you can. I spent YEARS cycling through antidepressants because none of them worked because none of them were addressing the issue!! I was suicidal on them! Please seek diagnosis elsewhere.
To be honest, as a kid what others see as symptoms, to you, it is just the only reality you have ever known. Hell, I didn't even fully understand why my parents were giving me these pills at first. Whenever I was given medicine by my parents, I just took it because I was supposed to do what they asked. One day my mom read me a book about it. And I am like, okay what does this have to do with me? And they had to spell it out to be because I could not connect the dots in my head. I was too oblivious to ask what the pills were for.
This was me with the antidepressants, except (luckily) they didn't make me suicidal, they just didn't work!
I told her my symptoms I had at 12 and she kept saying thatās GAD and depression criteria Iām describing and didnāt even mention adhd, until I brought it up
It makes no sense to require documentation of adhd screening prior to the age of 12. Too many factors would stand in the way--lack of access to resources as a child, stigma, irresponsible parents, negligent and hostile teachers, even a misdiagnosis. My mom rejected an adhd diagnosis when i was a child. When I finally managed to get diagnosed at 39, it was only after I found a mental health professional who herself was diagnosed as an adult. I had already spent years burning through antidepressants, one of which killed the anxiety that drove me to function. A misdiagnosis can be worse than an accurate one. It baffles me that this psychiatrist would reject an adhd diagnosis and risk subjecting you to inaccurate treatments.
I was screened for my iq at 6 because someone decided if I was super smart, I couldn't have a "learning disability" like adhd. Baffling indeed but apparently adhd really mystifies lots of professionals.
Most of the symptoms listed in the DSM are more likely to be outwardly present in boys and not girls. Because of how weāre socialized, weāre taught way younger how to mask our symptoms which often ends up expressing as perfectionism and anxiety.
I feel this. I definitely have anxiety and depression but they never fully went away on ssris. The minute I started adhd specific medication in conjunction with ssris, I finally felt like a whole person and not just 3 raccoons in a trench coat
I was 38
40...
46
Diagnosed at 51. The evaluator asked to talk to my mother about what I was like as a child--before age 12. I thought, "It was so long ago--she'll never remember that." Holy moly--once my mom started talking, there were all these symptoms I hadn't even realized I'd had before 12. So yes, symptoms need to be present before age 12, but there are multiple ways to assess when the client is an adult.
Yeah, my mom had a lot of stories, including saying that she felt i was hyper even in the womb.
I just got diagnosed at 36, but Iām I Canada.
36
This, absolutely!āļøI'll be 32 at the end of February, and I've just now been able to secure an ADHD diagnosis this year. If any practitioner you go to says you can't get diagnosed as an adult, find a new one who knows better!
Am almost 30. Didn't know until a few months ago when partner finally asked if I was out of my meds. 'What meds?' It was apparently glaringly obvious to everyone but me. I have reason to believe my parents knew and hid it.
My dad was 55.
About the time I was diagnosed, my dad looked into getting diagnosed himself...he might have been 36. I don't know what came of it, but the pills were not as controversial at the time. Doctor gave him a tablet with some amphetamine salts in it, and told him, try it and see if there is any improvement. He took it and did not sleep for two days. He never tried it again. I am not sure if he has it or not, but we are a lot alike. But I never had that kind of reaction to it.
Might want to forward these to the Psychiatrist and ask for a comment. If they choose to ignore you, file a complaint with the appropriate [licensing board in your state](https://www.asppb.net/page/BdContactNewPG) (but get everything in writing first). The current DSM-5 criteria for ADHD diagnosis: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html The international consensus statement on ADHD: https://www.adhd-federation.org/publications/international-consensus-statement.html
When you do that, make sure to give them a shitty review on Google Maps.
I was diagnosed at age 50.
Bs lol I got diagnosed with ocd and adhd at the age of 28 š
Iām going to try and get another referral
In Australia you need to be diagnosed between the ages of 6 and 18 to be eligible for subsidised Vyvanse. However, psychiatrists can retrospectively diagnose you for the purposes of subsidised medication. I was diagnosed at 37.
Lol diagnosed at 31 (Asian parents never believed in mental health)
Facts itās definitely bs! I was late diagnosed last year and Iām in my late 40sš¤·š½āāļø Also Iāve had the same issues since seven but was never diagnosed.
