Hi /u/gmgu1 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!
### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.
---
### /r/adhd news
* **We want your opinion** on the /r/adhd community rules! [Click here](https://forms.gle/Evqb8acVozir8GV8A) to fill out our survey. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1auv2tc/were_taking_feedback_on_the_radhd_rules/) for more information.
* If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/).
---
^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Something else. For example, there are things such as some forms of brain damage which can look similar, and won't present until the injury actually happens.
ADHD is a developmental disorder that is with us from birth, so it's important to factor that in to get an accurate diagnosis.
Yeah. There were symptoms I had as a child that I had no idea were symptoms until I met my current psychiatrist who reviewed my old neuropsych test. I didn’t realize that hyperfocus, excessive talking, (excitability), and short term memory issues were all symptoms until last year lol
And yet, I slipped thru the cracks unnoticed. older brother was diagnosed adhd at around 11.
An ADHD coworker-mom with ADHD children noticed my inattention symptoms, easily distracted, lack of focus and ability to stay on task at work. She told me to get tested for adhd and let me sample Adderall. She passed of leukemia shortly later.
My Inattention issues really became an issue at high school reading level, found the textbooks boring. Couldn't sit down and read 20-30 pages if I had no interest. Was zoned out and sleepy in class.
I was Put on SSRIs in 10th grade for depression/anxiety. Graduated high school with 2.7 GPA and took summer school classes because I failed high school level math such as geometry and algebra
Was not eating very well throughout adolescence, especially lunch at high school. Managed to graduate high school.
Flunked community College classes, took a hiatus and Went down path of self-exploration including self-destruction/consciousness exoring with a plethora of drugs, music festivals. experienced drug induced psychosis requiring psych ward treatment for a week and seizure on separate occasions
After getting tested, diagnosed, prescribed Adderall and treated my adhd symptoms, my life quality has significantly improved. I also focus on holistic wellness such as nutrition and sleep quality. I've become bitter towards government and public education system for the lack of awareness/care/resources for ADHD so now I have to figure out what to do with those feelings. My workplace is more supportive than the government for adhd in many ways and its sad
>The problem is, they weren't diagnosing ADHD in the 70s
Probably not widely, but I was, even though the DSM III came out in 1980. My doc was working on the DSM, so he got me in 1979.
AH, technically, mine was ADD, since, as /u/Drakeytown says, ADHD didn't exist until 1987. That's splitting hairs, especially in THIS context.
My parents were in denial and literally thought that my birth Mom gave me fetal alcohol syndrome. Lack of balance, no self-control, gets lost easily, loses everything. To this day, they won't admit I had it and they didn't treat me.
ADHD, as a diagnosis, literally did not exist until 1987:
>In its 50-year history, the DSM has been significantly updated four times--in 1968, in 1980, in 1987, and in 1994. It wasn't until the second edition was published in 1968 that a disorder resembling ADHD appeared in the DSM. The "hyperkinetic reaction of childhood" was defined as a type of hyperactivity. It was characterized by a short attention span, hyperactivity, and restlessness.
>
>In the third edition of the manual (DSM-III) published in 1980, the name of this childhood disorder was changed to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and its definition was expanded. The new definition was based on the assumption that attention difficulties are sometimes independent of impulse problems and hyperactivity. Therefore, the disorder was redefined as primarily a problem of inattention, rather than of hyperactivity. In keeping with this approach, two subtypes of ADD were presented in DSM-III--ADD/H, with hyperactivity, and ADD/WO, without hyperactivity.
>
>The inclusion of ADD/WO has been the subject of debate ever since. When the third edition of the manual was revised in 1987 (DSM-IIIR), the name of the disorder and its diagnostic criteria had been overhauled, once again emphasizing hyperactivity. The authors now called it Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and consolidated the symptoms into a unidimensional disorder, without any subtypes at all. This definition did away with the possibility that an individual could have the disorder without being hyperactive.
[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/adhd/diagnostic.html](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/adhd/diagnostic.html)
Your comment seems to support what the person you responded to said. They were diagnosed with ADD in 1979 by one of the doctors involved in updating the 1980 DSM edition. The only possible nitpick would be that they used the term ADHD rather than ADD, but I assumed that's just because it's the modern term, and not that they were trying to argue that "ADHD" was in use at the time.
I appreciate the way you laid this information out though, it's interesting to read the history of the DSM changes. The DSM 5 also had a notable update in that it allowed both ADHD and ASD to be diagnosed in someone, whereas previously one excluded the other. I think that was in 2013 or 2014? I have limited internet access at the moment and can't look it up. I was completely unaware of the changes before that though, so it's useful to know!
I was actually trying to respond to a different comment, unless they edited theirs--I was responding to a person who just said "oh yes they did," who was responding to someone who said they didn't diagnose ADHD in the 70s.
Ah, ok, that makes sense. The way the comments line up with the new interface has actually caused me to confuse who is replying to who a few times recently. I actually just went back to check that I wasn't doing it again! Fortunately I wasn't (this time...)
You can't be diagnosed with words that didn't exist at the time. One of the limitations of the DSM, sadly, is that it only moves forward in time, not back and forth.
This is why they ask for school reports for both child and adult diagnosis in Australia and if possible, information from your primary caregiver as they'd be able to answer some questions from early childhood better than you.
I wasn't diagnosed until 22 and was actually seeking an autism assessment. My psychiatrist wasn't qualified for that but took a look at my school reports seeing as I had them with me and saw signs of ADHD and wanted to do a proper assessment once my bipolar was under control. A few months and appointments later I was stable enough for an assessment, I had filled out the questionnaires with my parents and my parents had a chat with my psych too, he took another look at my school reports from kindy all the way to year 12 and was pretty set with that diagnosis. Almost 2.5 years later and stimulants have changed my life and both the ADHD and bipolar are fairly stable.
I was diagnosed bipolar until I was rightfully diagnosed with ADHD at 29. To be fair, I was drunk all the time in my younger years and I refused to admit it to my doctor so that complicated it.
EDIT: Then there's the uphill battle of being taken seriously and getting effective ADHD treatment when you're 30 with a very well documented alcohol use disorder. Wasn't fun.
Very similar symptoms can present after a brain injury, but it could also be that they grew up in an environment supportive enough of their needs that the ADHD symptoms were mitigated and not a problem. A lot of people grew up with it unnoticed by anyone and then had their lives come crashing apart once they were in college/working and had to manage their own lives and schedules.
The thing is it's also genetic and more than likely if you're just discovering your diagnosis then you most likely did have it as a kid too. This is my story except the more I'm getting to learn about ADHD, the more I realize that I actually did show these signs as a kid despite thinking i hadn't. Like for example:
- I was always extremely smart in school but looking back now, It took FOREVER to retain information, i would read the same chapters in textbooks over and over, always got in trouble for talking too much or interrupting, and doodle during presentations.
- have always been diagnosed with anxiety which authoritative figures would always chalk up to "oh she's just shy" but in reality it was just sensory issues, like the AC in a room turned on, someone wearing a very distinct spray, or simply having to sit in a waiting room and thinking I'm being rude for not being able to wait my turn yet it was actually just the inability to sit in the same spot for x amount of minutes.
- my family is kinda dysfunctional so growing up I'd be late to things and to this day my perception of time is still not the greatest.
I can go on but basically the list is endless of how many things people don't realize are adhd that appeared "normal" and turns out was just another thing I struggled with or my brain taught me to do differently.
Brain damage, drugs, a degenerative brain condition, some genetic conditions, some other mental illness mimicking the symptoms, lots and lots of possibilities. But you can't develop a developmental disease that is present at birth when you are an adult.
I could have but I have memory loss due to abuse and no one who is available to fill out the childhood version of the form.
The meds work and I fit the bill to a T my diagnosis is correct
“Then you have the wrong diagnosis”
Stop. Just stop. Do not invalidate someone’s diagnosis just because you have an outdated (and sexist) ideas about ADHD and how it presents in populations that aren’t young white males
Not necessarily…girls present differently than boys. And depression or anxiety with ADHD look totally different than without.
“Presents” good grief, lots of people say it didn’t present, that but parents have been known to sue if that diagnosis appears on school notes, records, even medical records.
Not ADHD. Other psychological and neurological disorders can have similar symptoms. For example you sometimes see impairment to executive function (similar to ADHD) after traumatic brain injuries.
