Oy. Help? | ADHD Information

i dont think testing is that expensive.  go to a psychiatrist and they will diagnose you-- then you will have to come back every month or so to get refills.  also, it would probably be a good idea to get an adhd coach(from your college maybe) or think of ways to force yourself.  i cant tell you how to do that, because I am still trying to find ways to force myself. Since you are in college, start with their mental health services.  That is who diagnosed me as a Junior in college.  Basically had the same story as you for high school and the first two years of college.  After college, living in the "real world", my doctor (the one who manages my allergies, asthma, and other stuff) is more than willing to prescribe the meds.  I've been on meds for about a month, and just went back for a meds check yesterday.  She was beyond impressed of what I have been able to do on the meds.  Just to give one example, the first day on meds, i stayed at my desk for so long, the secretaries thought I had left, because I was not wandering around every 10 minutes.  Another random fact - the more intelligent part of the population will go longer without diagnosis because they learn how to hide their symptoms.  I know in high school i felt I had to prove i was smart (which i believe I am), so I was in AP and honors classes, struggling to do the work, but at the same time able to pay attention because it was interesting for me,  but no one knew the struggle that I went through when the teacher gave me a reading assignment. 

As to how it was not diagnosed in school, that is very easy.  First of all, ADHD is a taboo word that teachers do not say to parents, because it has been such a sore spot.  I am a middle school teacher, and I can name at least 2 kids in my homeroom class that should be evaluated, but with the taboo attached to it, the only way it will ever be suggested to the parent is through the principal.  I am at a small private school, and we do "if the shoe fits" accommodations.  Meaning, we see a kid who has similar struggles as someone with ADHD, so we give them similar accommodations, such as being allowed to go for a quick walk to mellow out, help with organization, ect.  I feel horrible, because I know that meds can really help them, but educators have been put into a position where you cannot suggest ADHD.  You can suggest other disabilities, but not ADHD. 
Hi there,

For starters, you are an entertaining and eloquent writer, which tells me
that you may be underestimating your intelligence -- a frequent trait (so I
hear) of ADHD sufferers.

Anyhoo, I was officially diagnosed with ADHD- Inattentive Type last
month. I had never been to a psychologist before, nor had I ever taken
any sort of psychological medication... just your average "smart, but LAZY
girl". I had considered the fact that I might have ADD since high school,
but was unsure as I have never suffered from any sort of hyperactivity
which I thought was inherent to the disorder. Also, so many intelligent
people talk about ADD like it is an excuse for laziness, so I had a hard
time getting over the fact that I was "buying into the scam".

After reluctantly bumming around at my desk job all summer, I realized
that maybe there really was something wrong with me; no matter how
hard I tried I could never seem to get the simplest tasks completed, and
when I did I would screw something up. Because I come across as pretty
intelligent, most people (including myself) are confused by my inability to
manage my time/ organize/ study / etc. I guess I am just lucky in respect
to school, because it seems I don't have to try very hard to do well.

Anyway, after tons of research I scheduled an appointment with my family
doctor to see what I needed to do. He asked me a few questions about
why I thought I had a problem, and then recommended me to a local
psychiatrist. I met with the psychiatrist three times, and this is what
happened:

1st visit -
The doctor asked me to rate myself on a scale of 0-3 (i think?) on a long
list of various traits. This was a screening test I guess so that he could get
to know what I was experiencing a little better. Some of the topics were
"ability to concentrate," "you often lose you keys," "you feel depressed,"
etc. I just had to say 3, 2, 1, etc. After this test he determined that I
probably did have ADD and that I should return for further testing. He
gave me some forms for my family, boyfriend, and I to fill out. They were
questionaires about my personality traits and characteristics, mainly.
After my insurance (which covers 50-80%, cant remember) this visit cost
about .

2nd visit -
I returned the forms and stayed for 4 hours to take a verbal achievement
test and I.Q. test. The psychiatrist recorded my answers and behavior.
This visit cost nearly 0... quite a blow but hopefully worth it in the
long run.

3rd visit-
I got my test results. Turns out I have a high I.Q. but proportionally low
achievement. Based on the super-specific findings, the doc told me that I
definitely seem to have adhd, or ADHD - IT (inattentive type... no
hyperactivity really). He gave me a long, detailed personal report on my
diagnosis, and told me to return to my family doctor to get medication.
This visit also cost about .

