[Snow_man]

Hello everyone! This is my first reply/post on this forum as a member. I am really excited about becoming a member of TeamBHP.

So, I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD little over a year ago and have done a good amount of research on this topic. I’ll first answer a few questions in this thread and then share my experience with ADHD treatment if you are interested.

1. Long term effects of medication:
There aren’t a lot of trials that have studied the side effects of stimulants used for ADHD treatment over several years. So there is no conclusive scientific evidence to say that they are completely safe with no side effects for long term use. But, most trials that did study the effects for several weeks to a couple of years did not find any significant side effects.

I’ve read a few comments by some long term users (~10 years or above) on Reddit saying they didn’t come across any side effects. But they did mention taking a break from stimulants once in a while helps in not building tolerance to the medication.

2. Non-medical interventions:
The end goal for anyone with ADHD is to be able to adapt and handle oneself to cross the ADHD barriers without any medication. According to my understanding ADHD is a biological issue (I.E our brain is wired differently than normal people in layman terms) and stimulants lower these barriers making it easier for you to cross them. It might be possible to achieve the end goal with other remedies (meditation, lots of introspection and patience) but I feel it’ll be at least a hundred times more difficult.

4. Psychologist or Psychiatrist:
Psychiatrist. If you have a reasonable doubt that you have ADHD go see a psychiatrist who has experience dealing with ADHD and don’t waste your time with psychologists. Most doctors in India are not well aware of ADHD and can’t identify ADHD reliably.

There is some sort of a taboo/stigma towards psychiatrists in India. I wish everyone takes mental health more seriously and leave this stigma in the past.

Originally Posted by Iyencar

The doc heard me out and after about 25 min told me he was sure of what I had: Anxiety and a mild form of depression possibly induced by stress.

Essentially as he explained the symptoms overlap with ADD. He said if he were to test me there and then the symptoms would show ADD. However, in my case he was confident that it wasn’t, based on past experiences (e.g., doing a PhD without any help and never having any complaints from school during childhood).

I strongly suggest you to take a second opinion with a psychiatrist who has good experience with ADHD.

There are basically three standard questionnaires to diagnose ADHD.
1. DSM-V: It’s the first test any doctor would do to check for ADHD and the type you have (Hyper active or Inattentive).
2. ASRS: It’s derived from DSM-V and it’s used to verify the diagnosis from DSM-V
3. DIVA 2.0: This is a very detailed questionnaire. It is used to identify all the problem areas in your life related to ADHD.
Any doctor must go through all of these standard tests to provide proper treatment. You shouldn’t be going a doctor’s “gut feeling” for a diagnosis. These tests are made based on decades of research and are the standard for a reason.

If you want to scratch the itch you can do the above tests yourself. BUT, you HAVE to do these under the presence of a doctor. Mainly because you might think a symptom does not apply to you but in reality you might have adapted to overcome it and don’t realise it.

Also, I am on vortioxetine (20mg) as well paired with concerta 36mg.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

For some of you who were asking why I was assuming an ADHD/ADD diagnosis, I wasn’t. Essentially I had many symptoms lining up with possible ADD.

[...]

In case it helps anyone else, here are my symptoms:
[...]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Layman's questions here, how does one figure out if the symptoms are indicative enough to warrant medical intervention? Most of the symptoms you've listed I've seen manifest in a lot of people, including me. Perhaps to a lesser degree and inconsistently.

Also, assuming one has reached adulthood with this condition, I guess one has also developed coping mechanisms to enable one to function daily. Are there any side-effects of the medication? So in that case does one evaluate that against the possible benefits, since one is already functioning as an adult.

I appreciate the need for better diagnosis, of course, was just wondering about the degree. A friend who used to work in an NGO that helps children with these conditions says this is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions, especially in adults. (Thanks for any replies.)

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by am1m

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Layman's questions here, how does one figure out if the symptoms are indicative enough to warrant medical intervention? Most of the symptoms you've listed I've seen manifest in a lot of people, including me. Perhaps to a lesser degree and inconsistently.

The only answer I can think of is that when symptoms begin to affect your functioning in daily life and intrude randomly in your head it's probably time to see a pro.

Originally Posted by am1m

Also, assuming one has reached adulthood with this condition, I guess one has also developed coping mechanisms to enable one to function daily. Are there any side-effects of the medication? So in that case does one evaluate that against the possible benefits, since one is already functioning as an adult.

Think of it as driving a stock Thar on your Bangalore roads. You learn to live with it until it becomes a pain in the ass and then you go see an AVO specialist. Then you wonder why you didn't do it 20000 kms earlier if you were anyways going to spend the same time, money and effort now.

Originally Posted by am1m

I appreciate the need for better diagnosis, of course, was just wondering about the degree. A friend who used to work in an NGO that helps children with these conditions says this is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions, especially in adults. (Thanks for any replies.)

Sorry by degree you mean a medical degree or the extent of something?

[am1m]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Sorry by degree you mean a medical degree or the extent of something?

Oh, I meant the extent of the symptoms, before one decides the condition will require medical intervention. Thanks for all your replies! Very succinctly and thoughtfully put, makes a lot of sense.