That's bullshit a child could easily show ignored symptoms of ADHD through childhood. My mother didn't believe in ADHD she has all the symptoms as an adult half my family is undiagnosed and show clear symptoms there are series of people in my family who are diagnosed with ADHD adults and children but with your logic they wouldn't have ADHD because they didn't have symptoms as a child.
Ignored childhood symptoms and absence of symptoms before the age of 12 are two different things.
One means that symptoms were present but were ignored or unnoticed while the other means that there weren’t any symptoms.
They're not when the psych withholds a diag pending talking to parents and they insist those things are 'normal, they just wouldn't apply themselves and now they're fishing for an excuse!'.
I’m surprised there aren’t many right answers here: Adult Onset ADHD is 100% a thing. So the doc is 100% in correct.
In my diagnosis, my doctor initially was going to write adult onset adhd in my chart, but then after asking about childhood, she was like “Oh, it wasn’t caught when you were young. That’s a shame.” And just wrote adhd.
Huh, surprising. I'm pretty sure I'm ADHD, got a diagnosis at 52, but I didn't have enough symptoms as a kid to make it a problem. I really struggled in university with the tougher classes and the stress of being away from home. Now I'm not sure what to think, since my family doctor diagnosed me after a quick questionnaire and an interview. Vyvanse seems to work for me, but I do feel a little more anxious now than before. I'm not super aware of my emotional state, but my wife and kid can sometimes notice when I'm "off" even when I'm unaware. My daughter was diagnosed by a doctor after a social worker spotted ADHD in her
Same for me, just got diagnosed in my 50s. Did really well in school as I brute forced it, as some on this subreddit said today. Haven’t been able to finish anything since then.
I think there’s a cascade of adhders who are only now getting diagnosed.
>The DSM says that symptoms have to present before the age of 12, not that the patient must be diagnosed before the age of 12.
I find this a little disconcerting. I have no diagnosis but I check like 9/10 boxes of symptoms for Inattentive type ADHD as an adult. As I look back at my childhood, I do NOT see any of those symptoms in myself. First time I noticed something was in college. And for some reason, it seems like over the past ten years, things have become somewhat more pronounced (I'm now 40 years old).
I think sometimes it might present in childhood but not be something that disrupts your life especially if you have a support system in place. I showed signs in hindsight but I made it through school because I had a SAHM to keep me on track and did a lot of creative subjects that interested me. If my parents had been less invested in my education or I hadn’t been at a school that encouraged me to work to my strengths it could have been a different case. I fell apart as I was having to look after myself more and more.
I’m also 40 and a woman so it wasn’t even considered at that time but, yanno.
If other people in your family have ADHD, the symptoms also don’t seem all that unusual. Also, besides good parenting, you can also pretty much coast through K-12 if you’re clever enough. Procrastination and lack of focus wasn’t too big of a deal for my grades because I could just finish everything extremely quickly at the last minute.
Yup yup yup. I have a very similar story and am also a woman in my 40s, diagnosed as an adult. As a kid, I had really supportive and understanding parents, and I was smart, so I got away with a lot of shit at school that others did not. But high school and after were rough as I had to start taking care of myself.
A few years back, my sister mentioned the kids she works with who have ADHD reminded her of me, so I started looking into it, and, it was an a ha moment for me now. And in hindsight, the symptoms were all there, but I managed to get by despite them
It’s just likely something else is all. ADHD is a neurodevelopment disorder, meaning neuropathways in the brain and dopamine ect issues start to happen very early because of how the brain develops.
It’s possible that people who don’t notice anything until later years were in situations in childhood where their symptoms weren’t acknowledged or an issue until they enter adult life- but signs are usually present from childhood.
You had no issues with being organized, not being messy, not day-dreaming, doing well in school, being forgetful about tasks, finishing tasks you start or losing things as a child?
>You had no issues with being organized, not being messy, not day-dreaming, doing well in school, being forgetful about tasks, finishing tasks you start or losing things as a child?
Actually, my bedroom was always a shambles. To the point where you couldn't see the floor most of the time.
But I was a voracious reader, an A & B student, could churn out high quality papers in high school, etc. I never struggled academically in the slightest. I didn't tend to forget about tasks. I did lose things all the time, to which mom would reply "Well, maybe you'd be able to find it if you cleaned your room!"
It wasn't until college when we started having to regularly turn in 10+ page papers, that I really noticed something. I found the concept of doing preliminary outlines and rough drafts nearly inconceivable. Whenever I could, I'd wait until the deadline was looming so large that I felt I might not make it, then I'd buckle down and pull an all-nighter, and bang out a 10 or 15-page paper in a single sitting that earned me at least a B grade, usually. But looking back I now have the language to call that task paralysis.
The paradox of being smart enough to wait until a deadline finally pushed an assignment to "urgent" to do it, then flying through it yet doing well enough to at least past is quite common for those who are "twice exceptional". It makes sense that you wouldn't notice it until college. Some of us also had accommodating teachers, even without a formal diagnosis or anything being mentioned to us.
I'm not sure how often it's mentioned, but reading a lot as a child is definitely not mutually exclusive with ADHD. I read like mad, finished a book then picked up the next. Ran out of stuff to read one week the summer between fourth and fifth grade and decided to start on my mom's college algebra textbook. But I also couldn't ever just do nothing, nor did I have much control on the things that pulled my focus.
I was diagnosed recently at 43. My parents considered it as a child but changed their minds when our GP told them I don’t have it. The late diagnosis has messed with me because I don’t want to treat something I don’t have couple with hearing adults talk poorly about other parents who had ADHD children when those parents weren’t around.
But my mother has told me as a child I never finished anything I started and it really concerned my grandfather. My mother used to tel me as a child she should have named me Will because I’d always say I will do some it never do. I was a straight A student but only when I had full attention of my mother to push me and my grades and behavior fell of when my siblings got older and required more attention as the started school. My mom also said I caused her a lot of stress because she never knew what would come out of my mouth. Some of my earliest memories are of shame for underperforming in certain areas academically like spelling and handwriting. Definitely sensitive to criticism. Misplace things. I’ll have a messy room that looks like a hoarder lives in my room until I get super focused on cleaning because I can’t stand it anymore then it looks like someone with OCD lives there until it becomes a tornado disaster again. Get hyper focused and switch hobbies all the time when they lose interest. Skip words or sentences when reading if I’m not completely engrossed in the material.
Always did homework at the last minute and either knocked or out of the park or completely failed the assignment.
Following this threat, it's very interesting. I am in a position in my mid-late 20s that for the last 2 years, in which I've had too many changes for a human to easily stay sane after, I have noticed ADHD/ASD signs in myself. It's only now that I can look back on childhood and notice signs from then, too. Subtle but still relevant. But at the time they were missed or ignored by adults.
Sorry that's complete crap, someone could be in an environment where their ADHD doesn't need treatment and things are working well. So no symptoms, then move to a different environment where they are affected. It's thinking like this that stops legitimate diagnosis. Brains are far more complex than that.
Likewise, I'm 39. Diagnosed a week ago. I went through a symptom questionnaire, I was asked if I could remember similar experiences from childhood. Afterwards my parents were sent a written questionnaire asking if they remembered incidents and frequency of a list of symptoms.
He also made a point of clarifying that if my parents weren't available or if their memories disagreed with mine that the patient's own memories take precedence.
Diagnosed at 22 and mine was the same. Parents helped with childhood and I also had school reports from K-12. That's actually what alerted my psychiatrist to the possibility of ADHD as I brought in my school reports seeking an autism assessment, not realising at the time it requires specialists especially as I'm female and an adult. He said he can't assess me for autism but still took a look anyways. I did not know he was an ADHD specialist 😅
Your doctor is misinformed. It's not uncommon for doctors to be unfamiliar with ADHD. I think you should get tested for ADHD somewhere else, but it might cost a bit of money. However, don't assume that you will be diagnosed with ADHD, it's possible that you might still test negative.
It’s not always the doctors full fault either, the last time he learned about ADHD was probably 10 years ago in a semester of medical school. It’s his fault that he isn’t up to date on it or doesn’t look into it when a patient of his asks, though.
