I would just like to express my gratitude to everyone for sending me down a rabbit hole of research after reading many comments and relating to almost every single meme that was posted.
After my diagnosis, I have a plan moving forward to help better my decisions and what I should do next. Do it if you are questioning and can afford it, is what I would say!
I’ve always thought about getting tested for it but I have no idea where to start. Like, do I have to go to a specific place and see a specific specialist? How do I even find such a place? Also I’m kinda scared of most medications and don’t really want anything too intense. If I do have ADHD it’s not like I can’t function right now so I’m unsure if I should even get tested. I just wish that I’d spend more time and effort on my hobbies. These days I go hard on one of them for a good couple days or weeks and then not touch them again for months or longer.
Just to add: education and diagnosis is getting better, but there are still a lot of psychologists and psychiatrists who have little to no education on adult ADHD. They can use the diagnostic criteria meant for children and often get it wrong. You may find a provider who has updated their education, but the best chance of an accurate diagnosis is to look for somebody that specializes in diagnosing adult ADHD specifically. If the diagnosis involves a detailed history and several appointments with multiple tests, that’s a good sign. If it’s just regular 30-60 minute meetings where you talk and they say you don’t have it, get a second opinion from someone who specializes in this.
Start with your primary care doctor! I asked at my annual exam and had a list of things I had noticed I was struggling with and he saved me the hassle of a second appointment. It did help that most of my issues were inattentive based and VERY obvious from what I’ve been told.
He prescribed a non-stimulant which was also nice but if he hadn’t been my doc for a while he would’ve just given me a referral to who I needed to go to.