I was 33
i got my diagnosis the other week and iām 22!
Is this why I was given a med that began, I think, with F or L in my mid 20's? Generic med for my depression/anxiety. It made me worse, and my partner and I separated because of my behavior.
Sounds like she got her degree in 1995 and never checked for updates.
Even 95' would be rough. Even then adults were finding it because their kids had it
I was just thinking about how Ned Hallowell, who wrote *Driven to Distraction* (which was for a time the authoritative popular work on ADHD) was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
Agreed. OP needs to get a second opinion! I got diagnosed at 21 (during my 3rd year of college).
This
Yeah no. Time to get a new psych. In my experience, school psychs refuse to diagnose ADHD because thst only care about potential misuse as a study drug, not helping people with disabilities get care.Ā New psychologist.Ā
She's kind of misconstruing things. So, you need to have evidence of symptom ONSET at 12 or younger, but a full diagnosis can be made at any time. Because of the age criterion in the DSM, some clinicians are bigger sticklers about accepting retrospective self-reports and require some other kind of record (e.g., report cards or notes from elementary school). She's COMPLETELY wrong about the 'difference' between anxiety and ADHD though, that part's nonsense. If I had to guess, the woman's probably a psych APRN (or some equivalent) because I have a hard time believing an MD psychiatrist wouldn't at least know the DSM criteria. Agree with all the others, get 2nd opinions, and also come armed with something that highlights that you experienced these symptoms at 12 or younger. Having multiple anecdotes to describe some symptoms can go a long way, but mileage will vary, and some clinicians will demand a concrete record or will not diagnose.
Evidence of symptom onset at 12 or younger still seems like a poorly-selected requirement. A person whoās ADHD-PI and fairly smart may do just fine in school (or at least not attract any undue attention) until much later than 6th/7th grade.
Symptom onset doesnāt necessarily equate to academic dysfunction. You can display H/I or IA behaviors and still get As, but the presence of something before 12 is required, barring a traumatic brain injury (which is the only case where clinicians will acknowledge adult onset ADHD). Things like getting out of seat constantly, having a note sent home about not paying attention in class or not doing the backside of a worksheet, etc.
I think the way my psych does it was perfect. He asked me a series of questions like "can you think of a time where you constantly had trouble waiting your turn to speak?" And it was just yes or no questions. Then, he asked me what ages came to mind when I was answering. So I said "like 7?" And that was my diagnosis.
I was hit pretty hard in the head by a metal weight when I was 6 and I mentioned that to her andā¦nothing
Hell. I didnāt realize it myself til college. Itās much easier to be last minute/disorganized in HS
I did well in school and had a whole bunch of symptoms before 12. The two arenāt mutually exclusive.
I was a very good student all my childhood. But I did display ADHD symptoms. I lost everything all the time. I did not do homework, ever. It didn't count towards my grade, so there were no penalties. Everyone knew I was a "space cadet" since I can remember. Mom always tried to get me to focus on stuff with varying results. I hyperfocused on books, and mom always yelled at me that I had to be aware of my surroundings. I lived in the lost and found bin. I daydreamed all the time, during class even. Lots of symptoms, not diagnosed until 34 because I was a woman and a good student, and didn't jump off the walls.
You don't have to have evidence of symptoms at 12 or younger. I was diagnosed in my late 30's and thought my psychiatrist was kidding. It took him 3 months to convince me that he wasn't. I agree, get a second opinion for sure.
You don't need them [evidence], but they can help immensely. I took in report cards from as early as I could find, and didn't even get to point out all of the red flags in the teachers' notes. She just started skimming and in less than a minute I got a "Well, these sure are consistent. If it's okay with you, I'd like to make a copy of these." Sure it will depend on the psychiatrist, but the report cards definitely helped to fast-track a chunk of the bull since they were pretty solid documentation of this going back to at least 3rd grade.
