I’m in kind of a weird situation. I’m past my 40’s, and a close younger relative of mine got diagnosed with ADHD and I was talking with their psych and she said “uh it’s pretty clear you have this too., and you’ve been masking.”
So I was already seeing a psychiatrist, for anxiety, paying out of pocket because I didn’t want people in my profession or the health insurance company to know.
I told my own psych about the ADHD idea and she started prescribing stimulant meds to see if it helps.
It’s been amazing. My anxiety has practically melted away and just everything has gotten better for me.
Should I get diagnosed officially now?
On one hand I like the privacy.
On the other hand, my current psychiatrist might retire soon, and also if I have to change jobs, I think I’m required to list any pre-existing conditions.
I’d really like to hear other people’s experiences either way.
Do you want/need medication? If so, an official diagnosis will help. If not, it’s probably not worth it, unless it’s going to put you at ease.
In my case, official diagnosis really fucked me up for a while, as I could no longer deny the things I’d spent a lifetime denying/ignoring/making excuses for. It made me feel broken in a way that can’t ever be fixed.
Eventually, I got over that, as I realised I and everyone else is “broken” in a thousand little ways, and I was placing way too much emphasis on one aspect. But, still, it took me a while to get to that point.
Given that I don’t really use ADHD meds (adult ADHD is very gatekept), I’m not sure formal diagnosis has done much to help me. But aside from the initial burst dam of negative feelings, it hasn’t done much to hurt me either.
I’m not worried about the diagnosis per se. It’s pretty clear to me that I have it and I’m okay with that. Also I’ve been having no problems getting meds since my psychiatrist is on board.
I am wondering if there are just things I haven’t anticipated that come along with becoming ‘out’ to ‘The System.’