Adult ADHD assessment day - Feeling deflated | _MrsTino

[@Stellaaahmanella]

Seeking out professional help can be one of the most difficult routes to a diagnosis, especially considering: a) being a child with someone advocating for them, and b) being in long-term therapy as an adult, with a therapist connecting the dots. Both are far more advantageous. I think the thing with adult assessments is that you need to sell yourself to them, even though they are professionals.These sessions are so brief that you hope they’ll pick up on the nuances in your self-report. We should remember, though, that when engaging in these settings, we have a responsibility to ourselves and to the outcome as well. Even though it may be difficult, despite our many challenges, we should present our case with these potential issues in mind-such as feeling overwhelmed and struggling to express ourselves-by having supportive measures in place.This means entering prepared with undeniable evidence to support our case for wanting or needing this diagnosis. While this does not guarantee the desired outcome, it provides a strong basis to work from. Looking forward to a life-changing diagnosis, only to not receive it, must feel truly devastating. I’m really sorry about that. I hope in your second attempt that it will go much smoother! (:

[@MrsTino]

Thank you, I totally agree! I'm definitely going to be more prepared next time. The other frustration about the process is that this assessment/ first actual contact is 50 minutes so I started it in a fluster of "where do I even begin? I haven't got long enough"

[@RamdomManeGenerator]

This is why I’ve been holding on getting tested. Obviously, one reason is because I have to pay for it and it’s not easy to find a place, even in the States to get an assessment. But, another big factor is because I’m scared of this happening. Literally, I asked one therapist if they think I have autism and they flat out told me no. I asked another therapist if they thought I had autism and they said yes. So, which is it? You can’t grow into autism. It’s not like depression, where you have it during certain stages of your life and then you don’t during others. You either do or don’t have it. You’re basically born with it. Same with ADHD and all those other neurodivergent conditions It’s like a fucking acting contest. Whomever acts more autistic gets the autistic, ADHD, neurodivergent title. It’s so fucking stupid. They need a better way to asset people, especially female adults of older generations. Teenagers don’t know how lucky they have it. I’m not saying that people want to be neurodivergent or are trying to be. But, I do think in today’s mental health society… if there are issues they’re more likely to be detected nowadays, and they’re detected earlier. While anyone that was born before 2000 is pretty much screwed, unless you act like the stereotypical neurodivergent type, which most of us don’t. We have gotten so good at masking or whatever it is that we’re doing that we’re not like the teenagers of today. So, PLEASE LOOK FOR DIFFERENT THINGS. Obviously, a 27 year old mom (that most likely has ADHD, maybe even autism) is not going to act the same as a 17 year old (that has ADHD or autism). I’m done. I’m just so angry right now for you. I’m so sorry. I wish I could give you a hug. Fuck them. You don’t need a diagnosis. You know something is wrong. So, you do your best to try to figure it out. Which you’re doing a damn great job.

[@MrsTino]

Thank you for taking the time to comment 🩷 and I'm sorry to hear your struggling too. I couldn't agree more with you! It's so beyond difficult as an adult, who isn't stereotypical ADHD/ Autistic. I'm going to keep fighting for answers for my younger self, just as I am for my daughter right now 🤞🏼