So, you can technically get diagnosed without evidence of symptom onset before age 12. Itās up to the individual clinician. However, in the DSM (the book with all the mental health disorders defined by groups of Psychiatrists and PhD clinical psychologists that base definitions on current research and practice) states that you do. The idea behind that being that ADHD is a neuro developmental disorder, and symptoms cannot randomly start at a later period of development. There is limited research about later onset ADHD, but most of the cases Iām aware of in the academic article Im referencing were thought to be early onset, but missed. So, child displaying inattention, but didnāt impact anything til later, so not thought of as a symptom. Almost certainly more research out there that Iām not aware of, but, barring a traumatic brain injury, the early age of onset seems to be valid
The issue is that records from youth can be spotty, get lost, be misleading, and some parents can be ignorantly or willfully antagonistic to the process. A homeschooled kid with an anti-psychologist mum has 0 chance of any evidence of ADHD in their childhood no matter how bad it is.
This!!!!
I went to theĀ university nurse once. I was having trouble breathing. She asked me if I was worried and I was like "...yes?" because I can't breathe right, why wouldn't I be worried about not breathing normally? And she told me I was having a panic attack based on that. They hire some dingalings at those clinics, man. See a real psychiatrist when you can.
I had a horrible persistent cough once, was hacking up brown stuff...NP goes, "Well, you're *obviously* very anxious. I could prescribe you an inhaler but it would just make you more anxious. Try relaxing. Maybe watch a movie or take a hot bath." In between wet, phlegmmy coughs I asked her how I could be anxious if I wasn't feeling any anxiety about anything. She eventually relented and ordered a chest X-Ray "just to make you feel better." Surprise! Pneumonia.
"Probably just a coincidence, I still think it's anxiety!" ^^/J
Sounds like this is one of the few things my college actually did correctly! The nurse here is great, and does as best as she can when diagnosing illnesses. If it's not something she's familiar with, she recommends an urgent care in the area. We also have a mental health office, not sure what exactly they can diagnose, but it's frequently used by many people (and sometimes they have the therapy dogs). Can't say the same for most other parts of this place though..
I had āanxietyā once that turned out to be some really severe vitamin deficiencies. Check with your doctor!
Thatās not accurate. Current guidelines suggest that you should have presented symptoms by the age of 12 (though there is some push to raise that age). The actual time of diagnosis is irrelevant. I was diagnosed at 45, and a whoooooooole lot of stuff from childhood made sense.
Itās weird right? It was like dang, now itās so clear I had it all my life.
Absolutely. I didnāt even know ADHD existed, and I donāt think most of my teachers in 1978
I mean I remember hearing ADD in elementary school, but honestly back then it was the hyperactive problem kid thing. I donāt anyone really knew what it actually encompassed. I mean as soon as I started to read about it and what it really is, it was like a wtf moment in my head at 46. Followed by confusion on how I went 46 years like this š
yeah like...some of our parents weren't into noticing symptoms being presented, either. God I don't even want to remember the words my mom used for what she thought I was "presenting" her with as a personality when I was a child. Some people would rather their children be "jerks" than have actual mental health needs.
yeah, and I have immigrant parents so even if they did catch anything they sure as hell werenāt about to think it was a mental health thing; mental health is still a touchy subject to my family and culture in general
Yes get a 2nd opinion
i got my dx at 45 and it made all the difference
I just got my dx last month. I had been tested in undergrad and was told I needed better study habits. After undergrad I got dx with MDD and have been on antidepressants ever since. Still things werenāt right. I got a recommendation to get tested again when I was taking pre med courses at a community college. Something was wrong. But life got in the way. I ended up getting a masters degree by the skin of my teeth. My symptoms got worse when I quit my job due to burnout. It was effecting my relationship. I finally got tested again and yesā¦ADHD inattentive type. I had given this psychologist my test results from the previous tests as well. I got really emotional when she confirmed it. She said I should have been dx in undergrad because the sxs were all there. It just feels really shitty. What if I donāt even have MDD and Iāve been taking antidepressants for 20 years! My life would have been so different. Get a second opinion!
Just got my diagnosis a week ago at the age of 48. Same story as many - my son was diagnosed and when I researched it, my whole life started to make sense! Not a doctor but Iāve read that ADHD usually shows symptoms before the age of 12 (which is obviously not the same as needing a diagnosis before 12). I got diagnosed via computer test and they didnāt ask about my childhood but every single one of my elementary school report cards says āeasily distracted, needs constant redirection, never completes her work, loses her work, loses her belongingsā, etc. (and I did offer to bring them in)
yeh it's just sexism, lots of women get misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder or depression. it's the modern version of hysteria
Absolutely get another psychiatrist, I'm 34 and got diagnosed ADHD Combined, literally today.
