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Adult ADHD Advice

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  • Registered Users Posts: 704 ✭✭✭Feu


    Thanks Feu,
    I checked with the Dean Clinic in Cork and they do assessment but the waiting list is long. I'm just wary of Bergin as they are a lot cheaper and there is a short wait time. Could this mean they are not so good?
    Anyways, thanks for all the good advice.


    Hi Candlestick, happy to hear about the Dean Clinic, as i was told they weren't doing it. I will get back on the phones when i have time!

    I have no affiliation with any of the listed groups, but these were literally the only places i could find that would do assessment/diagnosis. As I said, i don't know anyone that has come through Bergin (Zak powers), but would be happy to hear from anyone that has!

    I would say though that in my experience, cost does not necessarily correlate with quality in relation to assessment or intervention. There can be a high cost to see someone who doesn't provide thorough intervention, or even have a good understanding of ADHD


  • Registered Users Posts: 37,482 ✭✭✭✭PTH2009


    Feu wrote: »
    Hi PTH,


    please see below. these are up to date. PLease let us know if you have any specific questions

    Theres one in Waterford

    http://lighthousepsychology.ie/autism-assessments/

    Anyone use them before ??


  • Registered Users Posts: 2 Monkey.Tennis


    Hi everyone,

    I've had a read through this thread and it's been very helpful. Basically, I was hoping to get some advice - bear with me as this might be a bit long!

    I'm in my late 20s and in college at the moment. This is my third attempt at college; I've never lasted this long in a course before so that's definitely a positive, but I'm really struggling at the moment. I don't have any issue with the intellectual side of the subjects I do - I can grasp the material just fine, but I really, really struggle when it comes to managing my time, focusing for concerted periods of time, and in general managing the workload. It's only now that I've actually managed to stick college out for a while that I've realised that this has always been my issue. Even when I was in school, I always felt like I had the potential to do so much, and to do really well in exams (I didn't do badly in school per se, but I definitely got lower results in exams etc. than I felt I was capable of). I always just assumed that I was lazy and unmotivated, despite actually being motivated in the sense that I had things I wanted to achieve that I felt were 100% within my capabilities, and really did try my best to do them.

    Now that I've been in college again for a couple of years, I've started to realise that my issues in education aren't for want of trying or lack of ability. As I've said, I don't struggle with the intellectual side of things, it's the preparation and execution that get me. I can spend all my time planning stuff meticulously, but I just can't follow a timetable or a study/work plan. I'm finding that I cannot balance my job with college. My job is very flexible in that I can work from home, and to a degree at my own pace - without going into too much detail, I basically get a bunch of work to do when they need me to do it, and have to have it back by a certain date. I find that the two main issues I have around balancing college work and work work are that I cannot do both things at once - one takes precedence to the other's detriment - and I also cannot manage my time at all. For example, if there's any extra work going, I'll happily take on what I think will take maybe five hours to do, but it could end up taking me 20+ hours. Similarly, with assignments and exams, I try to allocate time for certain tasks, but a reading that I think will take me 30 mins to do will be more like four hours.

    At the start of this academic year in particular, I was struggling a lot. My inability to manage time and follow through on timetables and study plans meant that I was working 40+ hour weeks as well as being in college and dealing with assignments and lectures, and I just couldn't manage. Luckily, my job is somewhat flexible, so although I missed quite a lot of deadlines for returning the work, they were relatively okay with it, thank god. At this time, two separate people - a friend and my partner - both said to me in the same week that they were concerned that I may have ADHD. I'll admit, I didn't know a whole lot about it - when they said it to me, I had that stereotypical idea of a restless, excited child in mind, but when I looked up the symptoms of it in adults and read people's experiences, I literally cried because I identified with it so much. Now, that's obviously not to say that I have it or am self-diagnosing in any way, just that people's experiences really resonated with me.

