Boston-area ADD/ADHD specialist?
April 8, 2011 2:54 PM   Subscribe

I'd like a recommendation for a specialist in the Boston/Cambridge area to help me with what I think is ADD/ADHD.

I'm not totally sure what's going on, but I have symptoms similar to the "inattentive" type of ADD/ADHD and would like help with it--maybe medication or maybe not. Part of why I want to see a specialist (psychologist? psychiatrist? I don't know, you tell me) is to discern whether meds or therapy/behavior stuff (or both) is appropriate. Googling for ADD/ADHD healthcare providers in the area feels like an information overload right now, so I'd really love any mefi user recommendations (or anti-recommendations if you've had a bad experience).

I'm female, queer, in my mid-20's and a bit sensitive about interacting with doctors--I'm prone to avoidance if I think I'll be yelled at/talked down to, so a reassuring and judgment-free bearing is pretty important to me. T-accessible and accepting Blue Cross/Blue Shield are the other requirements I have.

If you don't want to post here, you can email sockpuppet4mefi@gmail.com .
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (2 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I can't speak for Boston location, but I'd urge you to see a neurologist. ADD/ADHD is brain chemistry, not behavior. A psychiatrist can be helpful, but my best experiences are with my neurologist. And "talked down to"--you're paying, you're the boss.
posted by Ideefixe at 3:12 PM on April 8, 2011


Tom Spencer at Mass General is a both a board certified psychiatrist and neurologist, one of the country's leading specialists in the treatment of attention disorders, and a really nice guy, to boot. Or, at least I thought so when he diagnosed and treated me when I was 16 (which was 16 years ago.)

Also, for whatever ADD specialist you see, be prepared for it to not be a question of meds or other stuff, but meds and other stuff. The meds tend to be assumed.
posted by patnasty at 8:12 PM on April 8, 2011


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