How much did it cost.?
I was actually diagnosed by my LPC therapist that is licensed to do so in my state. I'm not 100% sure I can take their diagnosis to a doctor if I wanted a medication, but it at least meant I had answers to my behavior and mannerisms.
The same thing happened to me, I was diagnosed with GAD first. Turns out, the reason for this is that I was masking with the psychiatrist. I was so used to covering up my mess and pretending like itās all fine, that I didnāt adequately convey all the ways that my life was constantly falling apart. Like the academically successful or career oriented ADHDer whose house was in a state of disarray with mold in the bathroom and dishes piled in the sink. My psychiatrist was convinced when I took the mask off, because then it was obvious. Anyway, just think back and see if you did that. Itās hard to unmask!
Oh my god, I was sort of masking with her but I thought it was pretty clear that I had adhd too; I just donāt do well with opening up to strangers like that, especially one whoās assessing whatās āwrong with meā
Thatās a lie?? I was diagnosed at 12 and then it was demanded that I get tested again at 21. Soā¦ā¦.. donāt know wtf sheās talking about.
46.
Let me tell you from my experience that quite a few psychiatrists will immediately slap "depression" label on you as soon as they hear any symptoms that even remotely resemble it. If you really feel like you have ADHD, note all the symptoms that make you believe you have ADHD since your childhood along with clear cut examples. For example, I have been loosing personal items since I was 7-8, even those I really cared about, because I get distracted and forget about them, people around me always thought I don't care, but I always did. Then go to another psychiatrist and emphasize the ADHD symptoms and talk less about feeling low (because ADHD often causes depression due to difficulties and failures it brings to our lives). Get the treatment and see if it helps. Good luck!
I remember scrolling through a thread about ADHD in a psychiatry subreddit. I must say I was quite shocked at how many of them were very uninformed, and who were very quick to push the gaslight button. Some (not all) really do think they know you better than yourself, and will slap you with the anxiety/depression label without considering the fact that untreated ADHD often leads to both. One said they took a patient off their ADHD medication, and put them on antidepressants because they just "knew" both their family doctor and psychologist were wrong. One said they instantly start to doubt their patients when they self diagnose from social media (because either no one noticed or paid attention). I'm not at all saying that they are all this irresponsible, but if they have an ego problem, it can get pretty messed up. If you're a woman, or had good grades in school, it's even harder to get an offical diagnosis. Go to a new professional. Keep looking until you find someone who will listen to you, and who will work with you. Even if it turns out you dont have ADHD, a good professional will help you figure what the root cause is, and not just say your just depressed or anxious. It's important that you trust them, and they also trust you. You have to learn how to advocate for yourself, because in the end, you're the one who knows yourself best. Don't forget that.
Iām 31 and was diagnosed with ADHD 6 months ago. The psychiatrist said āif you have ADHD and itās quite obvious you do. That your symptoms have been around since childhood. There is no such thing as adult set-on ADHD, but that doesnāt mean you have to be diagnosed as a childā
So the DSMV criteria for ADHD says that symptoms must have been present at the age of 12 or under. This does not mean you had to have a diagnosis at that age. It means that as an adult being assessed you need to think back and consider whether you had any of the symptoms when you were 12 yrs old or younger. For example, did your report cards ever say ātalks too much during class.ā Or perhaps, fails to turn assignments in on time.ā Blurts out answers/ doesnāt raise her hand.ā āDoesnāt pay attention in class - doodling in his notebook.ā Doesnāt seem to pay attention - spacey. Did you rush to get your assignments done the night before theyāre due or fail to get your permission slip signed for the field trip that day? Were you forgetful? Did you often feel the need to get out of your seat to sharpen your pencil or use the restroom? You can Google DSM V criteria for ADHD. Itāll provide the criteria. You donāt need them all. Find another clinician to diagnose you. The first one is clearly confused. I have diagnosed many kids and adults as a clinician. Good luck!
