Can I get treatment for ADHD-like symptoms with a bipolar diagnosis?

February 12, 2025 9:26 AM

I'm diagnosed as bipolar, and I also have a lot of ADHD-like symptoms, like inattention and executive dysfunction. I've read both that these can be symptoms of bipolar, and that ADHD and bipolar can be comorbid.

I talked to my GP about it around four years ago and she put me on the waiting list for an NHS ADHD assessment. The list barely seems to be moving though, so I probably still have years left to wait for an appointment. Could these symptoms be part of bipolar, rather than ADHD, and if so, are there treatments I could access with just a bipolar diagnosis?

posted by Chenko to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

Best answer: Yes, if you have a doctor who wants to. That's the impression I've gotten in both the UK and North America.

We're in a really crappy cultural place around diagnosis, much less treatment, for either, and god forbid you read as female because you might get Borderline (and basically no treatment) instead. I think it's actually wise to lead with symptoms instead of diagnosis, as that sometimes manages to not trigger physician prejudices so badly.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:25 AM on February 12 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I am in the US so this will have limited utility, but I do not have an ADHD diagnosis. I do have diagnoses of depression and anxiety. I explained to a primary care provider that whether they are caused by ADHD or depression/anxiety, the symptoms I am having the most difficult with are motivation, concentration, attention, procrastination, staying on task, pushing through without giving up, etc. I explained I was working on these from a talk-therapy perspective, but because these issues are treatable by ADHD medicine that I wanted to try a treatment that was specifically for those symptoms. He was willing to prescribe me a non-stimulant ADHD medication (Strattera) without an ADHD diagnosis. That said, he suggested I try Wellbutrin first because it is sometimes prescribed off label for ADHD, I did try that, and it was helpful enough at that time (not really anymore now that perimenopause is doing its thing, but I haven't gone back down that road yet).

I know prescribing rules etc. will be different, I'm sharing just so you can see how a somewhat similar conversation went with my primary care doc.
posted by fennario at 11:49 AM on February 12 [3 favorites]

In the UK you will need a psychiatrist to prescribe for you in this particular case, I think, unless your GP is willing to take on the risk. Your GP can refer you to the relevant service (used to be secondary mental health but things are shaking up in the NHS all the time).

Small caveat that I’ve never personally found a GP or psych willing to do this, but all are different, and wishing you luck.
posted by lokta at 6:44 AM on February 14