How important is a diagnosis? | ADHD Information

I recently started taking Adderall for ADHD-like symptoms. I am reading "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy", and just about every paragraph is talking about me. I'm almost certain I have ADHD, but I have not been diagnosed. (My psychiatrist didn't bother testing me, he just put me on the meds.)

Do you think it is important to be diagnosed? I don't know just what would change if I knew "for sure".
.IMac38943.8154398148

But were you actually diagnosed? What I want to know is whether people feel it is important for learning to deal with ADD.

An improper dx to me will not help any one. You can''t treat without the correct dx to me. If it is your thyroid ask for Armorthyroid I hear it's the best med out there for this problem. I just started on this myself. I did synthroid/cytomel before didn't help a whole lot.

Thyroid diseases is commom these days lots are showing positive today.

.IMac38943.815625

My experience is similar to Imac, in that I had a 90 minute session of questions and answers and another 1 hour session. I am going back in a week for a follow up and to have a blood test. The psych wants to check my thyroid functions to rule out any abnormalities there.

She didn't prescribe any new meds for me as I am on Effexor now for anxiety. She feels my overriding symptom is anxiety. She just upped the dosage to see if I would feel some improvement since it seemed to have not effect recently.

I expected a much more thorough examination. With some intensive tests.

I think it depends on what you want as well. Finding the right meds is trial and error. What works for some won't for others. So if you don't see improvement or feel you need more support, talk to your doc. I wanted some sort of validation that I had ADHD, because it was such an epiphany to me to realize that I did. There are a lot of emotions, grief, joy, to go through once you are diagnosed. This forum has helped me a lot.

I personally thought it was important to have an answer - you get a lot of labels and speculation going on because some of the symptoms can mimic other conditions or vice versa. 

I also had some issues to resolve along with adhd and it is important to know that also.  In order to know what medications to try - it is important, it could shorten the amount of trial and error you may have with different meds.

I think it is important to know to help deal with past hurts and failures, not to blame anyone or anything, but to see them for what they are.

Good Luck.