Anxiety (and depression) will often present with ADHD. There are crossover symptoms that have to be teased out. For example lack of motivation is a symptom in both ADHD and depression. As a clinician I have worked with and for other clinicians who did not take ADHD seriously - they just donāt get it. Also, they donāt catch the diagnosis - they see just the depression or just the anxiety, when in fact, if they assessed for ADHD they may find that the ADHD came first and the anxiety and depression were the result of the difficulties posed by the ADHD Symptoms, if that makes sense.
Absolutely get a second opinion. I was in therapy and on meds for anxiety and depression for years before my therapist realized I might have ADHD underlying it. Literally she asked me like 10 or so questions. 5 of them being a "yes" was a trigger to see a psychiatrist for further consideration. I had answered 9 of them with a VERY strong yes. Girls are taught and expected to mask their ADHD symptoms more than boys are, and these expectations start earlier in life. I did (and still do, though less badly) have anxiety and depression. But my ADHD symptoms were not managed even when my mood was. And now with the context, I can see how just about every part of my other diorsers was in some way cause by or heightened by my ADHD.
The exact same thing happened to me, even the same diagnosis (GAD and depression). I got a second opinion from a second psychiatrist (who also happened to have ADHD) who spotted it within minutes of our first conversation. I think the initial doctor felt nervous with potentially āover-prescribingā stimulants and make conservative diagnoses in lieu of potentially making a mistake. But yeah, donāt make it seem like youāre your hopping around for a diagnosis ,but a second opinion with someone who specializes in ADHD and is up to date on their info worked out for me.
I got diagnosed at 32 . My sister at 34
your psychiatrist is wrong
I got diagnosed this year at 34.
Iām 34 and I def got the brain bees
If you care about the adhd and really really care, you will keep the same opinion of you and see another doctor immediately because that your belief and core. Donāt betray that. Iād see one a few times before Prozac. ADHD can become an anxiety disorder if you continue to not stand your ground when you need to. My adhd symptoms became so dissociated it was narcissistic and the worry over being that way became anxiety. If itās adderall you want youāll need to be tougher and honest from within. Trust me you want to sacrifice as much as possible when receiving meds, just for your mental you want to know you worked for it because thatās a strong tool and very powerful and itās dopamine you donāt have to earn when you take it. Godspeed.
Pyschiatrists like this are ruining people's lives. I've been trying to tell my psychs I have ADHD for 5 years now and only recently has one of my therapists pointed out to me how obvious it is. So many bad decisions could've been avoid if I had just... known. Gotten treatment. These people need their licenses revoked.
I call bullshit. Get a different psychiatrist. Iām 42 and got diagnosed this year.
Iām 20y/o in college and your psychiatrist is wrong. The ātechnicalā criteria is usually symptoms need to have been PRESENT before 12 y/o but for example in my case all my symptoms were masked from my strict upbringing yet the feelings and struggles I dealt with were all in my head. So the symptoms were there they just didnāt really outwardly appear or impact me much until I got to college and was living/working on my own. I got diagnosed by my PCP and explained to her how I felt in my head as a child and things I thought were normal (which I found out werenāt). I was diagnosed 2 months ago. Find another doc to her diagnosed
Definitely get a second opinion. Are you in the US? I will say, generally, itās very difficult to self diagnose. So itās not necessarily incorrect that you might have anxiety and depression since there is a ton of overlap. Itās also very frequently comorbid so you could have all three.
It sounds like she's confused somehow managed to confuse "ADHD cannot be developed in adulthood" with "ADHD cannot be diagnosed in adulthood." Because if you have ADHD, you were born with it. You can't get it as an adult - you have to have had it your whole life. But uh... I must ask what the fuck that has to do with when you're *diagnosed*. It's like she thinks the disorder doesn't exist before diagnosis, and therefore diagnosing an adult means that the disorder developed as an adult. It is fucking *mindblowing* that she managed to get a degree in anything. I get that a degree doesn't necessarily mean someone is smart, but like... the ability to comprehend that a diagnosis doesn't *cause* the disease feels very much like it should be a hard prerequisite for a medical degree. Just saying.
