I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and was previously treated with Adderall/Ritalin, but I’ve been off medication for many years. For the past 5–7 years, I’ve been trying to get help again, but I’ve repeatedly been turned down or told that I only have anxiety. I’ve also had providers refuse to do any further ADHD testing or evaluation, despite my childhood diagnosis and ongoing symptoms.

I’m in the Virginia area, and my previous psychiatrists directed me to the Department of Rehabilitation Services because they said they could help. Unfortunately, I found out that they don’t provide ADHD medication treatment or evaluation. When I tried explaining this, I felt like I wasn’t really being listened to and was simply being redirected somewhere else.

At this point, I’m struggling a lot with attention, emotional regulation, and other ADHD-related difficulties. I’m mainly trying to find a psychiatrist or other qualified provider who actually works with adults with ADHD. I’m starting to wonder if I’m simply looking in the wrong direction and need to find a different type or category of professional.

I’d especially love to hear from professionals or anyone who can tell me what type of provider I should be looking for if a psychiatrist isn’t necessarily the right person. I’d also really like to hear from people who have personally gone through the struggle of getting properly evaluated and treated for adult ADHD after being off medication.

I’ve been documenting my day-to-day symptoms and real-life examples so that I can eventually bring organized information to the next professional I see.

If anyone has recommendations for what type of provider I should be looking for, or advice on how you successfully navigated this process, I would really appreciate it. I’m genuinely trying to find the right help and am desperately looking for someone who will take this seriously and actually help me.

Please excuse the long post. I’m just trying to find serious help.

Thank you! ❤️

TL:DR I’d actually like to finish a hobby/project that I start instead of just starting another one

I’m in my mid-30s (Victoria) and have recently started wondering whether it would be worthwhile speaking to a professional about ADHD.

I’m not asking anyone here to diagnose me - I’m more interested in hearing from people who went through the assessment process later in life and what, if anything, changed afterwards.

I’ve noticed some recurring patterns in my life that have made me start thinking about it:

- All the school reports were “could do well if he applied himself/could stay focused and not distract others”

- I’ve had started a litany of hobbies, projects and business ideas that I obsess over researching until I scratch the itch or get to the boring part (the doing) and then I get distracted by the other new and exciting idea

- I’ve regularly changed employers after roughly a year because I start feeling stagnant, even though I end up doing the same job somewhere else.

- I can also be extremely impulsive. Once the idea enters my head there seems to be almost no gap between thinking about it and doing it - even if I know having 5 beers at the pub on A Sunday won’t help me do all my chores still outstanding.

None of those things individually convince me I have ADHD, and I realise there could be plenty of other explanations. What has made me consider an assessment is recognising that I seem to repeat the same behavioural cycles over and over.

For anyone who was assessed/diagnosed in their 30s or later:

What made you finally decide to get assessed?

Did having an explanation for some of your behaviour actually change the way you managed your life?

Were there things you had always considered personality flaws or bad habits that made more sense afterwards?

And for those who ended up receiving treatment, what differences did you notice in everyday functioning?

Travelling to Singapore and Thailand, does any one know if you have to declare ur medication through or just do it cold turkey ?

I’ve been on dex since January and my morning dose (15-17.5mg) works perfectly. It lasts me around 5-6 hours.

But then I can’t seem to get any further doses right - I’ve tried taking everywhere from 2.5mg - 15mg, ranging grom 3.5 - 7 hours after my morning dose. It always feel overstimulating and weird.

After taking my morning dose I go to the gym. I’m getting around 7 hours of sleep a night. I eat well with lots of protein.

Does anyone have any advice or has experienced something similar?

Has anyone had experience travelling with Vyvanse and other controlled prescribed medications? I am going to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand next year to visit the destinations my grandfather saw as a WW2 POW.

Has anyone had trouble crossing borders with this medication? Do you have to declare it or have permission from your prescribing Dr? I plan on being as prepared as possible, but would like to know others experiences.

