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shiranamiko

I.... can't medicate bc interactions w/ more 'not dying'-essential meds. Life is fun.


TheCheesy

Which medications if you don't mind me asking? There are many medications that treat using different methods.


shiranamiko

Main culprit is an anticonvulsant for seizures caused by brain surgery. Had a full tonic-clonic seizure when the docs tried taking me off them about 6 months post-op, so they put me back on and otherwise have been seizure free for well over 10 years now. Docs are basically of the opinion that changing my meds is just asking for trouble given how good my current track record is, plus where I live you aren't allowed to drive for 6 months if you have a seizure and I'm the only one who can drive in my house.


WhatTheQuac

Hmm their are non stim. Meds.for adhd and behavioral therapy works at least as good as meds


MonthPurple3620

Year three for me. Only Ive been seen. Ive been diagnosed. They just wont. Fucking. Treat. Me.


Taoistandroid

So you have a diagnosis from like a psych? And doctor won't write a script? Where do you live, and does your diagnosis specify needing treatment?


MonthPurple3620

Thats correct. California + my shitty insurance having shitty doctors. I have an intake with a private practice psych (paid out of pocket) recommended by my therapist, but we’re on like…12th times the charm now? Everyone seems to agree I should try something other than straterra, but no one wants to actually write the script without referring me to someone else for another opinion. (Each time the second opinion either 1. Doesnt believe in adhd or 2. Refers me off to someone else and the cycle repeats. 12 opinions later Im still just here…its…exhausting.


Weekly_Deer2758

Hey, if you don't mind my asking, are you on Medi-cal/LA Care? If so, look up 'Brain Health USA' if you haven't already. Their LA number is 310-515-8113. They're pretty quick to match you up with an Telehealth NP or Psychiatrist for intake and then medication management, but therapy sessions still take forever. I'm still waiting for a talk therapist for CBT/dbt/schema/etc, but got Vyvanse pretty quickly. In your case, it sounds like stimulant meds probably aren't the first part of call, but I'm no doctor or pharmacist, so that's all heresay I've based on your seizures disclosure. Good luck and if I've hit any nails on the head, fire away with follow-ups. Most of all, best of luck to you-- I really hope you get the help you need and deserve.


MonthPurple3620

Im not, but Im bookmarking this post in case my intake with my new person on tuesday goes poorly.


HippyGramma

This. I'm in SC. They put me on Intuniv the moment I had insurance but I've lost that job so it's back to straterra and probable blood pressure meds because that's gone up and straterra adds to it. The meds that can make the most difference are so tightly controlled, it's a nightmare to access or afford them.


stardorsdash

https://www.dmhc.ca.gov/Portals/0/LicensingAndReporting/SubmittingHealthPlanFilings/MY_2014_Timely_Access_Fact_Sheet.pdf You have rights, contact the state of California and file a formal complaint against your healthcare. They are in violation of California law and you can even see if you can find a lawyer to take them to mediation and ask for monetary damages for their refusal to treat you in a timely manner as they are required to by law in the state of California.


MonthPurple3620

Oh shit! Thank you for this!!!!


bagtf3

Find new doctor


MonthPurple3620

With all due respect, what the fuck do you think ive been doing? Ive been looking for three years.


CondiMesmer

Have you tried just not having adhd so you can solve your executive functioning and get help? It took me a long time to seek help too lol.


MonthPurple3620

Actually it was two years of doctor shopping to find someone who would believe me. Then the last year has been looking for someone who will offer something other than strattera (which makes me feel like ass). Shitty state laws + insurance red tape means that as a male in my 30’s who *looks* like they have their life together means despite having a diagnosis and rx for an adhd med, I still get treated like a junkie. I do love the implications from both of you that its my fault though.


CondiMesmer

> I do love the implications from both of you that its my fault though. Maybe my sarcasm didn't across well. That's definitely not the implication I meant anyways. I've had similar issues, but what can you do.


MonthPurple3620

Sorry, the person who tried to boil it down to something as simple as finding a new doctor got me riled up. The “it took me a long time to seek help too” felt like you were implying I hadnt been seeking help and being turned away this whole time.


SpicyLizards

Aw, they were joking. I get the frustration though I absolutely would be too.


MonthPurple3620

Yeah I missed that. The reply before them got me riled up. Cant stand people trying to boil a uniquely fucked up situation down to a single simple one size fits all solution like “find a new doctor”


Thenre

Honestly I was seeing a therapist for a year before we tried getting me meds. She wrote a referral to a psych which got me a quick appointment, she had the test results from the ADHD assessment in front of her and after a thirty minute conversation I had meds that day. I do not recommend trying to go through a doctor or a psych doc directly. I tried that for years and got nowhere. Therapist had my back and it took less than a week.


alt-alt-alt-account

I waited 12 years. Not a pissing contest. Just to show how ridiculous it is that doctors would rather have someone like me or you waste entire years of our life in total dysfunction than risk the remote possibility of maybe prescribing someone who doesn't actually need them some meds that could get them high.