Since then, I have visited my family doctor twice ( co-pay per visit). I
was first prescribed Vyvanse 30mg ( with my insurance) but that did
not seem to work for me. After voicing my dissatisfaction, I was next
prescribed Adderall XR 20mg (also ). Today I called my doctor's office
to see about changing this medication as well... I think I am actually LESS
attentive since I started taking it, which was about 3 weeks ago. Anyway,
who knows how many I will have to go through, I just hope one works.

Obviously I don't know exactly how much it will cost for you, or if you
actually have ADHD, but my feelings are that if you are doing so much
research then you probably have a legitimate concern. I would certainly
visit your family doctor, or perhaps the Student Disabilities office at your
school (like the person above me said) to get a referral or at least some
advice.

Hope that helped...

You're most likely more intelligent than you think- your post is well written, makes sense, and is free of typos!

I wasn't dx'ed until after my son was- I was 28- had no idea that you could go your whole life without knowing. 

Check your insurance- they will be able to give you a list of psychiatrists on your plan.  Child psychiatrist tend to have the most experience with adhd and, yes, despite the job title, they do see adults. 

I can say, however, that getting in to see a psych in the Baltimore area will take a while (as in, so long I gave up and went to my primary care doc first).

There's also a great Neuropsychologist (does more extensive tresting than the psych will) in Columbia.  The "best" in the area.  It's who I took my son to for diagnosis.  That testing, unfortunately, is not always covered by insurance.  It cost us a couple grand, but we had concerns about learning disorders and anxiety disorders as well and it was the best way to go for my son.  PM me if you want his name, although I'm assuming that as a college student you probably need to go the route that's at least partially covered by insurance. 

*deep breath*

So, uhm, here goes?

I'm Jae.

I sailed through high school and my first “part” of college fine. Well, not
fine...I barely showed up for classes, took terrible notes, lost
assignments, basically had no friends, and pissed off a whole lot of
teachers in my wake. I got my A.A. degree a few months back and now
I'm in (ta-da) “real college.”

Only...yeah...with three and four hundred level courses you *have* to
show up. You *have* to be able to concentrate, turn in assignments, be
able to follow the prof, etc. Things I can't do. I usually load myself up on
caffeine in the morning and that seems to help. Somewhat. I'm not the
brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, and I have no shame in admitting it,
but really...this isn't about my intelligence level. This is about me not
being able to actually pay attention.

Little voices in my head tell me if I actually had it, I'd have been
diagnosed when I was little. Truth is, they barely managed to catch my
speech impediment. A couple thousand students and one person to go
around and find out who had the problems? Yeah. Easily could have fallen
through the cracks. (Especially because the teachers kind of were afraid
of my mother, who has a unhealthy distrust of authority and knew every
single of my teachers by name. And tended to get on their cases. It was a
poor school district too...I didn't notice it at the time but looking up the
demographics (that's a fun word) now...yeah. Poor school district.)   

So, I'm just wondering...possibility I could have ADD? I *can* sit still (if I
force myself too. Otherwise, I'm happily spinning around in chairs and
stuff like that), but I can't concentrate on anything to save my life.
Multiple choice tests are the bane of my life (I read them and then go over
the answers and then have to read them again and then...blegh)

I'm a constant oversharer. Lots of unimportant background information,
I'm sure you could tell, right?

I'm in Baltimore (City), Maryland. If I wanted to see a doctor about it, who
would I see? Not my “normal” doctor, right? A psychologist? Where? What
should I take with me? I'm 99.9% sure my insurance won't cover this (as
I'm old!) I'd also be pretty much on my own since my mom just thinks I'm
lazy and my father isn't around that much (I think my mother also had
some form of learning disability.) Someone told me I ought to swing by
my college's health center for help, but they're morons and can't tell me
anything.

Testing's really, really, expensive, isn't it? Like, couple of thousand of
dollars expensive?

I can't concentrate at work either. And since I work in retail, it's a bitch.

Uhm...so, what should I do? I'm frustrated. And, a bit scared.

I'm 21, I don't do drugs or smoke or drink besides a cocktail or two
socially (I usually end up putting my drinks down and forgetting them).
I'm a normal weight, and I get enough sleep. So, what's wrong with me,
eh?

Sorry for the rambling.