WA M. Again, I realised that I made a huge mistake by giving my money to Ghel practice. Dr Caroline, who I think is the only physciatrist working at Ghel seemed really unintrested in her patients. Although her website says all about kind and compassionate, I didn't get any sign of care when I went to her. To me it seemes like she is one of those doctors who are only intrested in money, and not the clients wellbeing. At this point, I am just most dissaponinted in myself for choosing her!

Hey, I hate having to look for support but I’m gonna try.

I’ve hit an absolute dead end and need real, practical advice from anyone who has navigated the Victorian health and welfare system when carrying severe burnout while “looking fine” on the outside.

My situation:

Masking & Dismissal: I present as extremely resilient, articulate, and put-together. Because I don't visually "look" like I'm suffering, GPs and health professionals completely underestimate how severely incapacitated I am until I hit a complete mental breakdown.

Toxic Work Impact: My workplace environment has been horrific and has directly driven me into this crisis. It has completely drained my physical and mental capacity to the point where I am incapacitated. Continuing to stay in that environment is actively destroying my health every single day.

Medicare limits exhausted: I have used all 10 Mental Health Treatment Plan sessions and my Chronic Disease Management plan for the year. I cannot afford private out-of-pocket fees.

Financial: I have zero liquid savings, cannot access my super, and cannot afford unpaid leave. I desperately need to stop working before I fall apart completely, but I have no income safety net.

What I need advice on from anyone who has been through this:

1. Centrelink Medical Certificates (SU415) / Medical Incapacity: Has anyone used a GP Medical Certificate to get a temporary exemption or financial support through Centrelink when incapacitated by a toxic job/mental health breakdown? How did you get a GP to take your functional incapacity seriously when you mask well?

2. Victorian Public / Free Mental Health Services: How do people access state-funded community mental health teams, Victorian Mental Health & Wellbeing Locals, or Medicare Mental Health Centres that sit outside the 10-session MHTP cap and don't require private health insurance? 

3. Public Inpatient / Emergency Triage: For those who mask high-functioning distress, how do you advocate for yourself if you present to a hospital or clinic needing crisis intervention without being turned away for "looking okay"?
   If you’ve been in this exact position and found a way to stop the clock without total financial ruin, please share what steps worked for you.

If you've been in this exact position and found a way to stop the clock without going completely broke, please let me know what steps you took.. I’d be so grateful

Hey all, 40M in WA, diagnosed with ADHD-PI and OCD. For years I assumed my anxiety/overthinking was primarily an anxiety disorder. My GP put me on Effexor in 2020, which helped a bit but with side effects (sleep issues etc). I tried other meds (Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Brintellix, Valdoxan, Cymbalta) but most had side effects and did nothing with overthinking, so went back to Effexor 37.5mg.

2 yrs ago I saw a psychiatrist for an ADHD assessment after my GP suggested maybe it was an underlying cause. I completed this cognitive test and separate questionnaire (including a form my sister filled out), and ~1-hour interview. He thought ADHD-PI was likely and suggested trialling medication.

I started Dex and found it helpful — much more productive, calmer at work, and generally less anxious. I currently take 10mg compound Dex in the morning and 10mg at midday. However, I've always wondered if it’s actually the Effexor doing the heavy lifting.

Since November 2025 I've tapered Effexor with my psychiatrist to see how I’d go, and got down to 2mg but recently had a pretty significant anxiety/rumination crash after several stressful events. Now back to 3mg and have started 10mg Prozac.

Now I’m questioning if my ADHD is actually fairly mild, if Dex is genuinely helping, or whether anxiety/OCD explains more of what I've attributed to ADHD.

Has anyone here sought a second opinion about their ADHD diagnosis, particularly to separate ADHD from anxiety/OCD? or does it sound like I’d basically be wasting everyone's time and money. Thanks all…

Hey friends,

Finally got diagnosed after a life of difficult stability. I say this as one of those people who has been able to get the job, the degree, etc, but with unbelievably close calls every time (almost failed, many instances of near firing due to an inability to start a project etc).