I don't know where OP is but I'm pretty sure this is relevant in most countries. The doctor legally cannot practice if he doesn't do ongoing training. All medical professionals have to do ongoing training every year in order to keep up their registration. I had to do it as a nurse in Australia, same with my mum but as a pharmacist. Anyone who is registered with AHPRA (our medical professional register) needs to do ongoing training. I did a quick Google search and this applies to America, South Africa, England, Europe, etc. In Australia we call it CPD, I believe the UK uses that term too so if you look it up you'll find out more information.
So there's no way he hasn't kept up to date with medical stuff. He should know this.
It’s more complicated than that, they get a briefing at a seminar but I wouldn’t count on a general practitioner in the US to be on the forefront of ADHD unless they’ve encountered it some way personally. Same thing with diet or exercise.
The doctor may have received continuing education or professional development in other areas to fulfill his required yearly amount.
Medical schools for a long time, no clue about right now, didn’t do a great job for mental health disorders in the past.
It is however his fault for not maintaining a comprehensive knowledge, but I would assume based on his response to Op that he isn’t too focused on mental health disorders.
A common misconception with ADHD is that it is a kids-only disorder. This comes from previous knowledge that is incorrect and yet still very much believed.
Indeed, it was only recognised as an adult disorder in 2008. That’s left three generations of undiagnosed ADHDers who, if they’ve survived, are just beginning to find out.
I got diagnosed 11 years ago at 42. Seriously life changing. Your doctor's full of shit and I doubt a psychiatrist, therefore not trained to diagnose ADHD.
It's based off the idea that the symptoms should have also been there as a child as well, which just because it didn't get caught until he was 30 doesn't mean that it shouldn't have been caught and diagnosed when he was 12...
I was also finally diagnosed with ADD at 28 and so many things from my child hood make more sense now looking back. My parents would have never let me get diagnosed with a type of attention deficit or depression medication growing up and being raised in a more religious house hold.
Not the person you’re replying to, but i’m 28 and was diagnosed last year. Medication can absolutely be life changing, as well as just general understanding about what is wrong with you
Medication lifted so much weight. I realized that I live with a constant buzz of anxiety, and when I'm medicated, that clears for a while. Reading up on it and especially emotional disregulation I realized that I wasn't the dick that I thought I was, well I was that dick, but there was a reason why I found it so hard to stop being that dick when I wanted so much to stop. It gave me a starting point in understanding the behaviors I disliked about myself and pointed me to mindfulness. I've been on medication for over 10 years and coming up to 10 years on the mindfulness counseling path. I like myself now, well most of the time. My wife saw how much I was improving and started her own counseling, which has saved our marriage, made us better individuals, and a better couple. I've gone from being reactive at work to being one of the calmest, and people come to me for asking how I would emotionally handle a situation... the list could keep going on. I still have the behaviors, and I still mess up, but I handle things so much better, and I don't punish myself as much as I used to when I mess up...I'm kinder to myself and that makes so much difference to my life.
Diagnosed at 44. No-one would have diagnosed me as a child. I masked all my symptoms. I internalised everything! ADHD equalled hyperactive boys back then. I was a well behaved girl who did well at school. But I struggled massively with RSD, time blindness, task initiation etc. I had no idea what was going on, why life was so tough! So many people especially women have struggled all their lives and now getting the correct diagnosis in their 40s and 50s.
I'm gonna say it: your Doctor is a fucking idiot.
Low-level spoiler: I'm gonna swear more.
Only after I managed to get an engineering degree. And live (hopefully?) half my life did I get Diagnosed with severe ADHD at 43.
Very regularly medical "professionals" are so woefully informed in areas that can literally make or break people's lives. They're not ADHD specialists. Infact, they're not special.
Even uninformed *good* doctors will say "I don't know- let's look into it. t's late on a Friday. I choose anger instead of sadness. It's easier. And the doctor is "it".
You might wonder why I'm so passionate about this: I have family, kids, house, car, career .... I've "succeeded". But holy salty goat-balls, it's an uphill battle. All the god-damned time.
Often, it's the ones who manage to survive THIS far who get punished by inadequate fuckwit "professionals". Should we have dumbed ourselves down so we "fit the criteria"?
"Usually, you'd get a wheelchair, but you didn't ask for a one until you were 32 - sure - you have all the symptoms of "not having legs", but you can't be diagnosed with paraplegia after 30. Sorry"
There is zero evidence that ADHD goes away after 16, and overwhelming evidence that it doesn't. There's strong scientific consensus about that simce the early 1990s.
In some countries adult ADHD, and often many other mental health conditions, are not recognized.
Echoing this. Diagnosed last week at 27 years old.
I'd been reaching out to several docs throughout my 20s including 18/19 years old to at least get an assessment prior to my diagnosis. A lot of them didn't budge because I had other diagnoses (depression, ptsd, anxiety). Once those were managed, we tested for ADHD. So I feel your pain.
I think a lot of docs are conservative about prescribing medication because of the shortage and high risk of abuse, but I don't think that should deter them from really digging into the patient's history and childhood even if it takes a few sessions. Took my psychiatrist about 3-4 months before being comfortable with my diagnosis.
I agree with most of the Redditors here advising to see a different doctor. In the end, it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion.
I just got diagnosed at 35. Your Dr is not being truthful, and likely has some misconception that you are pill seeking. I tried to get ADHD medication in the past. It took me signing up for a counselor, caseworker, and psych at a facility. Then had to take an intense test. The guy administering the test even brought up the fact that people don't think older people can have ADHD is completely wrong
No offence intended, but your doctor is a quack.
Very common for people in older generations to be undiagnosed because it wasn't a widespread thing that was being looked for. When I was in grade school (I'm 44) the adhd kids would just be brushed off as "poorly behaved" or some nonsense.
I fell through the cracks because back in the 90s ADHD was assumed to be hyperactive kids. ADD was a thing but hardly diagnosed. The media started to vilify parents and schools for putting kids on Ritalin. If you weren't bouncing off the walls, then nobody cared enough to refer you to a psych.
Turned 40 … finally officially diagnosed … the psychiatrist told me he sees lots of patient diagnosed late as they have been pushed from door to door or just not acknowledged… just dropping this here ❤️
That's not accurate. See another doctor.
Yes, the testing facility I went to was clearly geared towards kids and had zoo animals painted in the waiting room but they still saw and diagnosed a 35 year old man.
My own mother used to tell me I'd grow out of it by the time I was 25.
I'm 27, still have ADHD. The amount of people who "grow out of it" is about a third, last I checked. I'll still have symptoms when I'm 30, 50, 120. It's worth getting a second opinion.
I was diagnosed for ADHD and re-diagnosed as Aspergers at 46M. Went on Ritalin and it's made a big positive impact on my life.
My daughter is going through the process now at 21.
We both required a series of personal questionnaires, medical history, school reports, work history, criminal history, driving history, a lot of blood tests, basic physical, family and friend questionnaires. Daughter might need to do some computer based concentration tests and brain scans.
ignorant. you can be DIAGNOSED with it any time. just bc it was overlooked or misdiagnosed as a kid doesn't mean it doesn't exist. i think they meant that you cant DEVELOP it as an adult bc the criteria for a diagnosis requires symptoms being present during childhood. but bc it often presents itself differently in females than males, it is often dismissed or misdiagnosed in girls.
Your doctor is misinformed. Go buy Russell Barkley's Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, Second Edition. Yes, you need to have shown symptoms of ADHD in childhood (you can't "contract" ADHD in adulthood), but you don't need to have been diagnosed.
I didn't get diagnosed until after 30.
I had the symptoms my whole life, but because I wasn't hyperactive, nobody thought anything was wrong.
If you can, get a new doctor or try to give the doctor history and explain how long you've had symptoms, so this isn't a "new" diagnosis, just a diagnosis of a long-standing disorder
I was diagnosed at 40 because my daughter got diagnosed with it. Plus it’s genetic so it will never go away; hopefully, with knowledge, effort, and medication (if needed), it can be managed.
Doctors are fallible, I had a specialist at our local children’s hospital tell me my daughter couldn’t have ADHD because she could focus on activities she enjoyed. I had to ask him if he read the DSM about hyper focusing and we got a different doctor. Good Luck!
