My ADHD Diagnosis

Like many people, throughout the pandemic, I had a hell of a lot of time on my hands. I was bored and decided to download TikTok. In the early days of the pandemic, I found TikTok entertaining because it was just an endless stream of lip syncing and people dancing. However, I found that as the algorithm understood me more, I was seeing a lot more about mental health.

 

 

One continuous thing that was present, was ADHD. I feel like before learning more about ADHD on TikTok, I had a very minimal understanding of the condition. But in learning more, I realised that I actually showed many of the traits. In an attempt not to falsely diagnose myself with ADHD, I spoke to my councillor and doctor, and I was tested. Very shortly after, my ADHD diagnosis was confirmed.

 

What similarities I was seeing.

The main thing that I saw that really made me think was the feeling of burnout. There are some days/weeks/months where I genuinely feel like I have nothing to offer and that I am unable to do anything. Then combine that with hyperfocus where I can get a months’ worth of work done in a single morning.  There was lots of other things that ‘ticked the box’ and I felt like I could see it within myself, but those were the things that stood out.

 

The conditions that I already have.

If you have visited my blog before, you may know that I have anxiety and OCD. These to conditions really do affect my general everyday life and because of that I have many coping mechanisms in place. Not only that, but I speak to medical professionals regularly. They keep me on the straight and narrow and massively help me. To begin with, I didn’t think I could have ADHD, because surely you can’t suffer from everything. I wondered if it could be traits from my other mental health conditions seeming like ADHD as there does seem to be overlap for ay of the symptoms.

 

Speaking to medical professionals.

Because of my existing anxiety and OCD, I speak to a councillor on a regularly basis. I need to do that to break down some of the walls and keep me on the right path with my conditions. After seeing many similarities with ADHD, I decided to mention it to them. The first thing that they said was, they had often wondered if I could also have ADHD. However, they did not want to project onto me. Which is why they hadn’t said anything to me about it. They were the ones that recommended I go ahead and request testing.

 

How that alters my current conditions.

In truth, since getting my diagnosis, it hasn’t changed much. Now instead of having anxiety, OCD, bouts of depression, I have ADHD to add to the list. At this stage, my councillor would like to work with me on a few things before we go ahead and think about next steps. We want to look at the ADHD in my life and how it is present. From there we will identify how it impacts me and what an ideal positive outcome would be. It is about taking it slow and thinking of a good resolution rather than leaping into unnecessary panic and action.

 

The option for medication.

One thing that I have come to learn is that many people following their diagnosis opt for medication. I know it is an option for me, but I want to take my time. Over the past couple of years, I have tried very hard to opt to be medication free. But we will see what happens. I am never opposed to medication if it is required. I just want to ensure that I am making an educated choice before jumping into it.

 

I hope that this was interesting for you guys to read. One thing that I do want to finish by saying is that my ADHD diagnosis has not really made a difference to my life. I had the option to take medication to try and manage some of the causes, but I don’t feel the need. I got this far without spinning out of control too much. Plus, I find that many of my coping mechanisms for my OCD also help with my ADHD. It is just nice to know that there is a root cause for some of the reasons why I feel, do and act in specific ways. I would highly recommend other people out there going to the doctors and getting clarity. I think to know either way is incredibly helpful, and I am very glad that I did it.