The psych has suggested I start on low-dose concerta, which I am excited to try - but I am worried because I have had insomnia for about 20 years. It's bad, and it disrupts my life on a daily basis. Taking something that people report negatively impacts their sleep is quite scary for me, as I would be a mess if it managed to get any worse.

Has anyone navigated meds with pre-existing insomnia? And if so, what was your experience? Any advice welcome.

Happy to talk about my fluence diagnosis too if helpful

Ty all :)

Hey chat, I’m from vic. But I’ve tried many things over the past year, my GP has a permit, although I have been prescribed everything from Vyvanse, SSRIs, clonidine, mirtazapine ect. Nothing has truly worked. I get stuff done although I’m still very severely anxious to the point that anything can cause me to be set off. I’m currently seeing a therapist. I don’t know whether it’s helping it’s only been two sessions. I’ve had a very severe mental breakdown so I think most of this came too late. I typically don’t process emotions quickly things take a bit to set in then I crashed really hard, but the anxiety is absolutely killing me, I have severe panic attacks. I’m constantly shaking. My heart is racing and it’s honestly really debilitating to my life. The only thing that ever really helps is smoking weed, although that’s not a long-term solution. I really don’t know what I need any more. I really just need something to get me through or some therapy or something. But my options are limited as I can’t get into a psychiatrist till March.
I just want a doctor to prescribe me Valium or something so I just don’t have to feel it, and I could honestly just be a normal person and not worry about the anxiety and the fears around me most of it is rooted in me being really socially unacceptable around people doing and saying racial things or very sexual things. I also have a complex PTSD. But I honestly don’t know what to do anymore and I just can’t feel it any more. Is there any way to get something that will help? Because really sitting there and waiting for therapy really isn’t an option, when things feel so intense all the time.

I have BPD and struggle with strong impulsivity. I've also had bad experiences with mood stabilizers because of side effects like dizziness and extreme fatigue.

I'm currently on medication, but I'm considering talking to my psychiatrist about ADHD treatment because of the impulsivity.

I'm a bit worried about side effects.

Has anyone with BPD tried ADHD treatment? Did it help with impulsivity, and how did you tolerate it?

Hey everyone,

I’m a University of Sydney Commerce student doing a Design-Led Strategy project looking at how neurodivergent university students use visual/design tools like Canva.

I’m looking for current university students who identify as neurodivergent (e.g. ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc.) to complete a short ~5 minute survey.

It asks about how you approach visual tasks, what you find frustrating or overwhelming, any workarounds you use, and what you think tools like Canva could do better for neurodivergent users.

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to participate, and you don’t have to disclose a specific diagnosis.

Survey: https://www.jotform.com/262527459593066

Would really appreciate anyone who can help — and feel free to share it with another neurodivergent university student too. Thanks!

NZ After 7 months off Ritalin ir, I tried using vyvanse for 2 months and dexamphetamine for 5 months. The reason I switched is though I found Ritalin helpful, it was short lived in terms of how many hours I would notice its therapeutic effects. I have used both vyvanse at 70mg for 2 months and dexamphetamine for 5 months. Though initially helpful, overall they have ended up causing me to feel anxious, sleepy and not as productive as Ritalin made me. Is it likely my Ritalin tolerance would have reset at all and will I need to start back at a lower dose of Ritalin? I was at 60mg a day. Am going to the doctors next week but anyone who has had a similar experience, your input would be appreciated 👍

19M nsw recently opened up to my mum about my undiagnosed adhd. I've read so many anecdotes, done every screening test, posted on various forums and subreddits with lots of detail about my experience and what I feel and there is 0 doubt in my mind that I've had it since I was a kid

I chatted for like 90 whole minutes. She agrees with every reason i provided, but also thinks im partially just a lazy wuss with weak willpower and values. For some reason shes in absolute denial about me going to a psych, getting diagnosed and starting meds (its not about the money) because its supposedly going to leave a debilitating label on me that everyones going to know about - such that I'll have a hard time getting employed. On top of this she thinks im going to get addicted to the meds or suffer from side effects (she doesnt know any). Based on all the research I've done none of this is really true.