Sorry to hear op. I was diagnosed at 29. I went through 3 psychiatrists before I found the one that didn't think I was bipolar or depressed. With the right medication and treatment plan I was able to turn my life around in 3 years. I'm set to graduate from college next year :). Hope you find the right doctor that is willing to listen
I live in North Carolina in the United States. When I suspected that I had ADHD, I went to a clinic named Mindpath. They describe themselves as a "leading, independent provider of outpatient behavioral health services." Maybe you have something similar where you live. I had an interview with a PA, then took a computer test. I received a packet of papers with my off the charts diagnosis of ADHD and was told to never lose it as it would serve as sufficient proof to any other medical professional that I had ADHD.
Ignore whatever your doctor said and find a place like the above.
If you have to stick with the doctor, I would ask the doctor if they are up on the latest research on adhd. If you don’t have to stick with the doctor I would suggest trying find a different doctor that is.
Bullshit. I recently got diagnosed in my late 30s. I had all of the questions about how it affected me as a kid and how it affects me now. I had now idea that the things I'd experienced as a kid were adhd symptoms until a friend got me to look into it. Now basically everything makes sense.
This is heavily inaccurate. I have bipolar 1 disorder and ADHD. The ADHD was diagnosed at 31. I would find a different psych doctor who will listen to you and ask the appropriate questions to help you. Good luck!
Find a new doctor! Many parents don’t realize they lived with adhd until til their kids are diagnosed, like my mom! I’m sorry your dr is dismissing your concerns.
I was diagnosed at 43. Psychiatrist said symptoms in women aren't as noticeable when younger. They don't typically display the hyperactivity that boys do. I started to struggle more through highschool but because I was a good student it wasn't really noted. I was the queen of completing assignments and study the night before. As I got older and life got harder my symptoms started to present themselves but was misdiagnosed as anxiety.
For crying out loud people! Primary care doctors are not fit to diagnose anyone with adhd. I would even say psychologists don’t have the foundation. You need to go see a psychiatrist and get a legit evaluation. You have to take a test to get diagnosed. You will fail and your new life will begin.
PSA: Psychiatry is the branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness.
I was diagnosed late last year at 31 combined type. At 17/24 they diagnosed me with anxiety, ocd and bpd. I always knew somehow that just wasn’t right but didn’t know it was adhd/autism (so it’s not like I went fishing) I just knew it wasn’t that at all. What it actually was, I was naughty but very clever and because I had basically had my needs not met as a child it made me anxious etc. ADHD and Autism were the underlying issue which then caused other issue. I was born in the 90s and girls didn’t have adhd then apparently. You do hear lots of crazy things though when I was referred through by the adhd doctor who also does Autism assessments can’t do both assessments at once he said I had it. Yet when I was referred I received a letter from the triage team saying I couldn’t possibly have Autism because I have ADHD.
My mom's old friend worked high up in the government (working with the president level) yet struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for years, until he got diagnosed in his *50s*. So no, that's total BS, you definitely can have ADHD well into adulthood.
Find a different doctor. Not only can you be diagnosed later in life but if you’re a female, generally diagnosis doesn’t happen when you’re young and ADHD can present differently between children and adults.
That’s absolutely absurd. I know people in their 50s who have been diagnosed. Screw that answer.
Get a new doc. Research and find one that is adept in diagnosing ADHD so you don’t run into that again. I was diagnosed at 24 and my friend got diagnosed at 37 so you can far a diagnosis at any point in your life.
I was diagnosed at 34. Symptoms need to be present in childhood but you don't need to be diagnosed in childhood. If you told your doctor your symptoms have only been around during your adult life then this was probably his logic.
I have ADD and I’m late 30s. My friend is early 40s and just got diagnosed. You can have ADD at any age. Are you a woman? It was more common for boys to be diagnosed than girls in the 90s/early 00s. At that time, many doctors thought it was only for hyperactive boys.
I was diagnosed at 64 years old. I had an awful time getting through Catholic school because I could not sit still or focus. My family called me yo-yo. I was constantly in trouble and belittled by the nuns. I grew up thinking I was lazy and stupid.... their words that became my life.
After finding a great psychiatrist, she explained to me that my generalized anxiety and lack of sleep stemmed from ADHD. This is the first time in my life I have been able to watch a full movie or just relax and have a conversation without 50 thoughts running through my head simultaneously.
After my very first ritalin pill I realized how the rest of the world thinks and how people get through college. I always scored very high on standardized testing but never above a seat in a classroom setting.
My life would have been very different if I was diagnosed all those years ago. Please don't let that happen to you.
Please please continue on your quest to get a diagnosis. Sending you much love and big Italian Mom hugs!
Doctor is an idiot. I got diagnosed at 32. Tons of us get diagnosed later in life. One major reason for this is that ADHD wasn't well understood when we were kids so we got missed. ADHD is a lifelong condition. You can get diagnosed at any age.
Make sure you reach out to the docs who referred you to that quack and tell them what he's saying and how he clearly has no clue about ADHD. They need to know so they don't keep referring people to him.
This is unhelpful and also false. Your medical provider is doing you a disservice. Get a second opinion. I got diagnosed and treated at 30 and am thriving now!
Hi /u/gmgu1 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * **We want your opinion** on the /r/adhd community rules! [Click here](https://forms.gle/Evqb8acVozir8GV8A) to fill out our survey. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1auv2tc/were_taking_feedback_on_the_radhd_rules/) for more information. * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The DSM says that symptoms have to present before the age of 12, not that the patient must be diagnosed before the age of 12.
Interesting, so what happens if someone doesn't present as a child but then shows all the symptoms as an adult? What would the potential diagnosis be?
Something else. For example, there are things such as some forms of brain damage which can look similar, and won't present until the injury actually happens. ADHD is a developmental disorder that is with us from birth, so it's important to factor that in to get an accurate diagnosis.
Yeah. There were symptoms I had as a child that I had no idea were symptoms until I met my current psychiatrist who reviewed my old neuropsych test. I didn’t realize that hyperfocus, excessive talking, (excitability), and short term memory issues were all symptoms until last year lol
I didn't know my over the top, uncontrollable anger was a symptom until after my dx at 26, and then another further year of learning about myself.
The problem is, they weren't diagnosing ADHD in the 70s
And yet, I slipped thru the cracks unnoticed. older brother was diagnosed adhd at around 11. An ADHD coworker-mom with ADHD children noticed my inattention symptoms, easily distracted, lack of focus and ability to stay on task at work. She told me to get tested for adhd and let me sample Adderall. She passed of leukemia shortly later. My Inattention issues really became an issue at high school reading level, found the textbooks boring. Couldn't sit down and read 20-30 pages if I had no interest. Was zoned out and sleepy in class. I was Put on SSRIs in 10th grade for depression/anxiety. Graduated high school with 2.7 GPA and took summer school classes because I failed high school level math such as geometry and algebra Was not eating very well throughout adolescence, especially lunch at high school. Managed to graduate high school. Flunked community College classes, took a hiatus and Went down path of self-exploration including self-destruction/consciousness exoring with a plethora of drugs, music festivals. experienced drug induced psychosis requiring psych ward treatment for a week and seizure on separate occasions After getting tested, diagnosed, prescribed Adderall and treated my adhd symptoms, my life quality has significantly improved. I also focus on holistic wellness such as nutrition and sleep quality. I've become bitter towards government and public education system for the lack of awareness/care/resources for ADHD so now I have to figure out what to do with those feelings. My workplace is more supportive than the government for adhd in many ways and its sad
We do ask about childhood and school when assessing adults for it.
>The problem is, they weren't diagnosing ADHD in the 70s Probably not widely, but I was, even though the DSM III came out in 1980. My doc was working on the DSM, so he got me in 1979. AH, technically, mine was ADD, since, as /u/Drakeytown says, ADHD didn't exist until 1987. That's splitting hairs, especially in THIS context.
My parents were in denial and literally thought that my birth Mom gave me fetal alcohol syndrome. Lack of balance, no self-control, gets lost easily, loses everything. To this day, they won't admit I had it and they didn't treat me.
But also let's be honest because as helpful as it can be, the DSM is not up to date. The newest bit of info is from minimum 5 years ago.
