ADD a Mental Disorder?

Hi. I need help with something. I saw my therapist today and she told me that I should look into parity law. Oregon (where I live) has such a thing and basically what it states is that certain mental health diagnoses must be treated equally like a physical ailment. I'm trying to learn about it through the internet and I do plan on asking someone in my HR dept. about it too.

But my question to all of you (metisrebel??) is this: Is ADD classified in “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” published by the American Psychiatric
Association? If so, then I may be entitled to more visits with my therapist than my insurance allows.

I think this is an insurance issue but my therapist claims that it's a company thing. So, I'm trying to find answers. Any help would be helpful. I may even go to the library and look at that manual and see if ADD is in there.
[QUOTE=kjl2691]Hi. I need help with something. I saw my therapist today and she told me that I should look into parity law. Oregon (where I live) has such a thing and basically what it states is that certain mental health diagnoses must be treated equally like a physical ailment. I'm trying to learn about it through the internet and I do plan on asking someone in my HR dept. about it too.

But my question to all of you (metisrebel??) is this: Is ADD classified in “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” published by the American Psychiatric
Association? If so, then I may be entitled to more visits with my therapist than my insurance allows.

ADHD certainly is. It's on my disability papers.

http://www {DOT} turnertoys.com/ADHD/APA_diagCriteria.htm

I think this is an insurance issue but my therapist claims that it's a company thing. So, I'm trying to find answers. Any help would be helpful. I may even go to the library and look at that manual and see if ADD is in there.
[/QUOTE]

kjl-- if you can't find what you're looking for at the site Metis sent you (not sure what turnertoys has to do with the DSM...) try this site (or others you'll find by googling "DSM IV":

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/dsmcodes.htm#adhd

excerpt from that site:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

314.01 Combined Type
314.01 Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
314.00 Predominantly Inattentive Type
314.9 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder NOS

Also kjl, if I were you I'd be very careful about when and how you approach your employer about your ADHD. I suggest that you do some "homework" first, or at least explore this further on this message board. If you are going to be requesting "accommodations" at work for your adhd, don't expect that your employer will be open and upfront and serve as your advisor and coach on how best to seek and receive accommodations--more likely that they will be neutral at best, listening to you and expecting you to make your case and justify your needs. Also, you should expect them to request a formal, written diagnosis from a qualified professional--a diagnosis which, by the way, will state what "type" of adhd you are diagnosed with and indicate its corresponding DSM number (above). There are bunches of sites on the internet that offer advice on what to expect (or not expect) in terms of employer accommodations for folks with adhd. Good luck and keep in touch!

John D - Thanks for your information. There's actually one lady in HR who knows I have ADD. I told her because we are friends but also told her that it doesn't really affect my work performance. That's why I haven't brought it more to light at work. I don't necessarily need more accomodations but a larger work space would be nice and less frustrating. The best thing that I need is the ability to get more counseling. And according to my state's parity law, I ought to be entitled to it without having to "prove my case".

If I had to classify myself, I'm the hyperactive-impulsive type. But I think there's a lot of gray areas that don't fall into these specific categories. I have some attention problems as well but the one thing I've noticed that as I compare myself to my younger years, my ADD is less troublesome as I've gotten older. Maybe it's awareness of the problems it has created or maybe it's certain strategies I've learned to help me cope. Either way, it has definitely improved.

Thanks.
Good advice John. If you have a union kj--I'd suggest asking THEM about it first.

BTW I think TurnerToys posted it regarding employee policy or something...
MetisRebel39804.3615625No union here. this is a family owned business but they are very caring about their employees.

The main reason why I was asking is because of the parity law. Is anyone familiar with parity law?
Sorry law is different here in Canada. "Parity law" here means how much you get paid

KJL: sounds like you're very fortunate with respect to your employer...and hopefully they'll respond to your needs without you needing to become an expert in what the law says (after all, working things out person to person without getting into legalities is always more comfortable and satisfying -- if it can happen that way!).

So here's some links with info for you on parity law (which, I just learned, refers to seeking insurance coverage for mental health issues equal to the coverage provided for physical health issues:

An article on Oregon's parity law-- http://mentalhopenews.blogspot.com/2007/01/parity-law-takes- affect-in-oregon.html

Site for the National Alliance on Mental Illness which includes discussion on state parity laws, including Oregon's:

http://www.nami.org/content/contentgroups/policy/issues_spot lights/parity1/mental_health_insurance_coverage_a_guide_to_s tate_parity_law1.htm

John - Thanks for the links. I still don't quite know how I'm going to handle this but I have until January 8. I told my therapist that I would look into it by our next appointment which is on the 8th. So, I'll need to talk to my HR friend. thanks for your support.

btw, we've been buried with the worst snow in nearly 40 years so that's why it took me so long to respond. life is nuts here!

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