[Iyencar]

Can someone please guide me to research on ADHD in adults. Also:
1. Are there any long term studies on the side effects of ADHD medication
2. What about non pharmaceutical interventions
3. What other treatments are available here in Mumbai/India?
4. Should one go to a psychiatrist or a psychologist and what’s the average consultation cost? Grateful for any leads for the same in Navi Mumbai (ideally) or the harbour line.
Thank you!

[bravo6]

1-3: Please don't ask the internet for medical guidance. That is a doctor's job - consultation in person is required. Replace ADHD with cough, fever, etc and you will realise how silly that sounds.

4: Usually you go to a psychologist (therapy) first. If they feel medication is required, they will refer you to a psychiatrist (medication). So in essence both are required for proper diagnosis and treatment.

If you are hesitant to visit someone in person, as a first step, check out an app like Practo. It will show you the consultation cost as well. Then you can visit in person. Usually offline prices are much lower.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by bravo6

1-3: Please don't ask the internet for medical guidance. That is a doctor's job - consultation in person is required. Replace ADHD with cough, fever, etc and you will realise how silly that sounds.

I think you’re under the impression I’m going to Google a diagnosis and pop pills for the same after looking them up online. Far be it. This is a topic I know little to nothing about. Hence posted on a forum with people from all walks of life hoping someone with relevant experience can nudge me in the right direction.

Originally Posted by bravo6

4: Usually you go to a psychologist (therapy) first. If they feel medication is required, they will refer you to a psychiatrist (medication). So in essence both are required for proper diagnosis and treatment.

This is helpful. Appreciate it.

Originally Posted by bravo6

If you are hesitant to visit someone in person, as a first step, check out an app like Practo. It will show you the consultation cost as well. Then you can visit in person. Usually offline prices are much lower.

Oh I know practo. Came across it while reading an article online on how to treat my fever. . Jokes apart, I don’t really trust online reviews to look for doctors. Prefer word of mouth for something this important.

[lapis_lazuli]

Which professional diagnosed it as ADHD? That same person should be able to guide you. Else, it's better to visit a psychiatrist who would refer to a specialist psychotherapist IF it is ADHD. Have you diagnosed it yourself based on symptoms? Adult ADHD is often bipolar, instead!

[Arun Varma]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Can someone please guide me to research on ADHD in adults.
Thank you!

I was researching this subject only last week and understood that as much as it is bandied about in casual conversations, it is a clinical diagnosis to be made by a trained medical professional like a psychologist, psychiatrist, or pediatrician.

The context in which I was looking this up was because I was wondering how much of an inability to focus and stay focused on tasks is driven by technology, including doom scrolling on social media. Add to that, a need to be in the know which makes some people skim the headlines only so they can talk about it without going to any level of detail and understanding about the subject.

It looks to me that as with many psychological disorders, in India, it looks it is not discussed enough and therefore not addressed properly.

Anyways, I found the following websites that were helpful - including for adults and for children. Hope it helps.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20350878

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attent...disorder-adhd/

https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adult-adhd

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Can someone please guide me to research on ADHD in adults.

Did you start this thread after seeing too many posts regarding ADHD on Insta? I am seeing them a lot since the past week and doubting myself. Google says #adhd is trending since last year.

[fawad0222]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Can someone please guide me to research on ADHD in adults. Also:
1. Are there any long term studies on the side effects of ADHD medication
2. What about non pharmaceutical interventions
3. What other treatments are available here in Mumbai/India?
4. Should one go to a psychiatrist or a psychologist and what’s the average consultation cost? Grateful for any leads for the same in Navi Mumbai (ideally) or the harbour line.
Thank you!

It's important that such diagnosis need to be correctly made for a proper and fruitful management. So finding a good psychiatrist or psychologist is of utmost importance. Actually a good, experienced physician/paediatrician could also identify it.
Now how to find one. Enquire, Enquire and Enquire. Don't base your decision depending upon the popularity or image building exercises of the people. Best is if someone can give you personal recommendation. I feel that an organisational setup is more equipped in dealing with such disorders.
If properly handled, the outcome is a regular adult life.
Let the doctor decide about the necessity of the medication.

Regards

[one-77]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

4. Should one go to a psychiatrist or a psychologist and what’s the average consultation cost? Grateful for any leads for the same in Navi Mumbai (ideally) or the harbour line.
Thank you!

I’d advise consulting a good psychiatrist (doctor) first, to make/ confirm the diagnosis, and advise appropriate pharmacological (ie medicines) and non-pharmacological (ie cognitive and behavioural therapy - done by a clinical psychologist, who isn’t a doctor) treatment.

The fees for both a good psychiatrist and psychologist in South Bombay would around ₹3000, and a session would last about an hour.

[SmartCat]

Not sure about adults - but in kids, one should see a specialist called CHILD NEUROLOGIST or PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGIST.

For eg, if you are in Bangalore, type "child neurologist bangalore" in Google to find specialists to diagnose disorders/disabilities like ADHD, ADD, learning disability, dsylexia etc.