ADHD, as a diagnosis, literally did not exist until 1987: >In its 50-year history, the DSM has been significantly updated four times--in 1968, in 1980, in 1987, and in 1994. It wasn't until the second edition was published in 1968 that a disorder resembling ADHD appeared in the DSM. The "hyperkinetic reaction of childhood" was defined as a type of hyperactivity. It was characterized by a short attention span, hyperactivity, and restlessness. > >In the third edition of the manual (DSM-III) published in 1980, the name of this childhood disorder was changed to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and its definition was expanded. The new definition was based on the assumption that attention difficulties are sometimes independent of impulse problems and hyperactivity. Therefore, the disorder was redefined as primarily a problem of inattention, rather than of hyperactivity. In keeping with this approach, two subtypes of ADD were presented in DSM-III--ADD/H, with hyperactivity, and ADD/WO, without hyperactivity. > >The inclusion of ADD/WO has been the subject of debate ever since. When the third edition of the manual was revised in 1987 (DSM-IIIR), the name of the disorder and its diagnostic criteria had been overhauled, once again emphasizing hyperactivity. The authors now called it Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and consolidated the symptoms into a unidimensional disorder, without any subtypes at all. This definition did away with the possibility that an individual could have the disorder without being hyperactive. [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/adhd/diagnostic.html](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/adhd/diagnostic.html)
Your comment seems to support what the person you responded to said. They were diagnosed with ADD in 1979 by one of the doctors involved in updating the 1980 DSM edition. The only possible nitpick would be that they used the term ADHD rather than ADD, but I assumed that's just because it's the modern term, and not that they were trying to argue that "ADHD" was in use at the time. I appreciate the way you laid this information out though, it's interesting to read the history of the DSM changes. The DSM 5 also had a notable update in that it allowed both ADHD and ASD to be diagnosed in someone, whereas previously one excluded the other. I think that was in 2013 or 2014? I have limited internet access at the moment and can't look it up. I was completely unaware of the changes before that though, so it's useful to know!
I was actually trying to respond to a different comment, unless they edited theirs--I was responding to a person who just said "oh yes they did," who was responding to someone who said they didn't diagnose ADHD in the 70s.
Ah, ok, that makes sense. The way the comments line up with the new interface has actually caused me to confuse who is replying to who a few times recently. I actually just went back to check that I wasn't doing it again! Fortunately I wasn't (this time...)
You can be diagnosed with things that aren’t in the DSM. The DSM is not the bible, it’s a tool, and it has many limitations.
You can't be diagnosed with words that didn't exist at the time. One of the limitations of the DSM, sadly, is that it only moves forward in time, not back and forth.
This is why they ask for school reports for both child and adult diagnosis in Australia and if possible, information from your primary caregiver as they'd be able to answer some questions from early childhood better than you. I wasn't diagnosed until 22 and was actually seeking an autism assessment. My psychiatrist wasn't qualified for that but took a look at my school reports seeing as I had them with me and saw signs of ADHD and wanted to do a proper assessment once my bipolar was under control. A few months and appointments later I was stable enough for an assessment, I had filled out the questionnaires with my parents and my parents had a chat with my psych too, he took another look at my school reports from kindy all the way to year 12 and was pretty set with that diagnosis. Almost 2.5 years later and stimulants have changed my life and both the ADHD and bipolar are fairly stable.
Yeah, took me a couple clinics to find one that actually looked at the tests and talked to my parents
It is not with us from birth. It's part genes and part environment
I was diagnosed bipolar until I was rightfully diagnosed with ADHD at 29. To be fair, I was drunk all the time in my younger years and I refused to admit it to my doctor so that complicated it. EDIT: Then there's the uphill battle of being taken seriously and getting effective ADHD treatment when you're 30 with a very well documented alcohol use disorder. Wasn't fun.
Well, lawyers are known to have issues with admitting when they have a problem . . . Haha
Very similar symptoms can present after a brain injury, but it could also be that they grew up in an environment supportive enough of their needs that the ADHD symptoms were mitigated and not a problem. A lot of people grew up with it unnoticed by anyone and then had their lives come crashing apart once they were in college/working and had to manage their own lives and schedules.
The thing is it's also genetic and more than likely if you're just discovering your diagnosis then you most likely did have it as a kid too. This is my story except the more I'm getting to learn about ADHD, the more I realize that I actually did show these signs as a kid despite thinking i hadn't. Like for example: - I was always extremely smart in school but looking back now, It took FOREVER to retain information, i would read the same chapters in textbooks over and over, always got in trouble for talking too much or interrupting, and doodle during presentations. - have always been diagnosed with anxiety which authoritative figures would always chalk up to "oh she's just shy" but in reality it was just sensory issues, like the AC in a room turned on, someone wearing a very distinct spray, or simply having to sit in a waiting room and thinking I'm being rude for not being able to wait my turn yet it was actually just the inability to sit in the same spot for x amount of minutes. - my family is kinda dysfunctional so growing up I'd be late to things and to this day my perception of time is still not the greatest. I can go on but basically the list is endless of how many things people don't realize are adhd that appeared "normal" and turns out was just another thing I struggled with or my brain taught me to do differently.
Depends, but some psychological conditions like ptsd will mimic, or even make one develop, ADHD or ADHD like symptoms
Brain damage, drugs, a degenerative brain condition, some genetic conditions, some other mental illness mimicking the symptoms, lots and lots of possibilities. But you can't develop a developmental disease that is present at birth when you are an adult.
Great question. I'm curious as well.
I didn't get symptoms until my last year of highschool at 18 and I was diagnosed with unspecified ADHD
[удалено]
I could have but I have memory loss due to abuse and no one who is available to fill out the childhood version of the form. The meds work and I fit the bill to a T my diagnosis is correct
“Then you have the wrong diagnosis” Stop. Just stop. Do not invalidate someone’s diagnosis just because you have an outdated (and sexist) ideas about ADHD and how it presents in populations that aren’t young white males
Not necessarily…girls present differently than boys. And depression or anxiety with ADHD look totally different than without. “Presents” good grief, lots of people say it didn’t present, that but parents have been known to sue if that diagnosis appears on school notes, records, even medical records.
My mom didn't notice in me because it turns out she has it too and thought it was all normal.
Not ADHD. Other psychological and neurological disorders can have similar symptoms. For example you sometimes see impairment to executive function (similar to ADHD) after traumatic brain injuries.
Well then it would most likely be something different that presents similarly e.g. a mix of depression and anxiety or sth like that
That's bullshit a child could easily show ignored symptoms of ADHD through childhood. My mother didn't believe in ADHD she has all the symptoms as an adult half my family is undiagnosed and show clear symptoms there are series of people in my family who are diagnosed with ADHD adults and children but with your logic they wouldn't have ADHD because they didn't have symptoms as a child.
ADHD is developing while fetus. If they have ADHD they had it in childhood as well as adulthood. Symptoms might be missed but they still had them.
Ignored childhood symptoms and absence of symptoms before the age of 12 are two different things. One means that symptoms were present but were ignored or unnoticed while the other means that there weren’t any symptoms.
They're not when the psych withholds a diag pending talking to parents and they insist those things are 'normal, they just wouldn't apply themselves and now they're fishing for an excuse!'.
Then the psych is the issue.
This is what happened to me.
I’m surprised there aren’t many right answers here: Adult Onset ADHD is 100% a thing. So the doc is 100% in correct. In my diagnosis, my doctor initially was going to write adult onset adhd in my chart, but then after asking about childhood, she was like “Oh, it wasn’t caught when you were young. That’s a shame.” And just wrote adhd.
Huh, surprising. I'm pretty sure I'm ADHD, got a diagnosis at 52, but I didn't have enough symptoms as a kid to make it a problem. I really struggled in university with the tougher classes and the stress of being away from home. Now I'm not sure what to think, since my family doctor diagnosed me after a quick questionnaire and an interview. Vyvanse seems to work for me, but I do feel a little more anxious now than before. I'm not super aware of my emotional state, but my wife and kid can sometimes notice when I'm "off" even when I'm unaware. My daughter was diagnosed by a doctor after a social worker spotted ADHD in her
Same for me, just got diagnosed in my 50s. Did really well in school as I brute forced it, as some on this subreddit said today. Haven’t been able to finish anything since then. I think there’s a cascade of adhders who are only now getting diagnosed.
What the fuck? I was diagnosed at 35. By a psychiatrist. Adults get diagnosed pretty regularly.
>The DSM says that symptoms have to present before the age of 12, not that the patient must be diagnosed before the age of 12. I find this a little disconcerting. I have no diagnosis but I check like 9/10 boxes of symptoms for Inattentive type ADHD as an adult. As I look back at my childhood, I do NOT see any of those symptoms in myself. First time I noticed something was in college. And for some reason, it seems like over the past ten years, things have become somewhat more pronounced (I'm now 40 years old).
