From the article: ADD and Treatment – How to Find a Doctor For ADD
I receive a lot of emails from both parents and adults who are in the beginning stages of finding help for ADHD. People often ask where to start. Who to see to determine whether they have ADHD? Or if it is a parent, who to take their child to for an assessment? I thought it might be helpful to hear from others who have already been through this process.
Where did you start? How did you find your doctor? Did the same doctor who evaluated you (or your child) continue to provide treatment? Please take some time to share your path and help others as they navigate their road to understanding and coping with ADHD.
Share Your StoryInsurance Co, Online Search, Reading
- I diagnosed myself as having ADHD and then turned to my insurance company to find a psychiatrist to verify it. But when it came to working with a therapist (I only use the psychiatrist for my prescriptions), I searched online for someone who was adept at working with ADHDers and who lived within reasonable driving distance of my home. In addition, I've read a number of helpful books and I've been writing about it extensively. Writing is a great way to see what you have done and, most importantly, what you have accomplished. Sometimes it is difficult to see real change so writing down your experiences and then reading it at a later time is quite helpful. Last, make sure you do some sort of exercise. It works wonders.
- —JeffsADDMind
Where to Start
- I called our pediatrician when my oldest, at four, was in danger of being kicked out of preschool for behavior. He referred us to specialists who did psych testing and interviewed my child and me. We were at our wits end before that because no one wanted to see him at so young of an age. Good luck and don't give up!
- —Guest Linda
ADDult Issues
- The marriage therapist suggested I get evaluated based on the issues in my marriage. I used the CHADD website to find information and referred to my healthcare plan to find an adult ADD therapist. The first assessment involved two written tests and an interview. He diagnosed the issue but referred me to another therapist for ongoing treatment and my family doctor for medication. The 2nd therapist added the TOVA test to help confirm the diagnosis and validate the impact of the medication. The therapy lacked the structure I needed so I found another provider from my Insurance provider. He was marginally better but that didn’t last either. Recently went through extensive testing through a clinic specializing in ADD. They uncovered other possible factors that may be making life management more difficult (thyroid, hearing loss, and narcolepsy as examples). These non-ADD issues need to be vetted out before we can determine the best way to use my strengths to manage the ADD shortcomings.
- —Guest Mark
Magazine to Primary Care to Neurologist
- I realized I probably had ADHD when I read a NY Times Magazine in-depth article on adults and ADHD in the workplace. Sounded like most of my family! So I did two things: I called my primary care physician, who set me up with a good behavioral/cognitive neurologist. Head of the department, as a matter of fact, who had that as a specialty - I really lucked out. It was three months until the appointment opening, however, so while I was waiting I signed up for a research study on ADHD which included an evaluation as part of it. As it turned out, both appointments landed on the same day, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. By wildly different methods, the neurologist and the psychologist both came to the same conclusions. SO VERY GLAD I went ahead and got evaluated. Being on Concerta made graduate school much more doable.
- —Guest Sarah
My Path and Continued Path....
- My path started with an evaluation from questionnaires filled out by teachers and myself and his father. To see the common thread that came from this meant I knew I needed to do more for my son. I had him evaluated from one doctor and stayed with them for a short time. Educating myself was my biggest help. Reading everything I could and seeing how he fit and didn't into the "mold" of it all. I also reached out to other parents that I knew had a child with ADD or ADHD. Actually, any learning difficulties and or behaviors that caused them to be singled out. The support and sense of not being alone in this was huge for me. My son is monitored on his meds but doesn't need to see anyone on a regular basis. I can’t stress enough about educating yourself about this. You will be prepared for anything that may come your way. The support for your child and understanding will make you able to handle this in a productive way. A lot of patience and love is needed.
- —Guest jenpaty
ADHD Diagnosis
- We were lucky that my daughter's pediatrician does that sort of testing. She provided the diagnosis. CHADD, the national support group, was also very helpful.
- —Guest Rachel
Where to Start - Diagnosing ADHD
- If you are an adult, talk to your family doctor. You can probably be evaluated by a psychiatrist or psychologist to help you determine if you meet the criteria. Either the psychiatrist or your family doctor can prescribe meds. If you have a child, lots of luck getting into see a pediatric neurologist or development pediatrician. In my area (NJ) there is a waiting list of up to 2 years b/c there are so few of these specialists and so many are trying to get appts. If your child is in school, you can request the school to have him/her evaluated by these same professionals at the school's cost.
- —Guest AlwaysSharing
Job=Stress=Insomnia=Malnutrition=Fired !
- I was diagnosed as Adult ADHD about 6 years ago. After a few medicines, we settled on Strattera. It changed my life. Divorce, medical insurance cuts, resulted in my inability to pay for the "non-formulary" Strattera. I stopped and within 8 months my life was a disaster and I just tried to compensate as I had always tried to do while growing up. Disorganized, chronically forgetful, overly thorough and cautious, chronic tardiness, difficulty "comprehending" others speaking. Racing thoughts makes critical thinking VERY difficult. I was fired from my job of 6 years. My ex-wife recognized my symptoms in relation to her son who had been previously diagnosed. I went to the doctor, took the TOVA test, etc was evaluated for ADHD and subsequently started on Strattera. I am in the process of getting plugged in again and will NEVER again "underestimate" the profound seriousness of this condition.