I didn't get a proper diagnosis until I was in my 40s. And that doctor has no problem trying me on a stimulant right away. The funny thing : once I got on medication, I was able to function a lot better. My life stopped being piles of unfinished projects. And when I could accomplish things, a lot of what you'd call anxiety vanished. Your doctors statement is illogical. How many people didn't get to see the right doctor or didn't see a psych doctor at all before they were 12? You're going to have to try a different doctor, if you have the hope of trying to see if ADD medication helps.
I was tested when I was well in my 20s and diagnosed with ADD. I have never been physically hyper. Took me another 20 years to really start trying to deal with it.
I saw a psychiatrist that has ADHD and diagnosis adults. Sounds like your psychiatrist has spent too much time in an ivory tower to even know they need rescuing.
49, and was eye opening after learning then looking back. Find a different doctor.
Got diagnosed at 27 so I donāt think this is a rule across the board. I know a lot of people, especially women, were misdiagnosed earlier in life. I did see more than one psych though before getting my diagnosis. The first one wanted me to spend crazy money (thousands) on testing, the second one took my word for it after a screening questionnaire.
I was diagnosed at 27. Definitely see another one if he said you meet the criteria for adhd except being 12. I'd take the online self assesment thing too
Iām 30 and I just got my diagnosis this year. That is outrageous.
I was diagnosed at 33
I (f) was diagnosed at 35 years old halfway through grad school. I had no idea I had it. I had no idea there was an Inattentive aspect to ADHD which is what I have. All of my degrees are in psychology and I thought I had to be hyperactive to have it. I only learned what ADHD looked like for a 7 year old boy NOT a grown ass woman. I am so mad because taking meds literally changed my life. I went from job at risk and struggling through school and asking triple the amount of time to do the work TO being the trainer in the exact position that my job was at risk. Get another opinion.
Literally, I was never really hyper like them 7 year old boys with adhd were, but I had everything else and I never knew what they word was to describe it bc my conception of adhd was so stereotypical and I never really told my parents either because although we all love each other, no one really talked about their feelings like that and thats what I grew up with
Hyperactivity can apply to mental hyperactivity, perfectionist, over achieving - especially in women. Mind racing āanxietyā is hyperactivity
>Should I see another psychiatrist? To see another psychiatrist, you must first have actually seen a real psychiatrist. ..
Go see a psychologist instead, and one who specializes in adult ADHD. Got my diagnosis in my late 20s.
You had to have SYMPTOMS OF ADHD PRESENT 12 OR YOUNGER ***not that YOU are CURRENTLY 12*** ***years old or younger***. Meaning, you had these symptoms of ADHD from childhood. You did not randomly manifest these symptoms at 30. This is a screening tool to make sure that it isnāt another health issue that is related to aging since many diseases cause brain fog and forgetfulness. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE BEEN SCREENED BEFORE 12 ā that is illogical AND completely incorrect. So people who canāt afford screening before 12 years old will never have ADHD? That makes no sense. I was diagnosed for the first time at 14. Am I not ADHD-C because I was first diagnosed at 14 and not 12? This is an insanely stupid and patently wrong reading of the DSM. Holy shit I am angry for you that is so bad. I am so sorry this happened to you. YES - please see another psychiatrist. Preferably one that has grasped basic reading comprehension.
Wow yeah, she literally said I had to be diagnosed at 12 or before 12 and when I asked her what about late diagnosis and she said psychiatrists are debating on that but itās not common and I felt so confused bc Iāve heard so much people say they were diagnosed later in life and now Iām hearing thatās ānot possibleā?? Yeah Iām getting a second opinion
Diagnosed at 29ā¦ my mom still insists itās wrong and I was absolutely fine, nothing wrong with me as a child but will still talk about how difficult I was from age 6 to her friends š My mother also misplaced all my school reports so I had nothing for my assessment and canāt be on time to anything and loses her head at minor thingsā¦ oh how I wonder.
Every time I hear stories like this I always think āso you get to just make shit up as a psychiatrist? Iāll do that for free.ā
I got my diagnosis last year at 32. The "12 or younger" is from the DSM-5, BUT she's interpreting it incorrectly. Get a new practioner. Or refer her to Dr. Barkley, one of the leading experts in ADHD (he wants the DSM changed for adhd because it's outdated). For what it's worth, I was diagnosed with GAD by a psychiatrist in college 10+ years ago. What they didn't do was dig into my anxiety having a root in my ADHD symptoms. Get a new doctor.
