ᴍᴜᴛɪʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴡᴀᴠᴇ

I took two roughly a year ago. The first one was in a run down office. I came to fill out forms and do a written assessment. Then I came back and did a test with an aged beige box computer, very simple but I know I did poorly. Then I had an assessment of math, verbal, etc with a live person. I was called back a week later and answered more questions. I was told I couldn’t have ADD because my job was too demanding for a person with ADD to handle. My coworker was in the car and I did the whole thing on speakerphone because he is a good friend and I’m serious about being open and honest when it comes to mental health. I thought it was ridiculous and my friend agreed.

Then I looked online and found a service (you can DM me if you want the name) that could do an online assessment if you have a laptop or desktop with a camera. I filled out all my forms online and submitted them before initial assessment video call. It was clear that the psychiatrist had read what I wrote. I then took a test on my laptop, very simple still but made me realize how out of date the test on my first attempt was.

I had another video appointment a week later. My psychiatrist actually has ADHD herself. She said the computer test graded me at top 7% severity. I told her about my other mental illness issues and, this is very important, I told her how so much of my childhood would make sense if I had ADD. It is important to talk about childhood symptoms, because ADD is a lifelong neurodivergence, not an illness.

She diagnosed me with ADD. We tried Vyvanse, it’s slow release so I thought it would be better. It put me to sleep. I now take Adderall so I can fit into a box and be a normal productive member of society for about 10 or 12 hours. I still have serious executive dysfunction without an immediate deadline looming or some other exterior pressure. It’s better than it was though, that’s for sure.

This was my experience in WV, USA

Good Luck

And if you like the appendices you’ll love The Silmarillion.

And we would be the scouts and night watch for the community. If neurodivergence isn’t environmentally caused, and I don’t believe it is, why would it still be so common in our species?

If you’re in the US I can PM you the name of the service I used to get diagnosed. First attempt I was given what I later learned was a very outdated test, after which I was told “your job is too hard for someone with ADHD”.

Got mine less than a year ago at 41. My whole fucked up life makes sense.

Brother I know. I was diagnosed less than a year ago. Masking is exhausting and I do it automatically.

You are ok

As I’ve become older and been friends with many much older people, they generally take care to say something like “I really appreciated your help yesterday”.

I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but they’re telling you they enjoyed the time/favor whatever.

And I’m a brash fucking asshole to meet.

Some of us have shit genetics. Yeah I’m 6 feet tall, strong as an ox, etc, but the mental issues that were handed to me I would never want to pass on. Both my parents died in their early 60s.

With the executive dysfunction I have combined with clinical depression and being short on work, most days I don’t even bother to take a shower.

I tell the people I work and worked for that I need external motivation and it’s worked out pretty well. Home life, my wife can sometimes be enough to motivate me. Not because she asks, but I want the house to be nice for her. If I lived alone it would be a mess.

Exactly what happened to me. I went for help with depression and anxiety. 3 years later, nothing really working, I find out I have severe ADHD at age 41. And my whole life made sense.

Came here to say this.

You don’t need an audience to sing or dance.

That’s ok, same here.

Sing to your children!

Reminds me of when Obama was giving speeches, he had his signature start stop style. It was because he was thinking before he spoke. Conservatives at the time claimed he sounded stupid because he didn’t just word vomit his thinking immediately.

There are much cheaper ways to get a diagnosis, even for people without health insurance.

I’m still doing physical labor, but I think neurotypical people would go crazy with my schedule. I don’t know what days I’m working sometimes until two days before. I don’t even know where in the country I’ll be next week. I thrive in the chaos and the physical work, but I can’t keep it up forever. Freelance contractor for IT work.

Do you mind telling me what age she was? My wife is suffering severely with mental health but will not see a psychiatrist. I suspect perimenopause. She does see a therapist.

I was diagnosed last year, age 41. I think back to one of my earliest memories, where someone took me out of 2nd grade class to give me tests in some big closet or boiler room. I am convinced I was diagnosed at that time with at least ADHD, but my mom didn’t believe in mental health treatments despite desperately needing them herself. She’s dead so I can’t ask her what those tests were about.