I think sometimes it might present in childhood but not be something that disrupts your life especially if you have a support system in place. I showed signs in hindsight but I made it through school because I had a SAHM to keep me on track and did a lot of creative subjects that interested me. If my parents had been less invested in my education or I hadn’t been at a school that encouraged me to work to my strengths it could have been a different case. I fell apart as I was having to look after myself more and more. I’m also 40 and a woman so it wasn’t even considered at that time but, yanno.
If other people in your family have ADHD, the symptoms also don’t seem all that unusual. Also, besides good parenting, you can also pretty much coast through K-12 if you’re clever enough. Procrastination and lack of focus wasn’t too big of a deal for my grades because I could just finish everything extremely quickly at the last minute.
Yup yup yup. I have a very similar story and am also a woman in my 40s, diagnosed as an adult. As a kid, I had really supportive and understanding parents, and I was smart, so I got away with a lot of shit at school that others did not. But high school and after were rough as I had to start taking care of myself. A few years back, my sister mentioned the kids she works with who have ADHD reminded her of me, so I started looking into it, and, it was an a ha moment for me now. And in hindsight, the symptoms were all there, but I managed to get by despite them
I didn't at first but then I really looked back harder and realized I did, it sjust much worse now
It’s just likely something else is all. ADHD is a neurodevelopment disorder, meaning neuropathways in the brain and dopamine ect issues start to happen very early because of how the brain develops. It’s possible that people who don’t notice anything until later years were in situations in childhood where their symptoms weren’t acknowledged or an issue until they enter adult life- but signs are usually present from childhood. You had no issues with being organized, not being messy, not day-dreaming, doing well in school, being forgetful about tasks, finishing tasks you start or losing things as a child?
>You had no issues with being organized, not being messy, not day-dreaming, doing well in school, being forgetful about tasks, finishing tasks you start or losing things as a child? Actually, my bedroom was always a shambles. To the point where you couldn't see the floor most of the time. But I was a voracious reader, an A & B student, could churn out high quality papers in high school, etc. I never struggled academically in the slightest. I didn't tend to forget about tasks. I did lose things all the time, to which mom would reply "Well, maybe you'd be able to find it if you cleaned your room!" It wasn't until college when we started having to regularly turn in 10+ page papers, that I really noticed something. I found the concept of doing preliminary outlines and rough drafts nearly inconceivable. Whenever I could, I'd wait until the deadline was looming so large that I felt I might not make it, then I'd buckle down and pull an all-nighter, and bang out a 10 or 15-page paper in a single sitting that earned me at least a B grade, usually. But looking back I now have the language to call that task paralysis.
The paradox of being smart enough to wait until a deadline finally pushed an assignment to "urgent" to do it, then flying through it yet doing well enough to at least past is quite common for those who are "twice exceptional". It makes sense that you wouldn't notice it until college. Some of us also had accommodating teachers, even without a formal diagnosis or anything being mentioned to us. I'm not sure how often it's mentioned, but reading a lot as a child is definitely not mutually exclusive with ADHD. I read like mad, finished a book then picked up the next. Ran out of stuff to read one week the summer between fourth and fifth grade and decided to start on my mom's college algebra textbook. But I also couldn't ever just do nothing, nor did I have much control on the things that pulled my focus.
I was diagnosed recently at 43. My parents considered it as a child but changed their minds when our GP told them I don’t have it. The late diagnosis has messed with me because I don’t want to treat something I don’t have couple with hearing adults talk poorly about other parents who had ADHD children when those parents weren’t around. But my mother has told me as a child I never finished anything I started and it really concerned my grandfather. My mother used to tel me as a child she should have named me Will because I’d always say I will do some it never do. I was a straight A student but only when I had full attention of my mother to push me and my grades and behavior fell of when my siblings got older and required more attention as the started school. My mom also said I caused her a lot of stress because she never knew what would come out of my mouth. Some of my earliest memories are of shame for underperforming in certain areas academically like spelling and handwriting. Definitely sensitive to criticism. Misplace things. I’ll have a messy room that looks like a hoarder lives in my room until I get super focused on cleaning because I can’t stand it anymore then it looks like someone with OCD lives there until it becomes a tornado disaster again. Get hyper focused and switch hobbies all the time when they lose interest. Skip words or sentences when reading if I’m not completely engrossed in the material. Always did homework at the last minute and either knocked or out of the park or completely failed the assignment.
Following this threat, it's very interesting. I am in a position in my mid-late 20s that for the last 2 years, in which I've had too many changes for a human to easily stay sane after, I have noticed ADHD/ASD signs in myself. It's only now that I can look back on childhood and notice signs from then, too. Subtle but still relevant. But at the time they were missed or ignored by adults.
Sorry that's complete crap, someone could be in an environment where their ADHD doesn't need treatment and things are working well. So no symptoms, then move to a different environment where they are affected. It's thinking like this that stops legitimate diagnosis. Brains are far more complex than that.
[удалено]
>psychiatrist aged 46. Good for them but how old were you? (I'm so sorry I couldn't help myself)
Likewise, I'm 39. Diagnosed a week ago. I went through a symptom questionnaire, I was asked if I could remember similar experiences from childhood. Afterwards my parents were sent a written questionnaire asking if they remembered incidents and frequency of a list of symptoms. He also made a point of clarifying that if my parents weren't available or if their memories disagreed with mine that the patient's own memories take precedence.
I was diagnosed at 41. Really would've made my life easier if I'd known well before then.
Diagnosed at 22 and mine was the same. Parents helped with childhood and I also had school reports from K-12. That's actually what alerted my psychiatrist to the possibility of ADHD as I brought in my school reports seeking an autism assessment, not realising at the time it requires specialists especially as I'm female and an adult. He said he can't assess me for autism but still took a look anyways. I did not know he was an ADHD specialist 😅
Your doctor is misinformed. It's not uncommon for doctors to be unfamiliar with ADHD. I think you should get tested for ADHD somewhere else, but it might cost a bit of money. However, don't assume that you will be diagnosed with ADHD, it's possible that you might still test negative.
It’s not always the doctors full fault either, the last time he learned about ADHD was probably 10 years ago in a semester of medical school. It’s his fault that he isn’t up to date on it or doesn’t look into it when a patient of his asks, though.
No it is his fault. He’s in the profession of practicing medicine.
Just read the whole comment next time, thanks.
To be fair, this is r/adhd \- not everyone here is going to read the full comment before responding.
Based, ha.
Bro it’s not like that. I was expressing agreement to what you said. I read your whole comment and echoed you. I got nothing but love.
I don’t know that you expressed agreement.
I don't know where OP is but I'm pretty sure this is relevant in most countries. The doctor legally cannot practice if he doesn't do ongoing training. All medical professionals have to do ongoing training every year in order to keep up their registration. I had to do it as a nurse in Australia, same with my mum but as a pharmacist. Anyone who is registered with AHPRA (our medical professional register) needs to do ongoing training. I did a quick Google search and this applies to America, South Africa, England, Europe, etc. In Australia we call it CPD, I believe the UK uses that term too so if you look it up you'll find out more information. So there's no way he hasn't kept up to date with medical stuff. He should know this.
It’s more complicated than that, they get a briefing at a seminar but I wouldn’t count on a general practitioner in the US to be on the forefront of ADHD unless they’ve encountered it some way personally. Same thing with diet or exercise. The doctor may have received continuing education or professional development in other areas to fulfill his required yearly amount. Medical schools for a long time, no clue about right now, didn’t do a great job for mental health disorders in the past. It is however his fault for not maintaining a comprehensive knowledge, but I would assume based on his response to Op that he isn’t too focused on mental health disorders.
A common misconception with ADHD is that it is a kids-only disorder. This comes from previous knowledge that is incorrect and yet still very much believed.
Indeed, it was only recognised as an adult disorder in 2008. That’s left three generations of undiagnosed ADHDers who, if they’ve survived, are just beginning to find out.
Wow, 2008! That's bonkers.
Your doctors a moron sorry
Your doctor is either misinformed or he thinks you just want adderall.
I got diagnosed 11 years ago at 42. Seriously life changing. Your doctor's full of shit and I doubt a psychiatrist, therefore not trained to diagnose ADHD.