    I suppose this is where the advice bit comes in - I've been under a mental health team for about ten years now, for unrelated issues. Because of this, I see an OT in college who has been very helpful, in that checking in every couple of weeks gives me the opportunity to reflect on what works and what doesn't work for me (although 99 times out of 100 it's more what doesn't work). We've created study plans together, timetables, lots of practical things like that, but absolutely none of it sticks despite my best efforts. I have brought up my issues with focusing etc. to the psychiatrists in my outpatient clinic numerous times, but it constantly seems to be brushed aside. It doesn't help that I have to see a different doctor every time I go there (I've literally seen my consultant twice in six years). This is a recurring issue - if I mention anything outside of what I have been previously diagnosed with, it is brushed to the side and never really mentioned again. To be quite honest, I'm not even entirely sure what my current diagnoses are - different doctors and psychologists from the same team say different things, and some of them are never mentioned again, so there's certainly an issue with continuity of care there. While I really want to bring this issue up yet again, I don't feel like pushing it because they don't seem to react well to things like that.

    I'm not entirely sure pursuing a private assessment would be beneficial after reading a lot of the replies here. I was actually in a private hospital a few years ago which helped me quite a lot, but was discharged back to the local clinic, and it didn't seem to go down well with them - I was immediately taken off all of the medication they had put me on in the hospital and told that they had treated me incorrectly there. I was considering going to my GP (who is an excellent, compassionate doctor) and explaining the situation to him as when I repeated the LC a few years ago I approached him with the same concerns, and asking him to write a letter to my psychiatrist in the hope that he might listen to another professional. Does this seem like a good idea? I'm not entirely sure what else to do, so any advice would be appreciated. I'm not hell-bent on getting a diagnosis or anything; if a professional genuinely thinks that I don't have it and need to find other ways to manage, then that's fine and I'll do that, but I just want to at least rule it out - I don't want it to be a thing where it might be something that I do have, and I'm not getting the necessary helpful treatment.

    Sorry for the long post, and thanks for reading if you've managed to get this far! Any advice would be really appreciated.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2 Monkey.Tennis


    Hi everyone,

    I've had a read through this thread and it's been very helpful. Basically, I was hoping to get some advice - bear with me as this might be a bit long!

    I'm in my late 20s and in college at the moment. This is my third attempt at college; I've never lasted this long in a course before so that's definitely a positive, but I'm really struggling at the moment. I don't have any issue with the intellectual side of the subjects I do - I can grasp the material just fine, but I really, really struggle when it comes to managing my time, focusing for concerted periods of time, and in general managing the workload. It's only now that I've actually managed to stick college out for a while that I've realised that this has always been my issue. Even when I was in school, I always felt like I had the potential to do so much, and to do really well in exams (I didn't do badly in school per se, but I definitely got lower results in exams etc. than I felt I was capable of). I always just assumed that I was lazy and unmotivated, despite actually being motivated in the sense that I had things I wanted to achieve that I felt were 100% within my capabilities, and really did try my best to do them.

    Now that I've been in college again for a couple of years, I've started to realise that my issues in education aren't for want of trying or lack of ability. As I've said, I don't struggle with the intellectual side of things, it's the preparation and execution that get me. I can spend all my time planning stuff meticulously, but I just can't follow a timetable or a study/work plan. I'm finding that I cannot balance my job with college. My job is very flexible in that I can work from home, and to a degree at my own pace - without going into too much detail, I basically get a bunch of work to do when they need me to do it, and have to have it back by a certain date. I find that the two main issues I have around balancing college work and work work are that I cannot do both things at once - one takes precedence to the other's detriment - and I also cannot manage my time at all. For example, if there's any extra work going, I'll happily take on what I think will take maybe five hours to do, but it could end up taking me 20+ hours. Similarly, with assignments and exams, I try to allocate time for certain tasks, but a reading that I think will take me 30 mins to do will be more like four hours.

    At the start of this academic year in particular, I was struggling a lot. My inability to manage time and follow through on timetables and study plans meant that I was working 40+ hour weeks as well as being in college and dealing with assignments and lectures, and I just couldn't manage. Luckily, my job is somewhat flexible, so although I missed quite a lot of deadlines for returning the work, they were relatively okay with it, thank god. At this time, two separate people - a friend and my partner - both said to me in the same week that they were concerned that I may have ADHD. I'll admit, I didn't know a whole lot about it - when they said it to me, I had that stereotypical idea of a restless, excited child in mind, but when I looked up the symptoms of it in adults and read people's experiences, I literally cried because I identified with it so much. Now, that's obviously not to say that I have it or am self-diagnosing in any way, just that people's experiences really resonated with me.