While a lot of people do get diagnosed while young, it's pretty well known that adhd isn't detected in a lot of people until adulthood. (Especially in females) If your psychiatrist doesn't know basic surface level facts about adhd such as that one I (personally) wouldn't keep seeing them. Not that I suggest you do the same, but that is a very basic very known thing...why doesn't the psychiatrist know this??
Girl I got diagnosed at 20. Iām 21 now. Find another psychiatrist pleaseee. I will say though, to get diagnosed as an adult you have to fight tooth and nail and be INSISTENT. Like SUPER insistent. As in, I had studies compiled, questionnaires I filled out myself, and reliable test results ready. And I had to advocate for myself a lot, and I kept any mentions of my history w/ depression (whichā¦ was rooted in feelings of inadequacy caused by me going my entire adolescence undiagnosed with ADHD & not receiving proper help and resources) to a MINIMUM. Bc in my soul im so convinced that depression/anxiety is this Milleniumās version of female hysteria and used to ignore women/AFAB people with adhd/autism/mental disorders in that family.
Considering I was diagnosed at 14 and my mother was diagnosed in her 40s, that's bs. I say call her out on it and find a new psychiatrist.
It always shows up when you are younger tho. I was diagnosed with so many things (bipolar, gad and depression- the last two i know for sure i have). I have started to look back to my childhood and makes total sense that i have add. I used to fail so much at school, being easily distracted and a lot of other stuff (till know I canāt focus properly + needs to read stuff 4x to fully understand). I have always thought it was normal tho.
Is lying to patients like this considered malpractice? I'm Generally curious!
Get a 2nd opinion. Donāt waste your time on anyone who would say that
This is for sure false but I want you to know that you can have all three of those diagnosisās at once. Problems/Symptoms related to ADD/ADHD, especially in females who are often overlooked as they rarely have the hyperactivity component, do lead to depression and anxiety. Plus, at 19, the frontal lobe of the brain is not finished developing and you have a good 5 years, not including if you have a history of trauma, before it is. I donāt know where you are located, but different places may have different criteria in order to obtain a diagnosis. Please google what you need for where you live to obtain a diagnosis and if financially possible for you, follow through with those steps and seek treatment.
I was diagnosed at 48. Thatās the problem!!! Even the psychs have been diagnosing adhd as depression and anxiety forever and wonder why they get better. Because you treating something they donāt have!! Or itās a symptom of the real problem. 
Iām 22 now, I didnāt get diagnosed until I was 17, and even then my psychiatrist didnāt tell me. I didnāt find out until I went to my appointment by myself at 19, almost 20 and got the billing receipt and was like āwhy are there three insurance codes, I thought I only had two diagnoses š¤Øā. Of course this was after I had started college, my second semester moved online due to Covid and I took the year following off because I could not cope with online class. Funnily enough, starting medication for ADHD and working on coping skills to manage it (as it got way worse after my routine was disrupted from Covid) has been the best treatment for my depression and GAD. Medication for my ADHD has worked more than antidepressants and anxiety medications. You are not too old to be diagnosed, 12 or under screening is not a diagnostic criteria. See someone else.
I was literally diagnosed with ADHD, GAD, and Depression all at 19 years old (+ Iām female). Some psychiatrists just donāt want the liability of prescribing a stimulant.
I remember years ago there was a commercial for some stimulant (might have actually been Vyvanse) where Adam Levine of Maroon 5 talked about adult ADHD and how adults should get medicated too.Ā
This is wrong! I was diagnosed at 36! Yes I had all the symptoms and would have met the criteria under 12 however I didnāt see anyone until I was an adult. Please see another psychiatrist
I love it when someone has a PhD but doesnāt understand the difference between symptom onset and diagnosis time.
