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Whatnextnow
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Default Dec 04, 2020 at 09:19 AM
  #1
In a couple of months I am being assessed by a psychiatrist and I keep wondering what kind of question the Dr is going to ask during the assessment. I was hoping any other people who were assessed as adults could share what their Drs discussed with them?

I have researched the DSM-5 symptoms and taken many quizzes and done a lot of research, discussed with my GP and I understand the the psych may want some corroboration of my symptoms in the form of schools records or accounts from a spouse or family member. I no longer have any school records (I’m almost 40!) and neither my husband nor my mother agree that any of my symptoms are anything more than my anxiety disorder (or in my mother’s words “you just did what you wanted when you wanted”), so I’m not sure how they would be much help.

Any insight anyone could provide would be much appreciated!
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sarahsweets
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Default Dec 08, 2020 at 06:11 AM
  #2
Hi @Whatnextnow
I have adhd, my husband has adhd and all three of our kids have adhd. I feel like I have valid info that may help. There is a lot of confusion when it comes to being assessed for adhd and some misinformation.
Firstly there are NO TESTS for adhd. None. Anyone that tries to tell you there is, make you pay for some kind of test or force you to pay for one of those computer tests doesnt know what the real assesment tools and guidelines are, or they dont care. Generally a doctor will ask you for your history from childhood into adulthood. Its good to sit down and write out everything you can think of from child-adult that affects your functioning. Adhd must impair your life in 2 or 3 or more ways in at least 6 areas of your life. (or maybe reverse that). It must also be something you suffered in childhood. That does not mean you would have had to be diagnosed or evaluated in childhood, just that you have a history of long term functional deficits that go all the way back. So many are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as children.

One thing that is tried and true is the connors rating scale for parents, teachers and self. What Is the Conners Scale for Assessing ADHD?

This link explains it. It was geared for children but it is still a respected reliable tool in diagnosing. if you have a supportive family member or friend or other person that has seen you and your functional abilities over time then they can consider the parent/teacher assesment portion. If you google "connors rating scale" (for parents, teachers or self reporting) google images usually pops up with those forms to go over. In addition some can be found online. It will be a good starting point for you to do a thorough eval of yourself. I caution you against reading the symptoms and tailoring your experiences to match those symptoms because a good doctor may see it as malingering at worst, or that you are not being honest. Do not get hung up on the end game of worrying about not being diagnosed. Just focus on truly examining your life. Try and relate the questions on the connors scale to real life issues you experience. Make notes in a notebook and be prepared ahead of time so you are not worried.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Whatnextnow View Post
In a couple of months I am being assessed by a psychiatrist and I keep wondering what kind of question the Dr is going to ask during the assessment. I was hoping any other people who were assessed as adults could share what their Drs discussed with them?

I have researched the DSM-5 symptoms and taken many quizzes and done a lot of research, discussed with my GP and I understand the the psych may want some corroboration of my symptoms in the form of schools records or accounts from a spouse or family member. I no longer have any school records (I’m almost 40!) and neither my husband nor my mother agree that any of my symptoms are anything more than my anxiety disorder (or in my mother’s words “you just did what you wanted when you wanted”), so I’m not sure how they would be much help.

Any insight anyone could provide would be much appreciated!

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Whatnextnow
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Default Dec 17, 2020 at 06:11 AM
  #3
Thanks @sarahsweets for that info, the checklists have been helpful in thinking about info/examples that the psych might want to know about, and I’m going to combine a few different sheets to create More comprehensive questionnaires for my husband and my mother To complete so I can take those in with me.
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