Getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult
Two service users tell their story for ADHD Awareness Month
Faye and Jeff were both diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as adults, and say that finally receiving this diagnosis changed every aspect of their lives.
ADHD is a group of behavioural symptoms that can include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The symptoms of ADHD usually improve with age, but many adults continue to experience problems.
Faye was diagnosed earlier this year at the age of 30. She’d always known there was something different about her explaining that she struggled with daily tasks, found it difficult to speak to people on the phone and couldn’t get herself organised.
Faye said: “I always knew I wasn’t the same as everyone else. I had never fit in, I had low self-esteem and I gave up on things easily. I muddled through life.
“I can’t count how many bank cards I’ve lost or misplaced, or how many appointments I’ve missed. I couldn’t even remember what time I had to take my children where they needed to be. Nine years ago when I had my daughter it completely overwhelmed me. I had post-natal depression and anxiety, was having panic attacks every day and no medication could help.”
Faye says she never thought she would get better. It was when a family member mentioned ADHD to her and said that she’d seen the symptoms in her for a while that she decided to act on her suspicions.
Faye said: “I eventually went to my GP and explained my symptoms. At first they didn’t listen so I went to see another for a second opinion. This time they said it was worth looking into and referred me to the Leeds Adult ADHD Service. At this time, my anxiety was debilitating to the point where I couldn’t leave the house, which made me almost miss my first appointment.”
She explained: “Four months later my whole life had completely changed. I was assessed and the consultant confirmed I had ADHD. I started a medication that suited me and my life was so much better. Without the service I dread to think where I would be today but I haven’t been on anti-depressants now for three months, I’m going to the gym regularly and the diagnosis has improved every aspect of my life!
“I’m not angry anymore about my late diagnosis. It’s better late than never and now I’m doing awesome! I’d encourage anyone to go to their GP if they think they may have ADHD.”
Jeff was also diagnosed with ADHD as an adult at 43-years-old, but had suspicions in his early twenties.
Jeff said: “I knew my mental health wasn’t quite right in my late teens and into my twenties but I felt generally OK. Then one day, out of the blue, I couldn’t cope. I went from feeling fine to feeling desperate and terrified. I had terrible anxiety and would walk the streets in the early hours of the morning with my mum just to get through my constant panic attacks. I was a fragile shell of a person. I couldn’t function. It took two years for me to start feeling anywhere close to normal again.”
Jeff was diagnosed with depression several times, and says he has been on “virtually every antidepressant there is, but it’s made no difference”. Now he thinks that breakdown, and subsequent mental health issues, “almost certainly” stemmed from his untreated ADHD.
Jeff said: “I was misunderstood, I felt detached from everyone and I was never able to relax because my mind was always racing. I knew I was different, but couldn’t explain why. I’ve always done well academically and at my job as a software engineer, but things most people find easy like household chores, bills and relationships have always been difficult and made me feel like a failure. The doctors never understood, the treatments didn’t work and for years I was depressed and not functioning properly.”
Jeff’s parents were his support network and he says without them, he doesn’t know what would have happened to him.
He explained: “Once I was diagnosed by Dr Baskind from the Leeds Adult ADHD Service it was the first time I had hope I might conquer my demons. Being diagnosed was an emotional rollercoaster and I was angry as well as upset. I wondered what life might have been like if I had been diagnosed earlier.
“Meeting others with ADHD through the service and talking about it was liberating. It really lifted a cloud. If someone thinks they have ADHD I’d encourage them to look into it, do a free online test and take the results to their GP. If that doctor doesn’t listen, go to see another. It’s the best thing you’ll ever do.”
Kerry Holliday
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Adult ADHD Service offers a range of treatments including medication, one-to-one psychology work, group treatments and educational sessions.
Kerry Holliday, ADHD Nurse at the Trust, said: “Some people can come to us, and once they get a better understanding of their diagnosis through the educational sessions, they don’t necessarily need anything else. Sometimes they just need to know more about it to be able to tackle it themselves internally.”
Rob Baskind, Consultant Psychologist and Clinical Lead says that stereotypes about ADHD can include being a naughty child and that it’s just a childhood disorder. This can mean those who don’t fit that stereotype can be missed.
Rob Baskind
Rob said: “We see people who feel as though their life is inadequate and incomplete, experience low self-esteem and have been the on the receiving end of negative comments about their behaviours and not achieving their potential. They are desperate to understand why things have happened in their life the way they have. They can appear high functioning in one area of their life, but another area may be chaotic and a constant struggle.
“ADHD can affect people’s entire lives so if you see the symptoms in yourself please visit your GP who can refer you for an assessment.”
The Leeds Adult ADHD Service
Started in 2011
Receives around 30 to 40 referrals per month
Referrals are welcome for individuals who have had a previous diagnosis of ADHD and require reassessment due to current symptoms, and those who have had no previous diagnosis, but have symptoms and impairments both currently and dating back to early childhood which are consistent with an ADHD diagnosis
The team includes:
- Rob Baskind, Consultant Psychologist and Clinical Lead
- Kerry Holliday, ADHD Nurse
- Carol-Siew, ADHD Nurse and Non-medical Prescriber
- Jo Field, Occupational Therapist