- —Guest Brad Green
Natural Cure
- My husband is ADD. Didn't realize he was ADD but just thought he was depressed. Got him on some depression medicine which helped but then I could see how bad his concentration was amongst other signs of ADD. Researched on my own and found a Natural Amino Acid called L-Tyrosine found in GNC stores and this has been the best thing for him. It has changed his life!
- —Guest Melissa
Almost Lost Job Due to Undiagnosed ADD
- Just like any job, the ability to focus is very important to stay "on point." In Spring of 2007, I was working a project that seemed to be taking forever. Four months later I finally had it done, but not without my boss and colleagues wondering what happened to me and to the project. I couldn't concentrate or coherently make a presentation about this project. This was all very upsetting. Right away, I contacted my primary care physician, with whom I have a very good and long-standing rapport. I told him that I didn't know what was wrong with me, that I thought I was "going crazy." I know it's generally not typical for a primary care physician to diagnose ADD, but that's what happened in my case. My life has changed since then and continues to change. While my ADD wasn't the only factor, I'm not in the same position I was three years ago, but, thankfully, I'm still with the same company.
- —kreuzers
Finding Help for ADHD
- I am now 60yrs old. When I was 52 I was looking for work and went to a special place that helped people .I don’t remember what I said to a worker but she set me up with the supervisor who talked with me. I was very lucky to get into their system and I was seen by a psychiatrist for 2 days of testing. After there was a big meeting and I was told I had ADHD. I was so relieved that I wasn’t stupid or had a head like a sieve as I had been told my whole life. I thought about all of this and decided I would like to try medicine. I was sent to another psychiatrist and she prescribed a stimulant. It worked for several years. When it stopped I saw my current Dr. who said he didn’t know much about it and I got sent to another psychiatrist who put me on another type of stimulant. I tried some different doses and I’m thinking lately I made need 5mg more. I’m grateful these drugs do help or else I feel like a person trying to climb a wall with water running down it. Ask for help. It’s out there. Best wishes Valerie
- —Guest valerie jc
IT WAS NOT EASY
- ADHD...this name was not known in my life until age fifty. Like many baby boomers living in the forties, fifties and sixties we had no idea of the symptoms or causes of ADHD. It took me fifty years to find out that I had the disorder. "It was like I found out when the horse was out of the barn." My traits which were born early in my life continued to grow and haunt me for many years. Alcohol abuse, two broken marriages, ending up in a psych ward for two weeks and being brought to my knees by God gave me a second chance. At the age of fifty I ended up discovering that I had ADHD after reading Dr.Hallowell's book, Driven to Distraction. I told my psychologist that I was certain I had ADHD. I was correct. It was interesting that I was going to counseling for over fifteen years and my psychologist as well as my psychiatrist did not realize that I had ADHD. I read widely and that is the key. Read many different experts on the subject, there is a great life after ADHD...freedom.
- —RonaldWeckerly
There's Hope
- I was almost 100% sure that my husband had Adult ADD after watching a TV program & reading articles & books. We didn't have health insurance since my husband had a temporary job and I was still unemployed. I was trying to get the diagnosis (and treatment) but every place that I called was pretty expensive. I was very frustrated until I called the Mental Health Assoc. They provided me with information about some places where we could get help and we did. We applied to insurance available for people with low income and after a couple of months, we were approved. We scheduled an appointment at a mental health clinic where he was first evaluated by a psychiatrist, who then referred him to the psychologist, who evaluated him several times and provided him some tests. After several evaluations, my husband had another appointment with the psychiatrist who diagnosed him with ADD & started the treatment with basic medicine. He still needs to improve but I want other options instead of a stronger medicine.
- —Guest Good Luck
9 Years Later, Still Working On It
- Your pediatrician or primary care physician can diagnose and prescribe for ADHD, but follow up with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or neuropsychologist for testing in addition to the typical “checklists” given to parents and teachers for diagnosis. It is not unusual for someone ADHD to have a comorbid disorder or disorders as well. This means co-occurring disorders, often with overlapping symptoms, such as Sensory Processing Disorder or child onset bipolar disorder. There are also numerous disorders with similar symptoms that are often originally misdiagnosed as ADHD, such as Aspergers. Have this testing done early so that all issues are addressed as some need to be addressed before others in order to be most effective. Also, if at the initial testing your child is diagnosed with just ADHD, if there are issues that just aren’t being resolved by the medication or if new symptoms crop up, or symptoms become worse, don’t be afraid to ask for re-assessment and additional testing.
- —kwibidi58
Insurance Group
- Go online into your health insurance company's web site and look for mental health group.
- —Guest jerry
How I found help for ADHD
- I found that by going gluten free (last May) had an amazing affect on improving my ADHD ! Along with losing joint pain, arthritis pain, gaining energy, and so many improvements, it also improved drastically the ADHD. This should really be looked into by more professionals!
- —Guest Dianna
There is no help where I live
- No, I can't find any help from anywhere at all. Well, I did find a doctor, but all he can provide is just diagnosis. My doc said to me: "you have ADD". I asked him: "So, what's next?" He said: "unfortunately there's no cure or treatment and nothing we can do about it". I said: "bummer". I'm living in Japan btw. Japanese government banned Ritalin for treating adult ADHD few years ago. I'm living under extreme frustration now.
- —TetsuoIida