    I suppose this is where the advice bit comes in - I've been under a mental health team for about ten years now, for unrelated issues. Because of this, I see an OT in college who has been very helpful, in that checking in every couple of weeks gives me the opportunity to reflect on what works and what doesn't work for me (although 99 times out of 100 it's more what doesn't work). We've created study plans together, timetables, lots of practical things like that, but absolutely none of it sticks despite my best efforts. I have brought up my issues with focusing etc. to the psychiatrists in my outpatient clinic numerous times, but it constantly seems to be brushed aside. It doesn't help that I have to see a different doctor every time I go there (I've literally seen my consultant twice in six years). This is a recurring issue - if I mention anything outside of what I have been previously diagnosed with, it is brushed to the side and never really mentioned again. To be quite honest, I'm not even entirely sure what my current diagnoses are - different doctors and psychologists from the same team say different things, and some of them are never mentioned again, so there's certainly an issue with continuity of care there. While I really want to bring this issue up yet again, I don't feel like pushing it because they don't seem to react well to things like that.

    I'm not entirely sure pursuing a private assessment would be beneficial after reading a lot of the replies here. I was actually in a private hospital a few years ago which helped me quite a lot, but was discharged back to the local clinic, and it didn't seem to go down well with them - I was immediately taken off all of the medication they had put me on in the hospital and told that they had treated me incorrectly there. I was considering going to my GP (who is an excellent, compassionate doctor) and explaining the situation to him as when I repeated the LC a few years ago I approached him with the same concerns, and asking him to write a letter to my psychiatrist in the hope that he might listen to another professional. Does this seem like a good idea? I'm not entirely sure what else to do, so any advice would be appreciated. I'm not hell-bent on getting a diagnosis or anything; if a professional genuinely thinks that I don't have it and need to find other ways to manage, then that's fine and I'll do that, but I just want to at least rule it out - I don't want it to be a thing where it might be something that I do have, and I'm not getting the necessary helpful treatment.

    Sorry for the long post, and thanks for reading if you've managed to get this far! Any advice would be really appreciated.


  • Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Coralcoras


    Yay, I just got my date for an ADHD assessment. I waited two years & going privately. However, I’ve just learned that as part of the assessment I’ll need to nominate a family member to give a historical account.

    Ok, so i haven’t said anything to my family about this assessment. I dunno, I feel silly. I’ll especially feel silly if I don’t actually have ADHD. I’m 35...I feel like I flew the nest long ago.

    Anyway, currently sorting through my feelings. I dunno why this is a big deal. My family talk about everyone’s business and this is so personal. 😖

    Would love advice/insight/motivation/experiences.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 497 ✭✭antgal23


    Okay

    Two guys (both in late 30s) know from different circles recently got diagnosed, I work in an ASD class so advised them to get tested

    They did, after 2 years or so they on the straight and narrow

    One is on meds and doing well, the other has s weekly plan and loads of outdoor exercise

    So, if I were you I'd explain to your family the craic and be proactive

    Nothing to be ashamed of ;)




  • Hey

    I'm about 99% convinced I have quite severe inattentive ADHD for a whole list of reasons I won't detail here because, let's face it, you'd probably all end up zoning out halfway through and emerge in the middle of a Wikipedia rabbit hole in a few hours. Hah!

    Anyway, I had an initial consultation with a clinical psychologist at Arduna a few weeks ago where they advised that I go forward to a full assessment, and I have that assessment coming up in the next couple of weeks. I was told there would be an interview with my family member who was with me at the first appointment and there would be some cognitive tests and more questions and so on, plus some forms to fill in that will be sent to me in advance.

    I'm basically just wondering what I should expect in the assessment overall, and in the cognitive tests and how they factor into ADHD. Previous testing has suggested that my IQ is 125+ and I don't think I have any deficits in specific areas (like working memory, though I do forget A LOT on a day-to-day basis). Does that mean I don't have ADHD? Am I basically throwing a significant chunk of cash down the toilet because a high cognitive score will indicate an absence?

    Aaaand if high scores on the cognitive test is likely to rule out ADHD, how do I go about finding out what the hell is (and has always been) going on with me?

    TIA for responses. Sorry if it's a bit of a ramble!


  • Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭alanzo27


    Hi all.

    I just wanted to update you all on my current situation. Apologies in advance for the large text wall.