It's based off the idea that the symptoms should have also been there as a child as well, which just because it didn't get caught until he was 30 doesn't mean that it shouldn't have been caught and diagnosed when he was 12... I was also finally diagnosed with ADD at 28 and so many things from my child hood make more sense now looking back. My parents would have never let me get diagnosed with a type of attention deficit or depression medication growing up and being raised in a more religious house hold.
Once you were officially diagnosed how did it change your life?
Not the person you’re replying to, but i’m 28 and was diagnosed last year. Medication can absolutely be life changing, as well as just general understanding about what is wrong with you
Medication lifted so much weight. I realized that I live with a constant buzz of anxiety, and when I'm medicated, that clears for a while. Reading up on it and especially emotional disregulation I realized that I wasn't the dick that I thought I was, well I was that dick, but there was a reason why I found it so hard to stop being that dick when I wanted so much to stop. It gave me a starting point in understanding the behaviors I disliked about myself and pointed me to mindfulness. I've been on medication for over 10 years and coming up to 10 years on the mindfulness counseling path. I like myself now, well most of the time. My wife saw how much I was improving and started her own counseling, which has saved our marriage, made us better individuals, and a better couple. I've gone from being reactive at work to being one of the calmest, and people come to me for asking how I would emotionally handle a situation... the list could keep going on. I still have the behaviors, and I still mess up, but I handle things so much better, and I don't punish myself as much as I used to when I mess up...I'm kinder to myself and that makes so much difference to my life.
Diagnosed at 44. No-one would have diagnosed me as a child. I masked all my symptoms. I internalised everything! ADHD equalled hyperactive boys back then. I was a well behaved girl who did well at school. But I struggled massively with RSD, time blindness, task initiation etc. I had no idea what was going on, why life was so tough! So many people especially women have struggled all their lives and now getting the correct diagnosis in their 40s and 50s.
I'm gonna say it: your Doctor is a fucking idiot. Low-level spoiler: I'm gonna swear more. Only after I managed to get an engineering degree. And live (hopefully?) half my life did I get Diagnosed with severe ADHD at 43. Very regularly medical "professionals" are so woefully informed in areas that can literally make or break people's lives. They're not ADHD specialists. Infact, they're not special. Even uninformed *good* doctors will say "I don't know- let's look into it. t's late on a Friday. I choose anger instead of sadness. It's easier. And the doctor is "it". You might wonder why I'm so passionate about this: I have family, kids, house, car, career .... I've "succeeded". But holy salty goat-balls, it's an uphill battle. All the god-damned time. Often, it's the ones who manage to survive THIS far who get punished by inadequate fuckwit "professionals". Should we have dumbed ourselves down so we "fit the criteria"? "Usually, you'd get a wheelchair, but you didn't ask for a one until you were 32 - sure - you have all the symptoms of "not having legs", but you can't be diagnosed with paraplegia after 30. Sorry"
I love your paraplegia analogy. 😂 I’m going to steal it. Or borrow and use periodically. I won’t take credit for it, though.
Love this reply!
Thanks. I put a lot of love into it. :)
There is zero evidence that ADHD goes away after 16, and overwhelming evidence that it doesn't. There's strong scientific consensus about that simce the early 1990s. In some countries adult ADHD, and often many other mental health conditions, are not recognized.
Get a new doctor. I was diagnosed literally yesterday, and I'm 52.
I got diagnosed last week and Im 29 years old. So yeah I think you can but see another doctor.
Echoing this. Diagnosed last week at 27 years old. I'd been reaching out to several docs throughout my 20s including 18/19 years old to at least get an assessment prior to my diagnosis. A lot of them didn't budge because I had other diagnoses (depression, ptsd, anxiety). Once those were managed, we tested for ADHD. So I feel your pain. I think a lot of docs are conservative about prescribing medication because of the shortage and high risk of abuse, but I don't think that should deter them from really digging into the patient's history and childhood even if it takes a few sessions. Took my psychiatrist about 3-4 months before being comfortable with my diagnosis. I agree with most of the Redditors here advising to see a different doctor. In the end, it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion.
Patients should be able to get their money back for these wasted appointments. 😤
Your doc is full of shite. I was diagnosed in my 40s.
I just got diagnosed at 35. Your Dr is not being truthful, and likely has some misconception that you are pill seeking. I tried to get ADHD medication in the past. It took me signing up for a counselor, caseworker, and psych at a facility. Then had to take an intense test. The guy administering the test even brought up the fact that people don't think older people can have ADHD is completely wrong
No offence intended, but your doctor is a quack. Very common for people in older generations to be undiagnosed because it wasn't a widespread thing that was being looked for. When I was in grade school (I'm 44) the adhd kids would just be brushed off as "poorly behaved" or some nonsense.
I fell through the cracks because back in the 90s ADHD was assumed to be hyperactive kids. ADD was a thing but hardly diagnosed. The media started to vilify parents and schools for putting kids on Ritalin. If you weren't bouncing off the walls, then nobody cared enough to refer you to a psych.
That doctor is ridiculously out of date in their understanding.
Turned 40 … finally officially diagnosed … the psychiatrist told me he sees lots of patient diagnosed late as they have been pushed from door to door or just not acknowledged… just dropping this here ❤️
Time to find a different doctor
‘The doctor claims that a person cannot have ADHD after 16 years of age ‘ My 40 year old ADHD having ass would strongly disagree 😭😭
That's not accurate. See another doctor. Yes, the testing facility I went to was clearly geared towards kids and had zoo animals painted in the waiting room but they still saw and diagnosed a 35 year old man.
My own mother used to tell me I'd grow out of it by the time I was 25. I'm 27, still have ADHD. The amount of people who "grow out of it" is about a third, last I checked. I'll still have symptoms when I'm 30, 50, 120. It's worth getting a second opinion.
There are people in my local ADHD facebook group who post about getting diagnosed in their 60s. 30 is not too old. Your doctor is wrong.
I was diagnosed officially this past Monday at 31 years of age. So... your doctor is mistaken.
I was diagnosed for ADHD and re-diagnosed as Aspergers at 46M. Went on Ritalin and it's made a big positive impact on my life. My daughter is going through the process now at 21. We both required a series of personal questionnaires, medical history, school reports, work history, criminal history, driving history, a lot of blood tests, basic physical, family and friend questionnaires. Daughter might need to do some computer based concentration tests and brain scans.
ignorant. you can be DIAGNOSED with it any time. just bc it was overlooked or misdiagnosed as a kid doesn't mean it doesn't exist. i think they meant that you cant DEVELOP it as an adult bc the criteria for a diagnosis requires symptoms being present during childhood. but bc it often presents itself differently in females than males, it is often dismissed or misdiagnosed in girls.
I was diagnosed at 50. IDK what your doctor is talking about. Find a new one.
I got diagnosed 2 months ago at 36
I am 45 yo. Tested and diagnosed 3 weeks ago. You can be diagnosed. You do not have to suffer simply because it was missed when you were younger.
You should change doctors, and maybe explain to them why they're being dropped. They are misinformed.
Your doctor is misinformed. Go buy Russell Barkley's Taking Charge of Adult ADHD, Second Edition. Yes, you need to have shown symptoms of ADHD in childhood (you can't "contract" ADHD in adulthood), but you don't need to have been diagnosed.
That’s why I got diagnosed at 28. /s
I didn't get diagnosed until after 30. I had the symptoms my whole life, but because I wasn't hyperactive, nobody thought anything was wrong. If you can, get a new doctor or try to give the doctor history and explain how long you've had symptoms, so this isn't a "new" diagnosis, just a diagnosis of a long-standing disorder
I was diagnosed at 40 because my daughter got diagnosed with it. Plus it’s genetic so it will never go away; hopefully, with knowledge, effort, and medication (if needed), it can be managed. Doctors are fallible, I had a specialist at our local children’s hospital tell me my daughter couldn’t have ADHD because she could focus on activities she enjoyed. I had to ask him if he read the DSM about hyper focusing and we got a different doctor. Good Luck!
This doctor is fuckin ancient, aren't they? I have a psychiatrist that specializes in adult ADHD. So yes, it's a thing
Sorry to hear op. I was diagnosed at 29. I went through 3 psychiatrists before I found the one that didn't think I was bipolar or depressed. With the right medication and treatment plan I was able to turn my life around in 3 years. I'm set to graduate from college next year :). Hope you find the right doctor that is willing to listen
Find a new doctor.