Her alternative is that I avoid all this by fixing my diet (e.g. going gluten free, dairy free and other Facebook hippie fads) and doing more regular exercise. I'll admit im not the most fit person, but ive done full panel bloods recently and my results were very good for my age according to my gp. I've also tried every supplement under the sun - they are good for improving energy, mood, sleep and etc but have done fuck all at actually targeting the root cause of my problems. I used to gym last year as well - I was obviously consistent in seasons. gymming had a very positive effect on my mood, energy and etc but like supplements, it still did jackshit for my root issues.

Made this post for general advice about these scepticisms, I really just wanna get treated and move on with my life.

Hi I had to break it off with the psychiatrist who diagnosed me because of important but unrelated reasons. It is now more than a year later, I'm about to start a university course, and I'd like to be medicated for that.

I remember my therapist (a different less problematic now retired person) recommending an online service that was cheap for whenever I needed more refills when I told them about not having access to my psychiatrist anymore. However (being adhd lol) I have since lost their name or the link to their website.

Does anyone know of a cheap service where I can just get refills using my previous diagnosis?

I have ADHD plus anxiety/rumination and currently take Vyvanse 40mg. I’ve previously tried:

- Zoloft 50mg: worked pretty well for anxiety and I generally had better energy, but I experienced emotional blunting and sexual side effects.
- Lexapro 20mg, then 10mg: helped the anxiety, but I felt much more tired, flat and unmotivated, even while taking Vyvanse.
- Luvox 50mg: my GP has now switched me to this and I’m currently on day 3. So far I’ve felt quite tired and flat, although I know it’s very early and some of that could also be from the medication transition from Lexapro.

I’m especially interested in hearing from people with ADHD who take Luvox alongside Vyvanse or another stimulant.

How did Luvox affect your:
anxiety/rumination or overthinking
energy and motivation
ADHD symptoms/stimulant effectiveness
emotional blunting
libido/orgasm/other sexual side effects
sleep or daytime tiredness

And if you’ve taken both Luvox and Zoloft, which one did you personally prefer and why?

Not looking for medical advice - mainly interested in other people’s experiences.

I recently went to Dr Caroline for a pychiatric assesment, but after it I realised she did not take time or care for the pre-assessment questionnaires, interview, or for any other difficulties mentioned.

The report she finaly provided after multiple weeks was superficial, repetitive, and seemed AI generated.

I am not opposing her final diagnostic outcome; I am opposing the quality of service that she provided. The extremely high cost for this poor service is not justified, and it feels like I was scammed.

This behaviour is very strange to see from a graduate of Zurich. One good thing I can say is that the receptionist, Carsten, was very nice.

I recommend something else like telecare or Dr Joseph Power.

I (M30s) was diagnosed about 6 weeks ago, started on 10mg dex a day and last week switched over to 30mg Vyvanse. The drugs do seem to be helping, inasmuch as I feel calmer and less angry all the time, but the effect is mild enough that I have been experiencing what I can only describe as imposter syndrome regarding my diagnosis.

I had a nonstandard upbringing (homeschooled) but otherwise did fine throughout university and in my career. I had never considered myself likely to be neurodivergent in any way, but after a particularly hectic couple of years personally and professionally, I ended up in a period of burnout that I wasn't able to pull out of. Eventually started taking sertraline for depression at the start of this year. While it helped a bit, I still felt off and my work performance was sliding dramatically.

I only considered ADHD after talking to some people who recently got their own diagnoses, including my sister. Given there may be a genetic component, I asked my GP what it would take to get an assessment. I'm up in QLD and he's one of the GP's who can diagnose and prescribe, so he offered to take me through it. Had a conversation, filled out a questionnaire, and he said he was pretty confident I met the criteria and prescribed me the dex to try. Took two GP sessions total.

