I was extremely lucky to have a friend who encouraged me to visit her psychiatrist for an evaluation (she was the maid of honor at my wedding, so knows me very well.) This psychiatrist was not very rigorous—I’ve only ever seen the NP there, and never for more than 30 minutes—so I can see how people without ADHD could just go in, spout what they’ve heard online, and receive a prescription. However, with the horror stories I’ve heard from people with legitimate symptoms who are dismissed as drug-seekers, it’s hard to be upset about that.
I can’t help but wonder how my life would’ve been different if I had been diagnosed as a child. Would I have been so depressed and anxious? Could I have held down a job? Would I have fallen so far into substance abuse? Would I have ended up homeless? I’m autistic as well, which is equally—if not more—difficult to get diagnosed as AFAB (and in adults, both male and female.)
These questions are useless at this stage, more philosophical endeavors than anything useful, but it makes me wonder when they’re going to put the resources needed into research that will actually give insight and diagnostic criteria for women and adults. Medication has improved my quality of life drastically, and it’s nothing short of shameful that, in my many years of therapy and seeing multiple doctors (freaking neurologists, at that) no one even considered, “Hmm, maybe there’s more to this than just depression, anxiety, and laziness!”
I was extremely lucky to have a friend who encouraged me to visit her psychiatrist for an evaluation (she was the maid of honor at my wedding, so knows me very well.) This psychiatrist was not very rigorous—I’ve only ever seen the NP there, and never for more than 30 minutes—so I can see how people without ADHD could just go in, spout what they’ve heard online, and receive a prescription. However, with the horror stories I’ve heard from people with legitimate symptoms who are dismissed as drug-seekers, it’s hard to be upset about that.
I can’t help but wonder how my life would’ve been different if I had been diagnosed as a child. Would I have been so depressed and anxious? Could I have held down a job? Would I have fallen so far into substance abuse? Would I have ended up homeless? I’m autistic as well, which is equally—if not more—difficult to get diagnosed as AFAB (and in adults, both male and female.)
These questions are useless at this stage, more philosophical endeavors than anything useful, but it makes me wonder when they’re going to put the resources needed into research that will actually give insight and diagnostic criteria for women and adults. Medication has improved my quality of life drastically, and it’s nothing short of shameful that, in my many years of therapy and seeing multiple doctors (freaking neurologists, at that) no one even considered, “Hmm, maybe there’s more to this than just depression, anxiety, and laziness!”