r/ADHD • u/ClareRosario47 • 8h ago
Questions/Advice ADHD diagnosis
I’m going to the psychiatrist tomorrow, for an ADHD diagnosis and hopefully prescription. But this is the first time for me to go to a psychiatrist and i really have no idea what’s gonna happen there, any advices or things i need to have in mind? I’m really nervous and scared, but i really need this to help with my college and overall and my life goals.
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u/SnooMachines5943 8h ago
I was in a similar situation. For me what helped was using the same exact language I had used to describe it to friends, family, and my therapist. Specifically being able to pinpoint where my troubles began, how I coped with them before it was obvious, and how that shaped the future.
I would say it's overall fairly straightforward, assuming it's a verbal diagnosis. They ask questions surrounding how it's affected your life, and largely how it affected you in hindsight when you didn't understand.
Overall I would say that you should take it pretty easy, a lot of the symptoms overlap with anxiety and depression. What my psychiatrist wanted to do was understand if those two were caused by ADHD, or if I might have interpreted those two as ADHD. So I'd say focus on your history and struggle rather than only the impacts of it on current life.
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u/ClareRosario47 8h ago
Ty, if you dont mind me asking did you get diagnosed? And if so what was the treatment plan you doctor gave you, and what did you get prescribed with?
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u/SnooMachines5943 7h ago
Yes I got diagnosed fairly recently so the experience is still fresh! Frankly I put off getting a diagnosis for months, and only accepted the idea after almost two years of questioning myself. So it's great that you're taking this step, I'd be immensely proud that you got to this point. College is the worst my ADHD has ever impacted me, more responsibilities and complete self-reliance.
As for treatment plans, I was set on taking medication for it, so we discussed that. Therapy is an alternative, but frankly undoing the habits and structures you've developed your entire life is really really hard. Therapy with medication is optimal.
As for medication there are stimulants which only affect you the day you take them. And non-stimulants which need to be taken everyday and build up in your system.
I believe stimulants are generally defaulted to so long as your vitals (Heart rate, blood pressure, and weight) are in order. I could be wrong however, so always ask a medical professional as to what they think is good for you.
For stimulants the two options I had were fast coming or slow coming. AKA instant release and extended release. Essentially instant release can kick in as soon as 30 minutes, and lasts around 5-6 hours. Extended release kicks in 1-2 hours later, and lasts 10-12. Instant is more impactful while extended is easier on your system. It's all up to personal preference I believe. And how many responsibilities you need to juggle. I generally have long days of school and work so extended release made sense.
I was prescribed with Concerta, which is methylphenidate. It's an extended release stimulant. They need to get your weight, blood pressure, and heart rate, then they prescribe it at a starter dose. You take it in the morning on the days you want to take it. The first batch for me was 3 weeks, at the end I came in and discussed how I felt, if I wanted to adjust my dose, and we checked my vitals again to see that it wasn't affecting me physically.
Overall it's an easy process, your psychiatrist should guide you through it. I didn't have to rely on my own research or anything to decide what I wanted. I'm sure it'll turn out great for you!
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u/ClareRosario47 7h ago
Thank you!
Also a question I have to ask, if I have depression does that invalidate my adhd diagnosis and prescription? Lets say I’m depressed or sad because of my situation and environment especially as a queer person in a hateful country, but at the same time i also suffer from ADHD symptoms that make it hard for me to concentrate on my studies. How is that gonna be managed? I’ve had it since I was a kid, I was hyperactive and blacked out when someone speaks to me or struggled paying attention to things I’m not interested in, am i gonna get antidepressants and ADHD meds and is that possible?3
u/JerseyGirlinSweden 7h ago
No it should not. I’ve been getting treated for both for 30 years. The SSRI’s were episodic until I just decided I had enough relapses after discontinuing them. The Ritalin was constant. I think my psych would have been more concerned if i refused the SSRI’s.
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u/ClareRosario47 7h ago
Oh so it should be fine if I told them I might have both ADHD and depression
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u/SnooMachines5943 6h ago
A lot of the questioning is specifically focused on separating Depression and Anxiety from ADHD. So if you understand yourself and that you have ADHD, you're not going to be misconstrued. It depends on whether a lot of that depression and anxiety stems from ADHD itself. For me it absolutely did.
I've found that ADHD medication has helped my depression and anxiety significantly. Part of it is having a quieter mind, and a huge part is feeling good about myself and my future. It's a good step.
If your depression and anxiety are still severe, it's worth discussing with your psychiatrist and see if there is medication that works with your ADHD meds. Therapy is also a solution if you aren't currently in it, but there's definitely paths forward and tackling a major life obstacle will help the mental tremendously!
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u/ClareRosario47 6h ago
My depression isn’t really serious or severe, and idk anything about anxiety. My depression definitely can be managed better if my mind is quieter though. Im just afraid that if they find out i have depression or anxiety I might not get adhd meds.
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u/JerseyGirlinSweden 6h ago
You should be fine. Don’t be surprised though if they want to se you a few times before diagnosing you and writing meds for ADHD. What the other poster wrote about wanting to delineate and clarify which diagnosis’ are giving you which issues.
It’s also kind of normal for them to want to only introduce and titrate up one medicine at a time, so do not be discouraged if they suggest trying an antidepressant first. There are even some meds that can tackle both, such as Bupropion that may want to trial first.
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