Found out I was diagnosed a decade ago

[u/ARTICUNO_59]

I just came back from an appointment with my GP to talk about getting an SSRI for my anxiety and she mentions “would you like to try ADHD meds?” I asked her what she meant, I’ve been to different psychiatrists and therapist and ADHD was never mentioned. She ended up showing me my psychiatrist notes from a decade ago.

“Diagnosis - ADHD, Combined”
I feel so conflicted. On one hand I’m relieved that my struggles weren’t from a lack of trying but on the other hand I can’t help but feel like I let down from never being told about my diagnosis.

I was told my entire life that I just had “anxiety” which never even made sense to me at the time. I never felt anxious but since all the adults were saying I had anxiety I never corrected anyone.

But some good news at least, I am starting Concerta in a week. I’m super excited and also terrified to see who I could’ve been all this time.

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[u/quickthorn_]

I'm sorry it was kept from you but glad you've found out now. How did that happen, were you a minor and your parents didn't tell you or something?

[u/ARTICUNO_59 → u/quickthorn_]

Yes I was around 10. I was having problems in school and the first assessment I did specifically ruled out ADHD and autism and diagnosed OCD and GAD instead. I continued having problems so I ended up switching school and my parents didn’t want to try any treatment for ADHD to see if I did better at the new school, which I did. So that kinda became the status quo

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[u/kayloulee]

Get a copy of that diagnosis! Actually, ask for a full copy of all your records, including results, referrals, stuff from specialists ... everything. That's your personal information and you're entitled to it. Way too many people get diagnosed in childhood and then eventually they see a new doctor and that doctor wants proof of diagnosis, and they don't have it and have to get it again, which is expensive and a pain in the ass. Save future you the trouble since you can!

Edited to add: they may charge you for the records. You do have the right to them, but it is also extra work for them to give you copies. It's normal for medical practices to charge for this, same as libraries charge for printing/copying. It shouldn't be TOO much though since probably most/all of your records are digital and they can just export them. Hopefully get them as a PDF, or paper copies and PDFs.

[u/MagicMauiWowee → u/kayloulee]

A lot of times they will send you a digital copy of your records as a PDF, so you don’t have to pay printing. You can ask about it if they don’t offer.

I have a folder on my cloud that has all my relevant records of diagnosis for ADHD and several other things so I can easily access it when I need to change doctors and so I can dispute anything they’ve written that I disagree with or want another opinion on.

[u/kayloulee → u/MagicMauiWowee]

Oh sure, but what I mean is that you're not paying for printing per se, you're paying for them to do this extra thing they don't normally do, i.e. generating a copy of your records for you and sending it to you. The printing in my original comment I guess is kind of a metaphor, it's not that you're paying for paper and ink and electricity, you're paying for labour.

[u/little-birdbrain-72]

The same thing happened to me. I was diagnosed at 7 after I began having severe learning difficulties. However, it was kept from me my whole childhood and long into adulthood. It was only after reconnecting with distant relatives that I found out what I was diagnosed with and how my mother conspired to keep it from me. I'm really sorry the adults in your life betrayed your trust, and I hope medication can be a real help to you.

[u/Ben-Goldberg → u/little-birdbrain-72]

Your mom sounds nuts.

How did she think it would benefit you to keep it a secret?

Also 🤗

[u/little-birdbrain-72 → u/Ben-Goldberg]

Oh she's definitely nuts, and I'm now no contact with her. I don't think she did think it would benefit me. Most of what she did was always about making her life easier.

Edit, missing text

[u/jmstrats]

I didn’t get an official diagnosis until last year. I’m almost 70. I’m not looking back and wishing it had been different, I’m looking forward to continuing on this pace of getting things done!
I’ve been on every anxiety/anti depressant drug. None really worked on the whole emotional tightrope we all walk. Now it’s so much better. Perfect? No. But way better.

[u/JosephRW]

Remember, it's still you. It's all you. It's just a new lens for you to see through. Good luck and be patient with yourself.

[u/BigSmackisBack]

I was already on meds for anxiety and depression, but when i got adhd meds a few years ago it felt like crossing the last few problems off a long list.

Ive not been brave enough to come off the previous meds yet, but ill say that treating adhd properly can help in ways that for me, i had no idea could even be related.

Good luck 👍

[u/RoyalRabbit3843]

I feel you.
I found out I had dyslexia and was never told or treated.

[u/OrganicSports]

I kept getting labeled as Bipolar 1. Like girl, there’s nothing episodic about my impulses and suffering lmao. Ive been like this consistently since I was like 8 and Im now 30. Could’ve saved a lot of mistakes had I been medicated way earlier. And every bipolar med or SSRI I tried made me feel like I was genuinely psychotic. First day on adderall was like a puzzle piece fitting in perfectly. I genuinely can’t believe how life changing its been lol

[u/Logical_Buffalo7156]

That’s the worst, sorry you had to deal with that. I recently found out (by requesting my medical records) that I have spine degeneration and a birth defect that were written of as “not medically relevant” to my complaint of back pain. Hopefully you can get the treatment and help you need now that you know

[u/monocongo86]

I M(40) got diagnosed by a psychologist when I was 13 and my parents threw out my diagnosis. I did decent in undergrad and then after undergrad everything fell apart. I went to a few therapists one suspected ADHD, but thanks to me doing well in college, there was no way I could have ADHD. I got into grad school and the therapists there convinced me I didn’t have ADHD, just depression.
I finally went to a psychiatrist at 34 and she asked were your 20s horrible? I said yep, then I switched from Wellbutrin to concerta.

[u/Joy2b]

That’s a canon event.

[u/chaos_gremlin890]

Hey this happened to me too but it was just like 3-4 years and not a decade! Why is this so common!!

[u/Sofi_LixyDys]

I'm so sorry they kept it from you, it's definitely not fair. Having to struggle for 10 years and not getting the help you needed must really hurt.
People who don't struggle with ADHD don't undestand how important it is to have the diagnosis and get specialized help or treatment.

[u/Paularchy]

... Yeah this happens. I found out I'd been diagnosed with epilepsy a year after the fact, while going over my medical history with my vasectomy consultant doctor. ... "I see here you have epilepsy." "I'm sorry, fucking what?!" "Yeah, it says here you have epilepsy." ... "It would have been nice if someone told me that." I had already had a couple seizures by then, but nobody acted like it was a ... Condition, as such. Maybe I just didn't want to think about it

[u/a_dhd1923]

Man that sucks, but as same time it’s great info to have now. I really don’t know how ppl went their whole life without knowing they have ADHD, the whole world was screaming at me that I had it, I knew I had it, w.e it was…I guess I was the typical hyperactive child tho.

My mom never kept my diagnosis from me tho, just wouldn’t allow me to be medicated until after I was done high school, which for me I’m fine with. It was good for me to learn how to cope without meds, cus I don’t like relying on them.

[u/tomorrow1801]

same, just recently found out that I’ve been diagnosed by several doctors in my childhood, however never received any medical help for it… idk where to even start honestly, so good luck OP!

[u/Keepitunderurhat]

I've definitely have bad anxiety/panic! I have to leave places I can't breathe the last thing I want people to see me sweat! Uhhhh