I'll provide an entirely honest review from my experience to date. Having received a referral from my GP to be assessed for ADHD, the waiting time was likely to be 2 years at least. 3 years so far, however. I decided to pursue a private consultation, as the symptoms I've always experienced were making my busy job, very challenging. The process from initial contact onwards was very quick and comprehensive. The assessment itself was quite an unusual experience. I felt the doctor carrying it out came across as slightly impersonal and the format of the assessment was tricky, as he would frequently stop me mid sentence to repeat, or go deeper into a previous statement. I suspect this was by design, as it definitely highlighted some of the inattentive symptoms. So it was very likely an expertly crafted process. There was a 6 week turnaround before receiving a diagnosis. Although, I was implied at the end of the assessment that I would be diagnosed with ADHD, moreso on the inattentive end. The report was extremely comprehensive and I was surprised to see how much detail and content from the assessment was described in the report. Following this, I arranged a medication initiation appointment and was recommended a slow release stimulant. Initially there was a monthly check in, where an update was given, Including details around BP , H/W and HR. This became three monthly and is now 6 monthly. I met with more than one consultant, but began to request Lorraine Campbell, as she was clearly, very engaged with upto date research, and showed genuine compassion on the consults. Regarding the medication, I can honestly say it was a transformative experience. I was very quickly able to cooperative with my brain, and my ability to self reflect and understand how I operate and who my unmasked self was, was quite profound. I attended separate counselling during the initial stages, as I was hesitant to rely purely on medication, and was very eager to address the challenges from all angles. Over a year since being initially prescribed medication, I can genuinely say that I am excelling in my career and my mental health is better than it has been. In the first few weeks I felt concerned that there were changes to my personality, however upon deep reflection, I recognise that I'm able to be myself authentically whilst mitigating difficulties with focus, stress and other issues more successfully. I would suggest that anyone who truly presents symptoms of ADHD should initially learn much more about neurodivergence then consider seeking support. Unfortunately, it is an expensive process, and requires ongoing costs for medication and consultations. Which was initially between 350-400£ monthly but is now around 150£. I have had difficulty finding NHS shared care, however, I am still on the waiting list, so if I receive another diagnosis through NHS then treatment will then be managed by NHS. Fortunately, it has been largely affordable for me, and the benefits have significantly outweighed the issue of cost. To wrap up, my experience has been very positive and my only regret, was not recognising the issues I faced earlier, and failing to advocate more effectively for myself in the past. I would urge people considering this, to learn as much about ADHD as possible beforehand. And to try and identify what areas of life are posing difficulties which may be attributes to undiagnosed neurodivergence.
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