Adult ADHD

New comic!!

>> I post more on Instagram these days <<

Hi, I started working on an FAQ like a year ago and just thought to actually finish and post it! I’m very tired and sad so it’s not super detailed, but I’ll probably edit it later.

I had to close my ask box a while back because people’s questions got too much for me. Years ago I loved answering everyone’s asks because it made me feel so much more in control of my own ADHD, but after a while, the emotional labour got too much for me. 

I’m sorry I can’t help every person, but I need to prioritise my own stuff. This blog is cathartic for me, and I don’t want it to become a chore to run. 

Bear in mind that I also have my #asks tag for more specific things. I’m always happy to share questions you have with the community too.

hi I was wondering if you were tested for ADHD and what your experience with it was?

Yes, I pursued diagnosis after reading an article about female ADHD experiences. I looked up my country's official info page about ADHD in adults and saw that I had most of the symptoms. I printed out the symptoms, ticked the ones that applied to me, and took them to my university counsellor. She helped me find a private psychiatrist to diagnose me cheaply - the NHS waitlist would have taken two years and I was on the brink of failing out of uni at the time. I had a 1 hour appointment with a psychiatrist who then prescribed me Ritalin 10mg. I was 22 and finally felt my brain work properly!!

Do you think it's possible to have ADHD and still do well in school?

Yes!!

I always did average in school - I just about passed all my classes and flew under the radar. I was often called out in class for not paying attention, but always managed to scrape by. 

I am more intelligent than my grades reflected and my teachers thought I just didn't care enough to try harder. This made me think I was lazy, so I inefficiently overworked myself to pass classes when I got to sixth form (high school). I always left things to the last minute and relied on panic and anxiety to get my work done.

Is it possible to be 18+ and have never been diagnosed with ADHD?

Absolutely. A lot of us with inattentive ADHD aren't diagnosed until adulthood!

But people with all kinds of ADHD fall through the cracks. We might have been socialised to hide our symptoms, we might have been misdiagnosed with another disorder, we might not fit the stereotype of a hyperactive little white boy.

There are endless scenarios, so if you think that your lack of diagnosis is a reason to dismiss your symptoms, DON'T!!!  

I was wondering if you know any tests online or pages that could help me figure that out? And how the process of being diagnosed works?

Regarding online tests, honestly, i think just reading a symptoms list and reading other people's experiences are better than any test. If you vibe with ADHD feels, you vibe. 

I know how my specific diagnosis worked, and I am from the UK so all I know is our system. In the UK, mental health services are a lot harder to access nowadays, and the waiting list to be seen by the NHS can be years long.

I would always recommend getting yourself on that waiting list, and also saving up money for a private diagnosis. Then whichever one you can access first, wins. Sadly the private diagnosis is basically you betting hundreds on whether or not your brain is holding you back, which is terrifying!! But your mental health is worth the money.

If you're in university or college, it's a hell of a lot easier to get a cheaper, private diagnosis. It took me 3 weeks to get from my university counsellor to getting my first dose of ritalin. 

Do you have any suggestions on keeping up a project after the hyper focus wears off?

Lists, breaking things down into smaller tasks, and looking over your frantic hyperactive work and sorting it into manageable chunks.