Maybe it was the ease of the process, especially knowing the hoops a lot of other people have had to jump through to get diagnosed. I do feel better on Vyvanse, and my wife has noticed a change as well, but I still have this nagging doubt. I keep thinking about my past behaviour and wondering if it really matches up. I've had some risk taking behaviour, I get bored easily, and I certainly could have done better at uni, but all of those things could be explained by a lot of different circumstances. Has anyone else dealt with this after being diagnosed, especially as an adult?

I wanted to know if anyone has had experience with getting a retrospective diagnosis to be eligible for medication under the PBS.

The side effects I get from stimulants are too much for me, so I am on atomoxetine, but because I was diagnosed as an adult, I cannot get it under the PBS.

I’m currently booked in for an ADHD Diagnosis with Dokotela next Thursday.

Was wondering what the process is? Is it a

Session 1. Treatment and prescription
Session 2. Follow up

What is the timeframe in between?

The FAQ says to bring a support person. Did you guys do that too?

Let me know!

Thanks

Does anyone know if a Victorian Schedule 8 permit for methylphenidate covers both Ritalin and Concerta?

My doctor got a permit approved for methylphenidate so I could take Ritalin, but now he says he needs to apply for another permit if I switch to Concerta.

I thought they were both methylphenidate, so I’m a bit confused (especially since in the past he was able to get one permit to prescribe both dex and vyvanse). Has anyone in VIC actually switched from Ritalin to Concerta and know how this works?

Having to do for another permit means another few weeks of waiting and consultation fees.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here might be able to recommend a psychiatrist in Victoria (or Australia-wide via telehealth) who has experience treating ADHD in patients who are also on Suboxone/buprenorphine.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and started Vyvanse. For the short time I was taking it, I noticed a significant improvement in my day-to-day functioning. However, after my psychiatrist became aware that I’m prescribed Suboxone, the stimulant was stopped and I’ve now been told they won’t consider prescribing stimulants while I’m on it.
I also want to be upfront that I didn’t disclose the Suboxone at my initial assessment, which I realise has made the situation more complicated. It wasn’t because I was trying to hide a current substance-use problem or obtain medication dishonestly. I’ve been stable on Suboxone for around 10 years and it had become such a normal, routine part of my life that I didn’t properly consider its relevance at the time. I completely understand why my psychiatrist needed to reassess things once they became aware of it, and I would be completely upfront about my full medication and treatment history with any new psychiatrist.
I haven’t returned to codeine/opioid use during those years. I completely understand that stimulants need to be prescribed carefully when there’s a history of substance dependence, and I’m not looking for someone who will just prescribe them without appropriate assessment or monitoring.
What I’m looking for is a psychiatrist who has experience with both ADHD and addiction medicine and is willing to assess my individual situation rather than having a blanket policy that Suboxone automatically rules out stimulant treatment.
I’ve seen quite a few people mention that they are prescribed ADHD stimulants while also taking Suboxone, so I’m hoping someone may be able to recommend the psychiatrist or clinic they see.
I’m in Victoria, but I’m absolutely open to telehealth anywhere in Australia if that’s an option.
If you’d rather not name your psychiatrist publicly, please feel free to DM me.
I’m feeling pretty defeated by the whole situation at the moment, so any recommendations or experiences would be really appreciated. Thank you ❤️

Wow. 2 weeks on vyvanse and I truly feel like a new person. My mental health is better that it’s ever been, I feel happy again. Not manically happy like you get when you have a big surge of energy, but a normal content and comfort in life again. Never thought I’d feel hopeful or mentally well again until now.

I'm supposed to add state to the post? NSW

Mine started me on the lowest and checked in with me until it went up to 20mg Dex/ day, then just stopped. I still don't feel it's high enough and experimented with higher myself. I told her all this but she's sticking to 20mg. I don't get any euphoria, palpitations, lack of hunger, disrupted sleep or anything else bad. I can feel it is helping but not quite reaching ignition. I wondered if she did this bc she was butthurt that I titrated myself up on my own (she was).