    I went into deep isolation during the current pandemic and I had felt completely lost. I thought that I was losing my mind and nothing was making sense. I finally took the courage to call my local surgery in July and ask to speak with another doctor. I struggle with expressing myself verbally and forget many details unless I have written a detailed report. I had a 'meltdown' one day during work in a Charity Shop as I had been on the TÚS Scheme and I have been prescribed an SNRI. I am on a trial period as the doctor is now aware of my concerns and has taken it seriously.

    I am currently on a waiting list to see an Occupational Therapist to get tested for Dyspraxia. My doctor also knows of my concerns regarding the possibility of having ADHD, OCD and Asperger's / ASD. He has told me that it is extremely difficult to get a diagnosis as an adult. I understand that and in the past two months I have been collating information and documenting my issues from childhood up to the present day.

    I have contacted professionals who specialise in adult diagnosis and I am awaiting a response. I am also due to start college this month. It will be my third attempt at studying Computer Systems and Networks Level 6.

    If you made it this far thanks for reading. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭alanzo27


    I've just secured an initial assessment with Arduna. It took me a lot of courage and I was sweating and pacing while on the phone. I am finally making some progress. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭alanzo27


    Apologies for the following text wall, but I feel the need to release tension and I am nervous about my appointment.

    I've been feeling chaotic in the past week. I feel that I am experiencing a sense of insanity. I had a consultation with my GP yesterday and he is aware of my current state.

    I've been pacing and overanalysing. I have become obsessively occupied with writing a detailed report that I will present at my appointment tomorrow. The final word count is 7,774 which includes experiences, memories and photographs from infancy to the present day, and I am in a mindset where I am afraid that I have missed important details, misrepresented others and have not included certain negative personal experiences I have encountered throughout my life that I feel are important to highlight. I am still taking notes and I feel that I may have repeated myself. I have found myself extensively researching on the various concerns I have and comparing that to my own report. I cannot even remember what I have written in the report or what I have been reading.

    I have been procrastinating so much and I have also had found it extremely difficult to focus. I've been heavily distracted on a constant basis and it is as if I cannot relax. I am hoping that I will be able to communicate tomorrow.

    If you have read this and have made any sense of it, thank you. :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    Haven't read through the thread yet, but I've been 100% certain of my ADHD issues for years on account of my symptoms completely abating when taking any kind of stimulants. Regarding the difficulty of "proving" or "demonstrating" ADHD especially without a family member to give the aforementioned historical account, as silly as this may sound, do ye think it would help my case if I were to document in detail the fact that any time I ever have to take Sudafed for a cold or seasonal sinus issue, my productivity literally increases by a factor of ten? That's what got me turned on to the ADHD issue in the first place - for the longest time I believed I simply had classic depression, but any time I've either taken a preworkout supplement full of stims or a standard 3x daily Sudafed regime for a cold, I end up getting more work done that day than in perhaps a full month preceding it. Honestly I'd just keep doing this intentionally if it weren't for the fact that pseudoephedrine and the new and untested stims they put into preworkout supplements are insanely had for one's cardio health over time where, ironically, the properly tested and documented meds which seem almost impossible to get a script for have far fewer dangerous side effects. Seems ridiculous that one can deal with this issue in a dangerous and risky manner so much more easily than dealing with it the safe but insanely difficult to access route, but such is life!

    Can anyone else relate to this? Did anyone else stumble upon ADHD as a result of feeling relief by taking Sudafed or other stimulants for an unrelated issue, and just happen to find that for the first time they could concentrate on one thing all afternoon and tune out the noise? Would recounting this to a doc aid in getting a referral, and indeed would recounting this to a specialist aid in getting a diagnosis and bypass some of the brick walls people seem to run into with this? As I say, the improvement in my life since I discovered this and started planning a few work days a month around a day of ordinary cold/flu Sudafed use is absolutely immeasurable, but knowing its peripheral side effects I'm obviously terrified of doing that long term.

    If family involvement is necessary for such a diagnosis, I'm 100% out of luck I'm afraid. My family don't believe in medication for psychological issues and would 100% not co-operate.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,105 ✭✭✭katiek102010


    I was diagnosed 5 years ago and on medication. The meds are a great help on a day to day basis.

    My son also has ADHD, I was diagnosed after him.