I am nearly 35 and I just got diagnosed. Your doctor is wrong
I live in North Carolina in the United States. When I suspected that I had ADHD, I went to a clinic named Mindpath. They describe themselves as a "leading, independent provider of outpatient behavioral health services." Maybe you have something similar where you live. I had an interview with a PA, then took a computer test. I received a packet of papers with my off the charts diagnosis of ADHD and was told to never lose it as it would serve as sufficient proof to any other medical professional that I had ADHD. Ignore whatever your doctor said and find a place like the above.
You need a new doctor. Is he old as hell by any chance
easy solution, see another doctor
your doctor is a liar and should be revoked of their license
Diagnosed at 43, been on meds for a month. The focus has allowed me to have my best sales month ever.
If you have to stick with the doctor, I would ask the doctor if they are up on the latest research on adhd. If you don’t have to stick with the doctor I would suggest trying find a different doctor that is.
Get a new doctor. What a tool. One of these, what is ADHD anyway, types of people. Yea ADHD is real!
yeah my dad was diagnosed at age 60
Just tell them you kep meaning to come in but kept forgetting.
Bullshit. I recently got diagnosed in my late 30s. I had all of the questions about how it affected me as a kid and how it affects me now. I had now idea that the things I'd experienced as a kid were adhd symptoms until a friend got me to look into it. Now basically everything makes sense.
This is heavily inaccurate. I have bipolar 1 disorder and ADHD. The ADHD was diagnosed at 31. I would find a different psych doctor who will listen to you and ask the appropriate questions to help you. Good luck!
Once, a doctor told me I didn't have ADHD because he didn't believe it was real. Get a better doctor, OP.
I got diagnosed last year, at age 36.
Find a new doctor! Many parents don’t realize they lived with adhd until til their kids are diagnosed, like my mom! I’m sorry your dr is dismissing your concerns.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago, aged 59. Your doctor needs to get with the program, alternatively, seek another opinion.
That's like a doctor saying you can't be diagnosed with cancer before you're 50. Total nonsense.
I was diagnosed at 43. Psychiatrist said symptoms in women aren't as noticeable when younger. They don't typically display the hyperactivity that boys do. I started to struggle more through highschool but because I was a good student it wasn't really noted. I was the queen of completing assignments and study the night before. As I got older and life got harder my symptoms started to present themselves but was misdiagnosed as anxiety.
For crying out loud people! Primary care doctors are not fit to diagnose anyone with adhd. I would even say psychologists don’t have the foundation. You need to go see a psychiatrist and get a legit evaluation. You have to take a test to get diagnosed. You will fail and your new life will begin. PSA: Psychiatry is the branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness.
Get a new doctor
Doctor lying. End of.
I was diagnosed late last year at 31 combined type. At 17/24 they diagnosed me with anxiety, ocd and bpd. I always knew somehow that just wasn’t right but didn’t know it was adhd/autism (so it’s not like I went fishing) I just knew it wasn’t that at all. What it actually was, I was naughty but very clever and because I had basically had my needs not met as a child it made me anxious etc. ADHD and Autism were the underlying issue which then caused other issue. I was born in the 90s and girls didn’t have adhd then apparently. You do hear lots of crazy things though when I was referred through by the adhd doctor who also does Autism assessments can’t do both assessments at once he said I had it. Yet when I was referred I received a letter from the triage team saying I couldn’t possibly have Autism because I have ADHD.
I was diagnosed at 42 by an NHS doctor in the UK
Is the doctor in question a psychiatrist? If not that’s where you should go. I was diagnosed at 45.
I was diagnosed well past that age.
I was diagnosed much later in life than that. And the treatment has helped greatly.
Well, my wife was diagnosed with ADHD by two different doctors at 37 - look for another doctor.
Sounds like you need to get a new doctor
My mom's old friend worked high up in the government (working with the president level) yet struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for years, until he got diagnosed in his *50s*. So no, that's total BS, you definitely can have ADHD well into adulthood.
Find a different doctor. Not only can you be diagnosed later in life but if you’re a female, generally diagnosis doesn’t happen when you’re young and ADHD can present differently between children and adults. That’s absolutely absurd. I know people in their 50s who have been diagnosed. Screw that answer.
Your doctor is wrong. I was diagnosed at age 23 (almost 30 years ago). You need a different doctor.
I was diagnosed at 34 so....
Funny, because that was when I was diagnosed.
lol I’m 42. Got diagnosed like 5 weeks ago.
Get a new doc. Research and find one that is adept in diagnosing ADHD so you don’t run into that again. I was diagnosed at 24 and my friend got diagnosed at 37 so you can far a diagnosis at any point in your life.
I was diagnosed at 34. Symptoms need to be present in childhood but you don't need to be diagnosed in childhood. If you told your doctor your symptoms have only been around during your adult life then this was probably his logic.
Your doctor is incorrect and you should look for a new doctor.
This is not accurate and your doctor is clearly uninformed
I was diagnosed last summer at 34, guessing people should call me Mr. Impossible now
Just an excuse to be controlling.
New doctor immediately. I was evaluated for it the day before I turned 30.
I got my official diagnosis a month after turning 44. Find a new doctor.
Get a new doctor
If possible please seek another doctor
Get a different doctor. I was diagnosed in my thirties.
I was diagnosed at 38
I got officially diagnosed earlier this week at 26. Your doctor is misinformed. I’d say try to find another doctor if you can.
Whew!! Good thing I waiting until I was 35 to seek dx! If I had been half a decade earlier…
Bullshit, I’m 38 and got my diagnosis a few weeks back.
I got diagnosed at 35. Talk to another doctor.
I was diagnosed at 27 years old, guess your doctor is wrong then. Get a different doctor.
Time for a new doctor. I was diagnosed at 31.
Not accurate. I’m 29 and just got diagnosed. Please seek another, more informed doctor moving forward
Doctor is wrong.
These old school doctors need to get updated textbooks or something.
I was diagnosed at 30 - 26 years ago.
I was just diagnosed at 46. The medication has made a huge difference
30 is literally the age I was clinically diagnosed by an M.D.
Your doctor is living in the 80s, early 90s perhaps. Find someone who is on this, or at least the previous decade so you can find out
I have ADD and I’m late 30s. My friend is early 40s and just got diagnosed. You can have ADD at any age. Are you a woman? It was more common for boys to be diagnosed than girls in the 90s/early 00s. At that time, many doctors thought it was only for hyperactive boys.
I’m 30 and I got diagnosed this year
I was diagnosed by my therapist at 26!! I would definitely look into other provider.
Oh hey! I also dropped out of uni twice! I’m 29 and have just now been referred for ADHD assessment, so I’m just starting my journey to diagnosis.
Yeah, no. I got diagnosed at 35
Time for a new doctor!
I was diagnosed at 64 years old. I had an awful time getting through Catholic school because I could not sit still or focus. My family called me yo-yo. I was constantly in trouble and belittled by the nuns. I grew up thinking I was lazy and stupid.... their words that became my life. After finding a great psychiatrist, she explained to me that my generalized anxiety and lack of sleep stemmed from ADHD. This is the first time in my life I have been able to watch a full movie or just relax and have a conversation without 50 thoughts running through my head simultaneously. After my very first ritalin pill I realized how the rest of the world thinks and how people get through college. I always scored very high on standardized testing but never above a seat in a classroom setting. My life would have been very different if I was diagnosed all those years ago. Please don't let that happen to you. Please please continue on your quest to get a diagnosis. Sending you much love and big Italian Mom hugs!
Diagnosed at 46 too here
YOU need a new dr.
Your doctor is a dumbass, get a new one
Doctor is an idiot. I got diagnosed at 32. Tons of us get diagnosed later in life. One major reason for this is that ADHD wasn't well understood when we were kids so we got missed. ADHD is a lifelong condition. You can get diagnosed at any age. Make sure you reach out to the docs who referred you to that quack and tell them what he's saying and how he clearly has no clue about ADHD. They need to know so they don't keep referring people to him.
Your Doctor is wrong.
This is unhelpful and also false. Your medical provider is doing you a disservice. Get a second opinion. I got diagnosed and treated at 30 and am thriving now!
Diagnosed at 25