Waiting for an ADHD Diagnosis? What You Can Do in the Meantime

If you are one of the 19000 to 90000 people in the UK ( sadly the data is that patchy) waiting for a clinical ADHD diagnosis, you could be looking at anything between 6 months to 5 years depending on where your live and the route you take.

As an ADHD counsellor I speak to LOTS of people about their diagnosis journey and I am often shocked to hear the huge differences in wait times.

From wondering to waiting

The waiting period between, starting to wonder if you have ADHD, speaking to your GP, getting an appointment with an assessor, then the diagnosing psychiatrist and finally getting the meds (if that's your wish) can be tortuous.

It is full of opportunities for delays and frustrations.

I've heard of GP's flat out laughing at requests, not knowing how to or refusing to complete the forms and then of course the most frustrating one... losing the form and needing to start the process all over again.

During this time important questions remain unanswered, support delayed and symptoms continue to disrupt lives. If you are caught up in the system read on, there are several steps you can take, to start your journey on your own terms.

Getting informed about the ADHD basics and with some personal insights will help you arrive at your diagnosis appointment prepared and ready.

So...three things you can do while you are waiting

1) TRY A SELF SCREENING TOOL

The World Health Organisation recommends the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1) as a useful ADHD screening tool.

You can find an online version at ADHD UK and a printable version here.

Completing the questionnaire before your assessment can help you build a clearer picture of your unique ADHD symptoms and feel more prepared for your diagnostic appointment and the way questions are phrased.

(I know explaining what you feel and think is not always easy, if you'd like support working through the questionnaire, just get in touch, I offer a one off ADHD Starter Session. Together we can explore your answers, discuss your symptoms, and identify the areas of life most affected by ADHD before you begin the assessment process)

2) READ OR LISTEN TO SOME ADHD BOOKS

There are thousands out there...which can be very confusing - so here are a few pointers.

To start off it can be helpful to think about what aspect of ADHD you may like to explore.

Would you like to know more about coping with ADHD symptoms at work?

or

How ADHD affects relationships?

or

Perhaps you would like to understand the ADHD basics - the who, what, why of it all ?

My latest reading suggestions can be found here. Or give me a call and I will suggest a starting place.

3) SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT

There are some wonderful online communities out there covering every aspect of neurodiversity. Some facebook groups have humour at the heart of them, some are full of executive functioning tips and others aimed at people coming to ADHD in mid life.

Some are private some are open to the world, there is an ADHD SUPPORT GROUP for everyone.

You are only a few swipes away from finding your own tribe with tons of tips, tools, support and chat that will bring lots of little aha moments while you wait for your big AHA.

I hope this has given you some ideas - get in touch for more.

Rebecca X