I think I have ADHD...now what?
The NHS Assessment Process
If you’re reading this then I’m going to assume you think you have ADHD. I’m also going to assume that you are here after quite a significant amount of self research and not just watching one TikTok video (which is weirdly what so many neurotypical people seem to think self-diagnosis involves *eye roll*).
Firstly, let me reassure you:
Neurotypical people do not spend months (or years) researching and wondering if they are neurodivergent. Even if you are not ADHD you are likely not neurotypical, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.
Self-diagnosis is completely valid and widely accepted within the ADHD community. The reasons for this are many but mainly because there are so many barriers to medical diagnosis.
You are not broken. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with you and you do not need to be ‘fixed’.
You are not alone and you are not making it up.
Ok good, now that’s out of the way…
Welcome to the club, bestie!
I know you’re probably feeling super overwhelmed right now and very likely also experiencing a large dose of imposter syndrome (and probably some light gaslighting too). That’s completely normal and honestly I feel like it’s a rite of passage for late diagnosed ADHDers at this point.
So, if you have done your research and you’ve landed on ADHD then there’s a strong likelihood you are right. I know it’s hard to trust yourself and historically you’ve maybe made some questionable life choices, leaving you feeling less than confident in your ability to make good judgements, but I promise, you know yourself better than anyone else. You are the expert of your own brain.
You have two options from here:
Self-diagnosis.
Medical diagnosis.
Self-diagnosis:
As I mentioned briefly before, self-diagnosis is completely valid within the ADHD community, we don’t gatekeep here (well some people do, but honestly, ignore them. You are welcome here). If you feel self-diagnosis is enough for you then there isn’t much else you need to do aside from starting to accommodate yourself with this new found information. You won’t be able to legally access ADHD medication without a medical diagnosis but there are many ways to support yourself as you begin to work with your brain rather than against it.
Medical diagnosis:
If you decide you want a medical diagnosis (I prefer to use this term rather than saying ‘official diagnosis’ because self-diagnosis is still ‘official’ and just as valid as having someone with a medical degree tell you the same thing) then here is what you’re going to do:
NHS Route (I am in the UK so can only speak on the process here).
Get an appointment with your GP.
While you’re waiting for your appointment (because let’s be honest, it’s likely going to be a hot minute due to our crumbling NHS), make a list of all your ‘symptoms’ and how they relate to each criteria in the DSM-5. Write down every single thing that has made you think you have ADHD, including how it affects you now and how it affected you in childhood.
Take your list to your doctors appointment, have a frank conversation with them and ask to be referred to your local ADHD Service for an assessment. If they refuse to refer you then you can ask to get a second opinion from another GP but hopefully they should refer you.
Once referred it becomes a bit of a waiting game and may be a while until you hear back from them. The ADHD Service will either a). accept your referral and send you some pre-screening forms to complete or b). reject your referral. If they reject your referral do not panic! My referral was rejected at first because my doctor did not do a sufficient job and didn’t pass on all the information I gave him (I ended up having to write my own referral which did get accepted).
Once your referral has been accepted the ADHD Service will send you some forms to fill out prior to assessment. These forms can be quite overwhelming for an ADHDer, so don’t hesitate to ask a friend or loved one for help with them. Also, I know this is easier said than done but fill them in and return them ASAP!
Once the ADHD Service receive your completed forms you will be placed on a waiting list. Your wait time will vary depending on where you are in the UK but it could be up to two years in some places (this is just one reason self-diagnosis is valid and why some people choose to go privately if they have the means to do so).
You’ll receive a letter (or sometimes a phone call) with a date for your assessment. It may be online via video call or in person. Mine was an online video call and lasted just under 2 hours. Some practitioners will diagnose you there and then during your assessment (this happened for me) and others will contact you with the ‘results’ afterwards.
You will either be diagnosed (with inattentive type, hyperactive type or combined type ADHD) or they may decide you don’t fit the criteria (if this happens you can always get a second opinion).
If diagnosed, the ADHD Service will arrange follow up appointments to discuss medication options. You do not have to go down the medication route but you do need a medical diagnosis if you want to try medication to see if it works for you.
Titration: you will begin to work with a specialist to find which medication works best for you and have regular follow up appointments with them until you both settle on a medication option you are happy with.
You can also choose to get assessed privately (price will vary depending on the company but can be anything from £700 to thousands) or check out Right to Choose (NHS England).
Please feel free to comment below with any questions and I will do my best to answer.
Thank you for reading and feel free to share this with someone you think may benefit from it.
Georgia x
Resources:
https://adhduk.co.uk/adult-adhd-screening-survey/
https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/for-adults/adult-adhd-add/test-for-adhd
https://adhduk.co.uk/diagnosis-pathways/
https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose/
Very informative and useful, practical article