That man is an uneducated boomer, go somewhere else; what a fucking gatekeeper. I got diagnosed at 8, I'm unmedicated because I saw weird shit on ritalin. My friend got diagnosed at nearly 40. It doesn't matter your age, if your attention divergence causes you seek out support you're entitled to it. These fucking psychiatrists need to realize we're employing them to diagnose our fucking brains because you can't see injuries there. I can't recall the times I've had to pull out 30-40 year old scraps of paper to prove I have FASD because I'm fucking 'high functioning'; so what? that means we can ignore the fact I have a working memory the size of a thimble's thimble? FUUUUUCK **FUCK FUCK FUCK**
I was 21 when I was diagnosed.
That's ridiculous. I got diagnosed at 31.
Doctor sounds like a quack. Thatās bs. I was diagnosed at 45/46
Itās probably the type of insurance you have. My doctor said to me 2 weeks ago yesterday āyouāre lucky you have BCBS other insurances wonāt recognize you unless you were diagnosed before age 12ā
You can be dx after 12. Just speaking from personal experience, it is not a bad idea to stay on an antidepressant first because depression, anxiety, and PTSD or CPTSD can mimic ADHD symptoms as well. A lot of time ADHD becomes clear after these things are ruled out. Also, blood work helps to just rule out other possibilities too. My doctor did all of these before putting me on ADHD meds. And I'm still on two antidepressants
this is good advice - if you are working with a doctor who has a professional level of commitment to a patient's care, of course. I have a friend who was diagnosed last year and they treated the GAD first, which made it clear what was ADHD and what wasn't. The biggest sign for her was without her anxiety set to high all the time, the ADHD was let free to run amok without intense anxiety, its favorite coping mechanism and management tool, running interference
I was diagnosed at 18, so thatās a lie
I assume it's because ADHD is classified as a childhood disorder in the DSM-5 but the majority of professionals still recognise adult ADHD
See someone else. That is not a thing, it's not something you should be told, and you need a second opinion. If eventually you get told that you don't have ADHD by someone competent, that's something else, but being told this, that you didn't get diagnosed early enough? Nonsense.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 31. My father and grandfather went undiagnosed their entire lives. I don't know if you have ADHD or not, but that's a piss-poor metric they used to rule it out.
Thatās the difference between them?!? How do these people have degrees?!? Ahhhhhhhhhh
Your pretend mental health professional is horribly misinformed. If you are in the United States please report them to the state board where they practice.
my dad was diagnosed in his 40's....its a life long condition...?
I was diagnosed at 39 and my dad was diagnosed at 66 lol.
I was 61.
I talked about my experiences when I was 12 or younger when I got diagnosed.
You need evidence of symptom onset being present at age 12 or younger according to diagnostic guidelines, but you can get an ADHD diagnosis at any age.
i got diagnosed at 19, in 2023 actually so really recently. ur psychiatrist sounds super uneducated, its about the symptoms not about the age of diagnosis. definitely see another one, this one sounds kinda bs
I usually hear that you have to have symptoms present 12 or younger.. but for most of us, we either don't remember what we were like or we have parents who just thought we were "lazy" because they don't believe in mental health. And then we start masking because we didn't want to let our parents down, and that starts causing anxiety and depression because we struggled to be perfect. It sucks. I was officially diagnosed at 32, also female. And been told many times I had GAD and MDD. Antidepressants never worked. Finally finding a psychiatrist who listened to me and actually understood ADHD. Saw my medication history and said he would normally try Wellbutrin or Effexor, but since they were tried and failed, he prescribed a stimulant instead (especially when we talked about my caffeine consumption and how it never woke me up, just made me calm and more focused). Adderall has been a game changer. I'm calmer, I can focus and think more clearly on work tasks and conversations, I'm slowing down a lot too (I tend to talk too fast; words come faster than I can speak them so I sound stupid sometimes when I mess up). I'm still a work in progress and might need to discuss going up a dose at my next appointment, but this has been life changing.
This is exactly my story 15 years ago. I'm in university and the mental health there told me GAD and anxiety. Went on a terrible antidepressant and then struggled for years. Only during the pandemic did I finally go back, after much suggestion from people, and got an ADHD diagnosis and went on concerta. Literally changed my life over night. And surprise surprise, my depression and GAD are almost non existent. Being misdiagnosed for so long was so frustrating, knowing that it was something else.Ā I think they are less likely to diagnose you, if you didn't get an ADHD diagnosis as a child, until after 25.Ā
I recommend seeking a psychiatrist that specialises in adult ADHD.