Getting evaluated for add in the uk.
September 10, 2010 10:07 AM
How do I get diagnosed for add in the uk?
I'm in Cornwall, UK. I really really need to get a handle on my distraction. When I lived in Glasgow I mentioned my symptoms, my family history, and the adderal my brother takes for it.
The doctor I saw there was sympathetic to ADD but surprised at the stimulant prescribed for it. He said he would refer this to his regular doctor meeting but never got back to me. Now I want to try again. What's the best way to approach this with my new doctor and what precise evaluations should I ask for? What leverage do I have in getting evaluated for a specific condition I think I may have?
Right now I also take Citalopram for anxiety. This has mitigated my distraction little although it has helped with the anxiety. I have mild asthma and eczema.
I'm in Cornwall, UK. I really really need to get a handle on my distraction. When I lived in Glasgow I mentioned my symptoms, my family history, and the adderal my brother takes for it.
The doctor I saw there was sympathetic to ADD but surprised at the stimulant prescribed for it. He said he would refer this to his regular doctor meeting but never got back to me. Now I want to try again. What's the best way to approach this with my new doctor and what precise evaluations should I ask for? What leverage do I have in getting evaluated for a specific condition I think I may have?
Right now I also take Citalopram for anxiety. This has mitigated my distraction little although it has helped with the anxiety. I have mild asthma and eczema.
I was diagnosed with ADD in the states years ago, when I was in college. I took medication that really helped, but found that I didn't need it after college when I took a job that didn't require a whole lot of concentration. Last year I took a rather more difficult job here in the UK and I was having lots of trouble keeping it together, and I thought I might try medication again. My doctor basically told me that he had no faith in the diagnosis of my doctor in the US, he thought adult ADD was a basically a myth and that, if I insisted, he might consider recommending me for a couple of sessions of CBT to help me deal with my 'disorganization'.
I changed doctors (and jobs), but would be afraid to approach another with the same question because he obviously thought I was drug seeking. It wasn't pleasant. I've heard it's a common attitude among UK general practitioners.
posted by Wroksie at 12:22 PM on September 10, 2010
I changed doctors (and jobs), but would be afraid to approach another with the same question because he obviously thought I was drug seeking. It wasn't pleasant. I've heard it's a common attitude among UK general practitioners.
posted by Wroksie at 12:22 PM on September 10, 2010
I'm not sure how the UK health system parallels that in the US, but here (and at least in some states) I'd be surprised if you got any higher-scheduled psychiatric drugs, at least in higher doses, without something in writing from a psychiatrist (who already prescribes) or a history of counseling with a psychologist with a background of some sort in autism. I may be wrong on this but I seem to recall Adderall is kind of frowned on outside the US, which further complicates things. Probably the thing to do is look in the stimulants subforum of drugs-forum.com; I'm pretty sure there's threads about navigating legitimate ADD issues in the UK medical system.
posted by crapmatic at 12:43 PM on September 10, 2010
posted by crapmatic at 12:43 PM on September 10, 2010
It's been a few years since I looked, but I understood that Adderall was unlikely ever to become available in the UK because of the process for approving drugs here (it's a combination of 4 or 5 different amphetamine salts and is basically too much trouble, though I can't remember exactly how).
You cannot be diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, or prescribed anything for it, without the input of a specialist such as a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Your NHS GP may not be motivated to refer you, and there's no guarantee that you would see a specialist in ADD/ADHD if they did refer you. Here is a source for local support groups in the UK, they will be able to tell you what to do.
posted by tel3path at 2:04 PM on September 10, 2010
You cannot be diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, or prescribed anything for it, without the input of a specialist such as a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Your NHS GP may not be motivated to refer you, and there's no guarantee that you would see a specialist in ADD/ADHD if they did refer you. Here is a source for local support groups in the UK, they will be able to tell you what to do.
posted by tel3path at 2:04 PM on September 10, 2010
There are some tips on how to approach a discussion with your GP about adult ADHD and further referral here
posted by calico at 2:58 AM on September 11, 2010
posted by calico at 2:58 AM on September 11, 2010
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Are there any message boards in the UK geared toward people with adult ADHD? You might be able to find doctor recommendations that way. Whether or not your're going to be seeing a new doctor, you could complete this WHO screener and take that in to your doctor (this is what I did - first I showed my therapist, then my GP).
Good luck!
posted by purlgurly at 10:35 AM on September 10, 2010