How would you react to a patient that wants to self diagnose?

Hi all! I am a female in my mid-twenties and I am viditng a psychiatrist next week. Years ago I had previously seen two other separate psychiatrists but ceased going after a lack of results and frustration. In my time with those doctors, both diagnosed me with depression and I was given Wellbutrin, Seroquel, and Abilify. (Not all at once...tried each separately)

I saw no positive results from any of these, and Seroquel and Abolify actually made me very physically ill. I gave up, frustrated, and haven't sought treatment again until now, several years later.

I have been prompted to try again by a recent diagnosis that was given to my sister (slight younger). She was recently diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed a medication called Concerta. The change in her overall life has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm very happy for her, but to be honest we were both quite surprised that she would be diagnosed with that in her mid twenties. I guess we thought of it as more of a school kids thing.

I want my doctor to examine the possibility that I may also suffer from that. Since my sisters diagnosis, I've read more about it, and it's honestly like reading a freaking record of my life. It's actually emotionally overwhelming to feel like something so simple I had never thought of before could possibly be the issue.

I have an appointment next week. I don't want to come off as some uneducated junkie who just wants a specific drug, but I'm frustrated with the "depression" diagnosis and accompanying meds that don't help. I really feel like this might be it! How can I explain this to my psych without seeming like I'm just after specific drugs?

I would tell him the symptoms and that your sister was diagnosed with ADHD and see what he says. All he can really do is disagree.

I would do the same as the previous poster mentioned. Mention you have a family history of ADD and would like to explore the possibility that that's a contributing problem. I would avoid discounting the depression entirely, that kind of undermines their clinical skills, but present it rather as a "maybe this is a contributing factor". There are lots of meds to treat ADHD that are effective and aren't stimulants so you wouldn't even necessarily need a controlled substance. I would hope your doc wouldn't necessarily jump to the conclusion that you're drug seeking just because you're trying to better understand what's going on in your body.
Good luck.

Yup, as others have stated, I'd tell the doctor that your sister has been diagnosed with ADHD and that your symptoms are very similar. I'd also talk about your experiences with previous meds. It's entirely possible to have multiple things going on, so I think having an honest conversation with the p-doc is the best way to go.

I think most medical professionals are a bit turned off by patients that come in and say "I've decided I have xyz and I want med abc to treat it." But, if it's approached in an exploratory way, where you're having a conversations about symptoms, family history, and what has and hasn't worked in the past, you're likely to see a much more receptive response.

Tread lightly. In my experience, MD's get their undies in a bundle when patients self-diagnose...even if the patient is spot on. I agree with other replies...tell your p-doc of your family history and ask (don't tell) if "this" or "that" might be helpful. Good luck! I hope the appointment goes well.

Just tell him your symptoms and mention your sister's condition, being that ADHD can be passed down genetically (i think?)

adhd runs in families so if your sister has it then i think there is higher chance you might have it too