    My biggest worry for him is I suffer from depression as an adult, not just feeling down the occasional day but this is crippling. I'm on meds for that too but it's just like drinking water.

    Is anyone else experiencing this and can anyone offer any advice on therapies etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,531 ✭✭✭Seanachai




  • Registered Users Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭Hobgoblin11


    I was diagnosed 5 years ago and on medication. The meds are a great help on a day to day basis.

    My son also has ADHD, I was diagnosed after him.

    My biggest worry for him is I suffer from depression as an adult, not just feeling down the occasional day but this is crippling. I'm on meds for that too but it's just like drinking water.

    Is anyone else experiencing this and can anyone offer any advice on therapies etc.

    which meds are you on if you don't mind sharing?

    Dundalk, Co. Louth



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,105 ✭✭✭katiek102010


    which meds are you on if you don't mind sharing?

    I am on Medikinet XL


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,105 ✭✭✭katiek102010


    Hi everyone,

    I've had a read through this thread and it's been very helpful. Basically, I was hoping to get some advice - bear with me as this might be a bit long!

    I'm in my late 20s and in college at the moment. This is my third attempt at college; I've never lasted this long in a course before so that's definitely a positive, but I'm really struggling at the moment. I don't have any issue with the intellectual side of the subjects I do - I can grasp the material just fine, but I really, really struggle when it comes to managing my time, focusing for concerted periods of time, and in general managing the workload. It's only now that I've actually managed to stick college out for a while that I've realised that this has always been my issue. Even when I was in school, I always felt like I had the potential to do so much, and to do really well in exams (I didn't do badly in school per se, but I definitely got lower results in exams etc. than I felt I was capable of). I always just assumed that I was lazy and unmotivated, despite actually being motivated in the sense that I had things I wanted to achieve that I felt were 100% within my capabilities, and really did try my best to do them.

    Now that I've been in college again for a couple of years, I've started to realise that my issues in education aren't for want of trying or lack of ability. As I've said, I don't struggle with the intellectual side of things, it's the preparation and execution that get me. I can spend all my time planning stuff meticulously, but I just can't follow a timetable or a study/work plan. I'm finding that I cannot balance my job with college. My job is very flexible in that I can work from home, and to a degree at my own pace - without going into too much detail, I basically get a bunch of work to do when they need me to do it, and have to have it back by a certain date. I find that the two main issues I have around balancing college work and work work are that I cannot do both things at once - one takes precedence to the other's detriment - and I also cannot manage my time at all. For example, if there's any extra work going, I'll happily take on what I think will take maybe five hours to do, but it could end up taking me 20+ hours. Similarly, with assignments and exams, I try to allocate time for certain tasks, but a reading that I think will take me 30 mins to do will be more like four hours.

    At the start of this academic year in particular, I was struggling a lot. My inability to manage time and follow through on timetables and study plans meant that I was working 40+ hour weeks as well as being in college and dealing with assignments and lectures, and I just couldn't manage. Luckily, my job is somewhat flexible, so although I missed quite a lot of deadlines for returning the work, they were relatively okay with it, thank god. At this time, two separate people - a friend and my partner - both said to me in the same week that they were concerned that I may have ADHD. I'll admit, I didn't know a whole lot about it - when they said it to me, I had that stereotypical idea of a restless, excited child in mind, but when I looked up the symptoms of it in adults and read people's experiences, I literally cried because I identified with it so much. Now, that's obviously not to say that I have it or am self-diagnosing in any way, just that people's experiences really resonated with me.

    I suppose this is where the advice bit comes in - I've been under a mental health team for about ten years now, for unrelated issues. Because of this, I see an OT in college who has been very helpful, in that checking in every couple of weeks gives me the opportunity to reflect on what works and what doesn't work for me (although 99 times out of 100 it's more what doesn't work). We've created study plans together, timetables, lots of practical things like that, but absolutely none of it sticks despite my best efforts. I have brought up my issues with focusing etc. to the psychiatrists in my outpatient clinic numerous times, but it constantly seems to be brushed aside. It doesn't help that I have to see a different doctor every time I go there (I've literally seen my consultant twice in six years). This is a recurring issue - if I mention anything outside of what I have been previously diagnosed with, it is brushed to the side and never really mentioned again. To be quite honest, I'm not even entirely sure what my current diagnoses are - different doctors and psychologists from the same team say different things, and some of them are never mentioned again, so there's certainly an issue with continuity of care there. While I really want to bring this issue up yet again, I don't feel like pushing it because they don't seem to react well to things like that.