[Doge]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Can someone please guide me to research on ADHD in adults. Also:
1. Are there any long term studies on the side effects of ADHD medication
2. What about non pharmaceutical interventions
3. What other treatments are available here in Mumbai/India?
4. Should one go to a psychiatrist or a psychologist and what’s the average consultation cost? Grateful for any leads for the same in Navi Mumbai (ideally) or the harbour line.
Thank you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFL6...AndrewHuberman

Please listen to this podcast, has everything you would want to know about this topic.

[treyazaghtoth]

I’m a doctor, and this is how I advice my patients who are confused about the treatment options available and more importantly the best treatment for them.

I tell them to
A) prepare all queries beforehand, and if possible have an idea about the illness and the various treatment options available

B) consult multiple doctors , and feel free to address your queries with them , especially since you’ve done a bit of research on the topic.

C) analyse which doctor answered your queries well, and whether his explanation makes sense to you. Patients should consider the clarity of the information provided, the doctor's ability to address their concerns, and the compatibility of their communication styles.

D) how does the doctor make you feel ,on a gut level ? ( were you comfortable talking to him ? Did he put you at ease ? ) . A positive rapport and a sense of trust are crucial factors in establishing a productive doctor-patient relationship.

Once these 4 steps are done..you cannot go wrong in choosing the right doctor for your needs.

Since this is TeamBHP…think of it, like taking a car for a test drive !

You’ve already narrowed down your list of cars, but once you drive it, it feels right.

Some people choose cars, based on mileage and economy.
Some people choose cars, based on driving pleasure

The former is a logical decision , while the later is an emotional decision

When selecting a doctor, we need to balance the logic (based on the doctors answers to your queries ) with the emotional ( based on HOW the doctor answered your questions )

In essence, selecting a doctor involves finding a balance between logical decision-making based on the doctor's knowledge and expertise, and emotional decision-making based on the patient's overall experience and comfort level during consultations. It is indeed akin to test-driving a car, where both practical and emotional factors influence the final choice.

Nothing beats human to human contact .Human-to-human contact remains unparalleled in healthcare, as it allows for a personalized understanding of patients' needs and effective communication between doctor and patient. It is important for patients to feel heard, understood, and supported throughout their treatment journey.

if you need any further clarification , do let me know

Dinesh

[Iyencar]

Thank you everyone for coming through with advice and suggestions. Especially, bhpian Vipr for reaching out via PM. 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.

Since I was completely new to this, I took some basic online tests from sites like add.org, clinical-partners.co.uk and Felicity. All of them suggested a very high probability of ADD and suggested I meet a psychiatrist. Note, this wasn’t intended to be a self diagnosis. It was a starting point. We found a psychiatrist through someone else who had been to him and recommended him highly. I noted down a long list of my issues/symptoms after talking to my very supportive wife and took an appointment. 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).

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

1. Absent mindedness/forgetfulness: Have to be reminded of small things repeatedly, especially if there is a list of stuff. Note that I had a fantastic memory until less than a decade back

2. Tending to complete people’s sentences/ interrupting: basically not having the patience to wait for someone to finish a long thought

3. Losing interest when someone describes something in a very detailed manner. “Just get to the point, dammit”. I would even walk out of the room to do another task when someone’s talking without realising it because in my head I had to move on and finish some kind of list

4. Tending to revisit past experiences and play it out in my head and wonder what if I had reacted in this way or that

5. Irritability and anger: Got involved in a road rage incident 3 years back resulting in me getting hit and run off the road by an autowallah while on my scooter. While I calmed down on the road after this incident small things that wouldn’t go my way make me really irritable

6. Difficulty focusing: I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to read a book. This coming from someone who was a voracious reader. Tried to start meditating but focusing on breath or “observing thoughts” was getting difficult

All this naturally took a toll on family life which was already crazy hectic with a toddler.

Long story short, been put on 5 mg vortioxetine which helps boost serotonin to help improve focus and calm. In my case it is helping get to a relaxed state but making me sleepy. I have a follow up in 10 days. Will bring this up. Whether he was right or wrong in directly starting medication is up for debate. But for now I have decided to trust the professional’s experience and let him decide. Thanks for reading.

P.S. The initial consultation costs 1000 an HD follow ups cost 800 bucks.

[fawad0222]

Hi Iyencar,

Good that you could consult a psychiatrist. Hopefully your symptoms would resolve soon. I would suggest to ask your doctor if you need to get in touch with a cognitive behaviour therapist as well. Drugs resolve the symptoms but don't address the root cause which psychotherapy does. Therefore in order to avod recurrence as well as to be at peace with yourself, seeking help of a good psychologist is usually a good choice.
Regards

[rookieraj]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Can someone please guide me to research on ADHD in adults.... Grateful for any leads for the same in Navi Mumbai (ideally) or the harbour line.
Thank you!

https://adhdandco.substack.com/?utm_...bstack_profile

You may consider subscribing to his blog. It's a first person account of a data scientist diagnosed with ADHD.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by fawad0222

Hi Iyencar,
I would suggest to ask your doctor if you need to get in touch with a cognitive behaviour therapist as well...seeking help of a good psychologist is usually a good choice.
Regards

Thank you. I'll have a word with the doc in the next session. Regards.

Originally Posted by rookieraj

https://adhdandco.substack.com/?utm_...bstack_profile

You may consider subscribing to his blog. It's a first person account of a data scientist diagnosed with ADHD.

Thanks, although I'll subscribe. Regards.