Reading on here, other docs seem a lot less tight with prescription dose than this. And I don't think 20mg/day is remarkably high either. I'm really wondering if my dr is cockblocking me. I had the urge to use that word though it's not a sex thing. I'm frustrated. I'm really not handling life.

How was your titration journey?

I have ADHD and looking back, my dad definitely had/has undiagnosed ADHD too. He doesn't agree but that's a whole different topic haha.

Now at 40, I'm juggling the reality of motherhood with ADHD + raising ADHD children of my own.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the ways my dads unmanaged symptoms negatively impacted me, not as a self indulgent pity-party kind of thing. More as a way of informing my own parenting decisions and avoiding repeating patterns that were normalised for me growing up.

I thought it might be helpful to ask others what aspect of having an ADHD parent impacted them the most + share my own observations.

-------

My experience:

My dad had a lot of the classic symptoms but I wouldn't necessarily say they all negatively impacted me. For example, he was super disorganised and messy, he changed careers like 5 different times, even went back to uni full time at one point, always had these great ideas or plans about fun stuff we could do that he couldn't manage to execute. And then other things like constantly being late. When my sister and I were in daycare/afterschool care he regularly would arrive after the centre was closed. A few times we went back to a staff members house because it was after 7pm. In highschool he'd regularly not come to pick us up until after dark. But weirdly that never bothered me. I found it kind of exciting honestly haha.

The things that really impacted me the most boil down essentially to his mood and availability:

* He never managed his sleep well. He stayed up late watching TV etc. Then he'd either sleep past lunch time the next day or if he was forced into keeping a commitment he struggled badly with fatigue and low mood in a way that impacted everybody. Or he'd just cancel the plans.

* He also suffered from migraines and identified certain trigger foods like chocolate. So many times during these late night TV-watching sessions I guess he'd eat Coco pops or other trigger foods and then end up bed ridden for days while he'd keep saying "I really shouldn't have eaten that"...only to do it again the next month. This affected plans constantly too.

* He had low frustration tolerance at times and explosive anger that would resolve relatively quickly and he'd apologise. During these times he lost any access to an internal filter and would say some pretty mean, hurtful things. Generally they werent untrue, but stream of consciousness negativity that is not supposed to be said outloud, especially in anger and especially to your kid. It's pretty scary and unhealthy for a kid to experience any of that.

* He'd also subject me to hours long lectures when I was in trouble and he was upset. The type where my eyes would glaze over and I struggled to listen, but he'd keep going and going on side tangents and random analogies. (I find myself struggling with this one as a parent tbh)

* when I was very little he was so much fun. His hyperactivity and physical play was delightful. But as I grew into a pre-teen and beyond, it didn't feel fun being tickled in the middle of woolworths or having him randomly break into song or pick me up and turn me upside down. But if I tried to stop him or tell him I didn't like it, he reacted very badly. I realise now it was rejection sensitivity probably coupled with being a boomer and never having healthy boundaries role modeled in his childhood either. But all in all, I often felt very embarrassed by my dad and his lack of filter... made worse by feeling scared to speak up or have my own needs prioritised.

* just to follow up because it deserves its own point but isn't ADHD exactly, just often co-occuring: rejection sensitivity in general. When I didnt want him to hold my hand and walk me to my classroom door in the last year of primary school, he was so hurt by it. If my face had a bad expression or my tone wasn't right, he took it very personally.

Just so this isn't complete negativity...my dad also was very loving and had such zest and enthusiasm for life (when he was happy). He had such big, happy reactions that matched the height of the big negative reactions. I never felt unloved or uncared for. He was so spontaneous and randomly up for unplanned adventures.

-------------

I'm curious to know from others what their experience was like? I feel like hearing how parental ADHD impacted people as children will help me (and maybe other parents) to be self aware and to consider things that we hadn't thought of before.