You Can't Always Get What You Want

Unfortunately, you sometimes have to fight to get what you need.

If you have ADHD or suspect that you do, you discover rather quickly that getting what you need- a diagnosis and direction- isn't going to happen quickly or easily.  Finding resources can be a challenge and finding the right resources even harder.

So what do you do?

If you are an adult with ADHD, you need to find resources who are versed in Adult ADHD.  A quick and easy first try is your local chapter of NAMI.  Hopefully you will be able to get more than one recommendation that will enable you to vet a possible care provider.  Other sources may include the web and the- dare I say it- yellow pages.

If you are looking for a provider for a child, NAMI can be a great resource, but so can your local school, Pediatrician, and even friends with children of a similar age.

Now that you have a few names and numbers, you need to find the best resource.  Make sure you ask a few questions.

"How many people with ADHD do you work with AND diagnose?"  "What are their ages?"

"What are your thoughts about medication and what medications do you routinely work with (if any)?"

"What factors help you to arrive at a diagnosis of ADHD?"

"What do you believe is the impact of ADHD on an individual?"

"Do you believe in a multi-modal approach to managing ADHD?"

These kinds of questions can help you to determine if the provider is the right one for you.

With a provider in hand, your next step is to get to the appointment and diagnosis.  Then what?

First step is to discover what ADHD really is.  If you are an adult, you *may* have an inkling.  If you are a parent, you have a different challenge.

ADHD is highly genetic.  As a parent, you may have it too.  Perhaps it is diagnosable, perhaps it is sub-clinical.  Perhaps your spouse has it but you do not.  No matter what, you have to decide out of the gate that the blame game is off the table.  The reality is what is in front of you, solutions are king.


I was going to load up a ton of links to info but found that I had some 50 plus links and couldn't really narrow the field.  What I decided to do was refer to a place where I know you can get more info and reach out to others who have knowledge- http://adhdcommunity.boards.net/ .

ADHD is a maze.  People with ADHD are often marginalized, refused help of any kind, mostly misunderstood, and ignored.  With support and help, that can change.