I have ADHD, I need assistance

golem123

Hello! I'm sorry for being a burden here, I just found this forum and I'm hoping you might know how to help. I'm sorry if ADHD doesn't count here, if this post doesn't belong here please point me somewhere better to ask this if you know.

 I have ADHD (and maybe also autism). I just applied for Universal Credit, my first real meeting is in a week and I need to probably apply for more things.
  I struggle to do a lot of tasks as a result of the ADHD. I graduated uni, but I needed a lot more time than the other students to do my stuff, and I'm incredibly burnt out as a result. And it was a subject I find relatively easy to focus on.
When I got my diagnosis and my medication I was so focused on finishing uni I didn't even think about how I'd survive outside of it.
 I find it hard to do anything alone, for example I struggle to go grocery shopping because I tend to get distracted or get choice paralysis, it does sometimes lead to me running out of food entirely. Even when I have ingredients in the house I struggle to cook for myself beyond very, very basic meals (pizza in the oven is about the most I can regularly manage because I hate washing up, the sensation of the water is unbearable). It just goes on like this for just about every task imaginable, aside from making art (my degree), creative writing, and talking to people. 

 This stands for pretty much my whole life. I'm not even sure how I'm going to complete the "35 hours of searching for work" a week I'm supposed to do this week- form filling, looking for work, reading work-related guides- even with the medication, I struggle a lot.

I don't know what to do. I can't really function like most people can, the jobs I can do are quite limited. 
  This is compounded by the anxiety I have. I'm on new medication (was supposed to be on it already this month but i lost the medication until today) but that's going to take a while to work (if it works)

I only filled out the forms for UC with a friend helping me. 

I don't know where to apply, maybe PIP, but otherwise I don't know. My ADHD is so much worse than I thought it was. When I was in uni, I had structure forcing me to keep my life together and even then I was a tremendous mess. I'm completely lost and out of my depth, all my friends are extremely busy uni students and I'm living with them out of the kindness of their hearts (i do not have income) they can't give me the support I need to get through the system and actually maybe find funding or something. I don't know what to do.

I want to do a PIP assessment but I need someone there to do the call with me and all my friends are too busy during the hours are open. I've been trying for literally months to o the PIP assessment but every time I try and pick up the phone I get too anxious to do it. I need someone there to do it with me, so they can prompt me because I tend to forget important things during assessments and get off track or just not call at all.

poppy123456

For your UC claim have you reported your health condition? If you haven’t then you should do this by logging into your journal and report a change if circumstances. Then click health and report your health condition. You will need to make sure you send a fit note/sick note within 7 days of this and continue to send them without any gaps until a decision is made on your claim. More details here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition
To start a PIP claim then you can either ring them or start a claim by post. Full details here 

https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @golem123

How have you been? How did the meeting go?

As Poppy has given some great advice above, I wondered if you did make any changes to your UC claim and ask if so, how that worked out? 

I do know that you can ask your GP for help with the process and that friends and family can be added onto the call if they are able to be there for that. The PIP government webpage has more information about what to do if you need help.