Is there any benefit in actually getting an official ADHD diagnosis in the UK (other than having the possibility to take medication)? If you’ve been through it as an adult in the UK, was it a lengthy/painful process?
Diagnosis makes the thing real, so after you stop thinking „maybe i dont have ADHD maybe im just an idiot“ :D but just a diagnosis doenst help you if you cant find psychiatrists who is familiar with ADHD on adults
I can’t speak to the practical benefits because I am not in the UK. However, I can say that mentally and emotionally having an actual diagnosis versus a suspected diagnosis was a huge game changer for me. It made me take my ADHD seriously, do a lot of research on it, and be proactive about developing ways to work WITH my brain rather than against it.
Diagnosed feels like making it officially a ‘thing’ that you have. That comes with upsides and downsides. Important is to realize its not so much a ‘disability’ just that modern live is difficult for people with ADHD. I think its something that has probably has been around for as long as humans live. And that within groups people with different capabilities were helpfull in the survival as group. The planners and plotters, but also the ones with ideas all over the place can be helpful. I wouldn’t be suprised if the one who imagined and build the first bow and arrow had ADHD. The one who thought: “why run for days if we have a device that can make this hunting thing a lot easier”. 😅
I paid for a private assessment but then my drs refused to take on my care after six months and said I had to get an NHS one...that was four years ago and I'm still waiting. It sucks but having the initial diagnosis helped me come to terms with it and accept it.