    I'm not entirely sure pursuing a private assessment would be beneficial after reading a lot of the replies here. I was actually in a private hospital a few years ago which helped me quite a lot, but was discharged back to the local clinic, and it didn't seem to go down well with them - I was immediately taken off all of the medication they had put me on in the hospital and told that they had treated me incorrectly there. I was considering going to my GP (who is an excellent, compassionate doctor) and explaining the situation to him as when I repeated the LC a few years ago I approached him with the same concerns, and asking him to write a letter to my psychiatrist in the hope that he might listen to another professional. Does this seem like a good idea? I'm not entirely sure what else to do, so any advice would be appreciated. I'm not hell-bent on getting a diagnosis or anything; if a professional genuinely thinks that I don't have it and need to find other ways to manage, then that's fine and I'll do that, but I just want to at least rule it out - I don't want it to be a thing where it might be something that I do have, and I'm not getting the necessary helpful treatment.

    Sorry for the long post, and thanks for reading if you've managed to get this far! Any advice would be really appreciated.

    I would ask the MH team and OT to refer you to ADHD team for assessment. I find with these people mentioning symptoms etc does not work and the word ADHD needs to be said.

    If you can find a Connors report online, print it out and fill it in.

    Tbh I have MH issues along with ADHD. Anxiety and depression seem to be comorbid in a lot of adults with ADHD.

    My ADHD meds were upped in the last year and my ant D's now seem to be working


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,105 ✭✭✭katiek102010


    Haven't read through the thread yet, but I've been 100% certain of my ADHD issues for years on account of my symptoms completely abating when taking any kind of stimulants. Regarding the difficulty of "proving" or "demonstrating" ADHD especially without a family member to give the aforementioned historical account, as silly as this may sound, do ye think it would help my case if I were to document in detail the fact that any time I ever have to take Sudafed for a cold or seasonal sinus issue, my productivity literally increases by a factor of ten? That's what got me turned on to the ADHD issue in the first place - for the longest time I believed I simply had classic depression, but any time I've either taken a preworkout supplement full of stims or a standard 3x daily Sudafed regime for a cold, I end up getting more work done that day than in perhaps a full month preceding it. Honestly I'd just keep doing this intentionally if it weren't for the fact that pseudoephedrine and the new and untested stims they put into preworkout supplements are insanely had for one's cardio health over time where, ironically, the properly tested and documented meds which seem almost impossible to get a script for have far fewer dangerous side effects. Seems ridiculous that one can deal with this issue in a dangerous and risky manner so much more easily than dealing with it the safe but insanely difficult to access route, but such is life!

    Can anyone else relate to this? Did anyone else stumble upon ADHD as a result of feeling relief by taking Sudafed or other stimulants for an unrelated issue, and just happen to find that for the first time they could concentrate on one thing all afternoon and tune out the noise? Would recounting this to a doc aid in getting a referral, and indeed would recounting this to a specialist aid in getting a diagnosis and bypass some of the brick walls people seem to run into with this? As I say, the improvement in my life since I discovered this and started planning a few work days a month around a day of ordinary cold/flu Sudafed use is absolutely immeasurable, but knowing its peripheral side effects I'm obviously terrified of doing that long term.

    If family involvement is necessary for such a diagnosis, I'm 100% out of luck I'm afraid. My family don't believe in medication for psychological issues and would 100% not co-operate.

    Not sudafed but the standing joke in my family was coffee could send me to sleep lol.

    I'm also a smoker and when I try and give up my ADHD goes really bad. When I was diagnosed they explained to me that the nicotine is probably helping it.

    I have days with my son ( he has mammy's genes) when it's like his meds (strattera) dont work, I have been known to give him mountain dew or coke as a top up ssshhh


  • Registered Users Posts: 994 ✭✭✭pajodublin


    Hi Folks,

    I'm a 37 year old man and for whatever reason I came across a discussion on ADHD in adults.
    After reading through some websites and some of the comments in here, things really started to hit home.
    It explained a lot of things from when I was a kid, to so many things that affect me in every day life.

