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  #1  
Old Mar 31, 2017, 11:52 AM
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Zebra821 Zebra821 is offline
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Location: United States
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I have been working on an ADHD diagnosis for many many years. My T is 100% convinced that my mood shift issues are not due to bipolar (my current diagnosis) but to ADHD.

My doctor(s) all have given me the suspicious eye when I mention my symptoms. They see a 24 year old college student struggling in school and they just automatically assume I'm drug seeking. But as I look at ADHD symptoms in adults, I'm realizing how *typically* adhd I am. My T mentioned that most women with adhd get diagnosed bipolar because of the mood swings associated with it. How do I approach this conversation with my new doc, who seems more "with it" in terms of trusting me?

I feel I've gained a good rapport with her as I on my own suggested lowering my Ativan dose and have been doing really well on Effexor and abilify. My thing is, if I ask her about adhd meds, I'm afraid she will raise an eyebrow and assume I'm just trying to get through college.

The truth is, I'm trying to get through LIFE. It is effecting my relationship, it's so bad. I'm messy and start projects I never finish, can't read a book to save my life and have flunked out of 3 semesters so far. The only thing that helps is caffeine . It improves my mood and overall function, but I hate to self medicate with anything, even coffee. If someone out there has a tactful way to talk to my Pdoc about trying meds, please let me know!!! Thanks!

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  #2  
Old Apr 01, 2017, 03:23 PM
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Desoxyn Desoxyn is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2016
Location: The Netherlands
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Just tell them how much it affects you. You're already on medication. If pdoc doesn't understand, see a new one.

Sometimes they want to take away my Concerta (I'm 20) but I say, the damage is done. Go save someone else.
Thanks for this!
Zebra821
  #3  
Old Apr 04, 2017, 06:12 AM
still_crazy still_crazy is offline
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Member Since: Oct 2016
Location: United States of America
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psychiatry isn't really scientific. some doctors are more...accomodating...with stimulants than others. some will prescribe uppers, but aren't gung ho about downers. others will give anxiety drugs, not amphetamines. see where I'm going with this?

one of my former doctors saw add/adhd as a "real condition," and gave me adderall, but expected me to "deal with" my anxiety, so no klonopin. You may just need a new psychiatrist or an understanding family doctor...
  #4  
Old Apr 06, 2017, 03:19 AM
alwaysin6thgear alwaysin6thgear is offline
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Member Since: Jul 2015
Location: US:Northeast
Posts: 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zebra821 View Post
I have been working on an ADHD diagnosis for many many years. My T is 100% convinced that my mood shift issues are not due to bipolar (my current diagnosis) but to ADHD.

My doctor(s) all have given me the suspicious eye when I mention my symptoms. They see a 24 year old college student struggling in school and they just automatically assume I'm drug seeking. But as I look at ADHD symptoms in adults, I'm realizing how *typically* adhd I am. My T mentioned that most women with adhd get diagnosed bipolar because of the mood swings associated with it. How do I approach this conversation with my new doc, who seems more "with it" in terms of trusting me?

I feel I've gained a good rapport with her as I on my own suggested lowering my Ativan dose and have been doing really well on Effexor and abilify. My thing is, if I ask her about adhd meds, I'm afraid she will raise an eyebrow and assume I'm just trying to get through college.

The truth is, I'm trying to get through LIFE. It is effecting my relationship, it's so bad. I'm messy and start projects I never finish, can't read a book to save my life and have flunked out of 3 semesters so far. The only thing that helps is caffeine . It improves my mood and overall function, but I hate to self medicate with anything, even coffee. If someone out there has a tactful way to talk to my Pdoc about trying meds, please let me know!!! Thanks!
Have you been actually diagnosed with ADHD? If not then that is the 1st step. Is this doctor experienced with ADHD? Any clinician with integrity, credibility, and ethics would take several appointments to make an ADHD diagnosis, it's a complicated disorder that requires one with knowledge and experience, Bi-Polar disorder and ADHD do have some similar symptoms along with OCD and clinical depression. One doctor may be and expert in one but have little knowledge in the others. A misdiagnosis can have severe effects, I had to go to 7 appointments which included numerous tests and interviews. Once you get an official diagnosis then you can talk treatment, including meds. There is a very good reason why many clinicians just don't write scripts for ADD meds based on a patients assumption. It's very well known that many unethical clinicians will, especially college students. It's also popular with Wall Street stock brokers, Bankers, and Financiers. Well connected students and Wall Streeters have the means to get ADD meds, a short 30-minute appointment, claim they can't focus and easily distracted and they walk out with a prescription. The effects of ADD meds on a person who really doesn't have it is much different than someone who is legitimately ADHD. ADDer's take it and it slows their brain down to the point where they can focus, stay on task and not have to deal with the numerous thoughts running through their mind, it helps them function at a relatively normal pace. For one without ADD, they get the actual stimulant effect, like their on speed, stay up for hours on end studying or being able to function in an extremely fast-paced, high-pressure environment that a stock broker would be exposed to. These are the ones that get addicted, there is a big difference between needing it to function at a normal pace or just taking it to keep a high energy level, without it, for many like me, getting through the day is a living hell filled with frustration, anger, humiliation, failure, the list is endless. I also work at a college and my position requires me to deal directly with students quality of life while living on campus. It's common for students to sell their ADD meds to other students, a 20mg pill of Ritalin or Adderal can get as much as $40. What they don't realize is that they are a control substance, no different than selling or buying Heroin or Coke, it's a felony by law, sadly I've seen several students over the years expelled for selling their meds and others having their careers ruined before they even get started for having a controlled substance that doesn't belong to them. One student this year was tried as a common drug dealer after he was caught selling his prescription Adderall to an undercover cop off campus. So you can understand the hesitation and concern when a college age student requests ADD meds without a legitimate diagnosis.
  #5  
Old Apr 06, 2017, 03:24 AM
alwaysin6thgear alwaysin6thgear is offline
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Member Since: Jul 2015
Location: US:Northeast
Posts: 53
Quote:
Originally Posted by still_crazy View Post
psychiatry isn't really scientific. some doctors are more...accomodating...with stimulants than others. some will prescribe uppers, but aren't gung ho about downers. others will give anxiety drugs, not amphetamines. see where I'm going with this?

one of my former doctors saw add/adhd as a "real condition," and gave me adderall, but expected me to "deal with" my anxiety, so no klonopin. You may just need a new psychiatrist or an understanding family doctor...
I'm a little confused about your post, are you saying that you don't think ADD/ADHD is a "real condition"? your post makes no sense at all and basically is BS.
  #6  
Old Apr 06, 2017, 09:06 AM
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Apokolips Apokolips is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2016
Location: Ny
Posts: 328
I think this was more of a case of "visit 100 doctors and get 100 different diagnoses" that is far to common in mental health.
Thanks for this!
still_crazy
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