Undiagnosed adult ADHD

anonG

How can i get my adult child assessed he has gone since a toddler undiagnosed maybe ADHD dr joked to me when i told my concerns. It wasnt known as ADHD at that time i dont think it was hyperactivity i think he was still is very nervous but definitely has adult learning problem cant understand any letters he recieves, he also was suffering from seizures and stopped going to Glasgow hospital because he cant travel on his own. His health is poor and he doesn't eat good food if he even eats. He gets very angry with frustration and cant carry a simple phone msg he needs sorted and treated as he will die young from bad health he lives on his own. He would rather be a recluse he doesn't know how to ask to be assessed. Please dont let my name show. Thankyou. 

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @anonG, thanks for sharing this with us. 

Have you seen the AADD-UK website? It's an organisation dedicated to supporting adults with ADHD, and they have some good guidance on seeking a diagnosis:

1. I suspect I may have ADHD. How do I get a referral to an ADHD specialist for an assessment?

• Make a 10 minute appointment with your GP and simply say you want a referral to an adult ADHD specialist for an assessment.
• Take along the list of symptoms (with the relevant ones circled) which can be found in our library here.
• And a copy of the patient’s version of the NICE guidelines which can also be found in our library here.
• If you feel up to it, you could write under each symptom, a description of how it has affected your life.
• Tell your GP that you will ring him in exactly one week’s time to find out how the referral is going.

2. Is there an adult ADHD specialist or an adult ADHD clinic in my area?

• Please see our list of Specialists here.
• You’ll notice that the list isn’t very long, because there are not yet many adult ADHD specialists in the UK.
• If your area is not on the list, ask your GP for an out-of-area referral.  BTW: If anybody knows of an adult ADHD specialist or adult ADHD specialist clinic that is not on our list, could you let us know so that we can keep our list updated?

3. What can I do if my GP refuses to write a referral to an adult ADHD specialist?

• Make an appointment to see a different GP, and again take with you a copy of the patient version of the Guidelines along with a list of symptoms with the relevant ones circled.  Just in case you’ve lost the first ones, you can download additional copies from our library here.
• Tell your new GP that you will ring him in exactly one week’s time to find out how the referral is going.
• Also remember, GP’s are not qualified to assess for ADHD, all they need to see from you is a valid reason for them to request a referral to an adult ADHD specialist and a list of the symptoms should do that. By refusing to make the referral, the GP is in effect assessing you for ADHD and then telling you that you don’t have it. Only a trained and qualified adult ADHD specialist can assess patients for ADHD.

anonG

My son cant do any of the above, he wont even understand that in anyway he suffers some kind of learning disability. I explained he cant understand any letters he recieves

anonG

He also cant speak to his dr he doesnt know what to say hes 34yrs old

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @anonG, your son wouldn't need to go alone- you could go to the GP appointment with him. Many family members choose to do this to help advocate for the individual and explain the situation to the medical professional.

anonG

I'm disabled and practically house bound his practice is always fully booked at first answer of the phone he cant argue with that and if i phone they say he has to phone himself. His gp keeps giving him same tablets mertazipine he doesnt like the feeling from them but like myself he gets fobbed off i couldnt go even if i was fit the gps need to be seen for what they really are there are 2 gps who i have none to be compassionate and nice one who ended up having to retire because of ill health the other who was my very last chance. They just dont listen dont look at you when u are trying to speak to them change the subject or cut you off in mid sentence. There should be someone watching these quacks that all they are. 

anonG

There are no clinics here for adhd assessments ive just saw them but there are plenty in England