    My wife (who works in the medical field) sat through a lot of the things with me and agreed that it's something that rings a bell with my behaviours.
    I was diagnosed a long time ago with APD (Auditory Processing Disorder), and it seems to go hand in hand with ADHD for a lot of people with it.

    It is weirdly a relief to maybe have an explanation for a lot of things. I just need to find my next step to diagnosing it for real.
    I have a good job and marriage, so have managed it pretty well. My next step will probably be diagnosis and then finding ways to learn to manage it better than I currently do.


  • Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭alanzo27


    Hi All.

    I would like to update you on my current situation.

    I had an extremely difficult time in September, and experienced a "breakdown". I had referred myself to A&E as I did not feel well. I have never done this before and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I have encountered. Thankfully I am "stable" at the moment. I am currently on a third trial of SSRI's. I feel that I haven't gained any benefit from taking them. I am struggling immensely with sleep currently and while I was prescribed Melatonin and Phenergan after being discharged from the hospital in September, it was short term.

    I am currently studying Computer Systems and Networks Level 6. It is my third attempt. I am doing well so far, however I am becoming overwhelmed but I am doing as best as I can. I am availing of support and the college is aware of my situation.

    I have completed a cognitive assessment and a social and relational development interview in terms of the ASD assessment. The last stage of the assessment is a parental interview with some personal input which is taking place soon.

    During the assessments and interviews my psychologist was also looking for signs of my other concerns during these assessments and interviews. Once the final interview has taken place a report will be completed within three weeks. I should have results next month.

    Thanks for reading. :)

    P.S. I read many other posts on here but I may not respond to them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,531 ✭✭✭Seanachai


    alanzo27 wrote: »
    Hi All.

    I would like to update you on my current situation.

    I had an extremely difficult time in September, and experienced a "breakdown". I had referred myself to A&E as I did not feel well. I have never done this before and it was one of the most traumatic experiences I have encountered. Thankfully I am "stable" at the moment. I am currently on a third trial of SSRI's. I feel that I haven't gained any benefit from taking them. I am struggling immensely with sleep currently and while I was prescribed Melatonin and Phenergan after being discharged from the hospital in September, it was short term.

    I am currently studying Computer Systems and Networks Level 6. It is my third attempt. I am doing well so far, however I am becoming overwhelmed but I am doing as best as I can. I am availing of support and the college is aware of my situation.

    I have completed a cognitive assessment and a social and relational development interview in terms of the ASD assessment. The last stage of the assessment is a parental interview with some personal input which is taking place soon.

    During the assessments and interviews my psychologist was also looking for signs of my other concerns during these assessments and interviews. Once the final interview has taken place a report will be completed within three weeks. I should have results next month.

    Thanks for reading. :)

    P.S. I read many other posts on here but I may not respond to them.

    If you're not finding benefit from the SSRI's I'd flag this with your Dr or maybe find another.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭determinations




    Are there really no psychiatrists in Ireland currently treating ADHD?

    I was hoping to get treatment early in the new year.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭determinations


    Anyone have experience with psychiatrists in NI?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭FHFM50




    Are there really no psychiatrists in Ireland currently treating ADHD?

    I was hoping to get treatment early in the new year.

    I've had the exact same experience as the girl in this video. I always wanted to do well in school but I just couldn't concentrate. I made a mess of my leaving cert and dropped out of college.

    I've gone back in my late twenties to do a new course but my concentration is still poor. I have an appointment in late January and I'm hoping to be put on medication.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭FHFM50


    Mine would be similar as well, but I managed to get through my undergrad before getting 'stuck'. Want to go back and do a masters & get a more permanent job but I don't want to go back without medication first.

    If you don't mind me asking, who is your appointment with?


    What grade did you finish with in your undergrad?

    My GP referred me to psychiatric services in Kilkenny through the HSE.


  • Registered Users Posts: 704 ✭✭✭Feu




    Are there really no psychiatrists in Ireland currently treating ADHD?

    I was hoping to get treatment early in the new year.


    I am struggling to find a psychiatrist (for client) that can be seen this year for medication review. There is handful (literally) of psychiatrists, and they all have v long waiting lists.


  • Registered Users Posts: 267 ✭✭alanzo27


    My assessment has been completed.

