Need advice- getting myself tested! | ADHD Information

Hi Everyone!

Im a newbie to these wonderful boards ! I hope to get to know many of you and join this great forum.

Ive been inspired by someone to get myself tested for ADD. Im 32yrs old, and Ive had most of the symptoms my entire life, but just thought it was my personality, a bundle of energy, overachiever, etc.

But now, having had children, working part time, it's been affecting my day to day life where I get overwhelmed if there's too much chaos, I want it all to be perfect..

Anyway, the advice I need is how to go about getting tested..

I hate how the medical world can shuffle us around and just make us feel like "a number" and make us follow these silly rules (dont we hate rules??? )

So one friend told me to go to a Psychiatrist (as opposed to a Psychologist) so that if i need meds, im at the right one. (which I REALLY DONTTT want meds, but we'll see).

So I called a Psychiatrist office, and was told they dont do testing, a psychologist does..

I call a Psychologist, who tells me she's not accepting new patients but she knows a WONDERRRRFULLLLSocial worker  that I can speak to who will evaluate me to see if I need testing..

So I call the social worker... chat chat.. she tells me it will take AT LEAST 4 sessions for her to evaluate me, and if she does think I should be tested, she will send me to her friend (who just said she wasnt accepting new patients...)

can someone tell me if this makes ANY sense?? is this just a big business deal, where they each get 5 copays and Dr's visits each, and Im getting worse ADD from all this confusion??

Shouldnt I be able to call a Psychologist, get tested and that's that?

Also, the SW told me it's not such a clear cut thing, it's not like RED or GREEN you have it or you dont.. so I said "so you mean one Dr can say I have it, and one can say I dont" and she said "quite possibly"...

am I wasting my time? I dont want to sit and socialize with someone, I cant sit still as it is.. and wont I change my behavior when I see her (subconscously) since I know im being observed??

Thanks for any advice!

 

Before doing all the rigorous running around and calling you should check out the book "Scattered Minds" by Dr. Lenord Adler, M.D.
  I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and ignored it until recently. I am 27 now and I can honestly say that I haven't read a book from front to back in YEARS. Until I picked up this one. It gives testimonials and just really helped with understanding the onset of ADD and ADHD among adults.  It gives some helpful advice about getting tested in the book as well as the ways they go about testing and other conditions that are common in adults that have ADD or ADHD. Check it out then make a decision.
Elliott  Thanks for the info. I will check out that book. 

Also, go on amenclinics.com.  There is a test you can take online to give you an idea.  It's a start.

Dr. Amen wrote several good books on ADHD.   My counselor told me about Dr. Amen's books and also I heard him on several radio programs.

[QUOTE=Bizznit]I went on amenclinics.com and took the test althought i am already dx'd and got my mum dad and brother to go on it - they havent got add/adhd, but my dad came back with inattentive highly possible, but my mum and brother's results shown they probably dont have it, can you get adhd of a parent? [/QUOTE]

It's possible to have *anything* that's not from a parent. It can genetically come from grandparents on either side, or possibly even great-grandparents or further back. If you have the dx from the medical profession you can make your further decisions based on that information.


I went on amenclinics.com and took the test althought i am already dx'd and got my mum dad and brother to go on it - they havent got add/adhd, but my dad came back with inattentive highly possible, but my mum and brother's results shown they probably dont have it, can you get adhd of a parent?