    I am awaiting a summary of the full report which will be discussed with me within three weeks before the final report is compiled. On initial speculation it appears that I do possess some traits consistent with ASD, ADD, Dyspraxia, OCD and Dyscalculia. However parental input contradicts some aspects of my statement, and I feel that may have negatively impacted upon the overall result. I feel that parental input has been unhelpful as my parents were "emotionally unavailable" and as a result they have not been very observant of my behaviours. My mother had mentioned that "I got on well" with other peers but I disagree. While I may have been in their presence, I had no interest in interacting with them. I did attempt to but I never "fit in". It is also a complex case as I have previously been diagnosed with GAD and AvPD and that assessment was provided as part of documentary evidence.

    As the assessment is primarily focused on ASD and ADHD, the final report will reflect that. I am nervous and unsure how I will react when the final outcome is presented to me.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,124 ✭✭✭lucalux


    alanzo27 wrote: »
    My assessment has been completed.

    I am awaiting a summary of the full report which will be discussed with me within three weeks before the final report is compiled. On initial speculation it appears that I do possess some traits consistent with ASD, ADD, Dyspraxia, OCD and Dyscalculia. However parental input contradicts some aspects of my statement, and I feel that may have negatively impacted upon the overall result. I feel that parental input has been unhelpful as my parents were "emotionally unavailable" and as a result they have not been very observant of my behaviours. My mother had mentioned that "I got on well" with other peers but I disagree. While I may have been in their presence, I had no interest in interacting with them. I did attempt to but I never "fit in". It is also a complex case as I have previously been diagnosed with GAD and AvPD and that assessment was provided as part of documentary evidence.

    As the assessment is primarily focused on ASD and ADHD, the final report will reflect that. I am nervous and unsure how I will react when the final outcome is presented to me.

    To be honest this came up for me when I was being assessed, my mother was hugely absent from my childhood because of working full time, and I was with childminders or my grandparents most of the time when I wasn't at school. Emotionally unavailable, for many reasons, and because of all of this, it meant she was massively blinkered as to the realities of what I was like in school, with peers etc.

    She would have done the assessment with my psychologist at the time, and my psychologist admitted to me she was surprised at some of my mother's answers, she having known me for 4 years at that stage.
    Now some contradiction is going to happen, as we are seen differently by others, and masking our difficulties at the time, compounds that.

    Assessment came back as we thought it would, only slightly lower on the scales of all traits than my psychologist and I expected, if that makes sense? I will probably look for another one down the line, to rule out some of the uncertainty. My Dad might have been a better person to do it, but he wasn't able to do it at the time.

    It's a very flawed assessment in a situation like that but I don't know what the alternative is.
    Just hope you might be reassured in some way, by virtue of the fact that others have/had the same concerns going through it.
    Wait and see, and maybe come back on here if it throws you, I know the pressure that comes with waiting for these things, especially when it's a rigmarole for so many to even get to assessment stage.

    best of luck with it all
    L


  • Registered Users Posts: 47 Drew P. Wiener


    Hey guys,

    I was assessed for ADHD, and was found to have ADHD, predominantly inattentive type.

    My psychiatrist is no longer in the country, and my GP says he is unable to prescribe the recommended medication (ritalin), as it is a controlled substance.

    What options do I have?

    Will I be forced to join the massive queue of individuals seeking desperately to see someone. I have dropped out of college once already, and if things continue the way they are, a second is guaranteed. I love the course I am currently doing, but just struggle with working and finishing anything, no matter how interesting the content. Is my life just going to be a constant cycles of maybes and what-ifs?

    It is incredibly upsetting and frustrating as to how difficult this is.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭FHFM50


    I cannot be prescribed stimulants as I already have generalized anxiety disorder and racing thoughts. My doctor said these will just get worse if I take something like Concerta or Adderall

    Strattera (a non stimulant adhd med) worked great but the sexual side effects were too much. Low libido, Numb genitals, unable to "finish",etc..

    Not sure what to do next, anyone else in this boat?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2 ratsofdublin


    Hello Everyone,

    Can anyone indicate a GP that repeats ADHD medication prescriptions?
    My psychiatrist is no longer prescribing it. I've been to multiple GPs and they won't even read the damn diagnostic report. I'm honestly frustrated and exhausted.


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