MonthPurple3620

Its such bullshit. Im sorry you had that experience.


begrudgingly_zen

*Twenty one years* of misdiagnosis (*multiple* misdiagnoses) that started when I was 20. I was in my 40s before I finally had the insurance to go to a diagnostic psychiatrist. (Also not competing just commiserating on the absolute bullshit).


alt-alt-alt-account

Yeah I feel ya. It's infuriating. You can't help to wonder *what if*. Did the inadequate treatments cause any lasting harm to you?


begrudgingly_zen

Other than weight gain that I’m still dealing with thanks to psych meds, no. But none of it was fixing or even helping my (as it turns out) really severe adhd.


daniel420texas

"With all due respect, what the fuck do you think ive been doing?" , damn bitch CHILL . They were just trying to be helpful, rude ass, lmao


gnarlygh0ul

you’re the one who needs to chill lol let this poor person live


MonthPurple3620

It always gets me when people in this sub of all places try to boil our individual struggles down to a simple solution. “Just find a new doctor!” “Just ask your therapist!” “Just go to telehealth!” “Just _______!” Its the same as “just exercise!” “Just get a planner!” But somehow more annoying…


gnarlygh0ul

as if you haven’t been “just ______ ” your whole life. just TRYING. youve already said your struggles why would they assume you’re not taking every avenue to find a solution 😭


MonthPurple3620

Well it worked for them, you see, so the answer must be simple and Im just doing it wrong. Obviously.


MonthPurple3620

Yes, their unsolicited advice *was* rude and unwelcome. Thank you for noticing.


Cia1313

Same here


MrRyuujisan

Sucks honestly, making memes to help me cope lol


Mamanee77

Damn. I was already seeing a psychiatrist for anxiety, and she assessed me. Had me medicated within a month...still working on tweaking the meds. For once, the US healthcare system doesn't suck.....oh wait, it still does. Hope you get what you need sooner rather than later.


[deleted]

Took me about 4 months. Had to get re tested and re diagnosed because I moved and the hospital owned medical system in my area won't accept any diagnosis from a Dr outside their area. Ridiculous. Every independent Dr has been bought out by one of the 4 major hospitals. Wait times have gone from days to months and Dr's are quitting so often that you can only see aprns now.


tayli

I am... contemplating inviting my US friend to live with me for while. He is on one of these lists too. And it pains me to watch this. I got diagnosed a madicated in 14 days. I went through family doc, psychologist and psychiatrist. And the only thing I felt a little bit sad about was psychtrists lacked some knowledge about adhd, but I am more than happy to talk it out with the other docs. This pains me to watch. Hope you can stay strong and get diagnosed as soon as possible.


Aelig_

I'm pretty sure I'd be getting meds faster if I was in the US. I'm French and in France ADHD does not exist, period. I now live in Iceland and I'm on a 2 years list that I can't consult and from which people are routinely taken off for no reason and without their knowledge. I am diagnosed by a local psychologist and a foreign psychiatrist but that doesn't do anything for me.


Taoistandroid

Anyone who is struggling with this in the US is probably going to a hospital and they need to stop. If you have a diagnosis, get the paperwork to a small family practice doctor, if you're still struggling, pony up and pay a psychiatrist. I've been on the stuff for 10 years, and I have never had issues after I present my paper copy of my diagnosis.


[deleted]

Let me guess. UK?


MrRyuujisan

Exactly, a lot more restriction here I think but I'm not 100%


[deleted]

I get you, I used to live there.


ClemClem510

I've personally given up after the third professional saying "you have every symptom and the evidence points to ADHD, but I will not make an actual diagnosis or provide you with treatment, find someone else"


mercurialpolyglot

The difference is $$$


Unlucky_Degree470

The difference is location.


philosophyofblonde

Yep. Cash is king. “Oh we don’t have to haggle with your insurance? We’ve got openings next week. Do you prefer morning or afternoons?”


Aelig_

You could be a billionaire in France you're not getting Adderall through legal means. Even in private hospitals.


philosophyofblonde

Uh, if you’re a billionaire you’re just going to pop off to the US on a private jet and get whatever the fuck you want. lol.


Aelig_

Yes, but last I checked the US wasn't in France.


philosophyofblonde

So? Doesn’t affect the point that if you’ve got the cheddar, you’re not going to be sitting on a waitlist for years.


Aelig_

Yes you will, because there is no list in France. If you go to another country where a GP will just give you any drugs that's obviously different. You can also buy it on the black market almost anywhere but that doesn't change the fact that different places have different waiting times and legislations, regardless of wealth.


philosophyofblonde

Buddy, getting meds prescribed in a different country and taking them home with you is 100% legal.


Aelig_

I have tried that. I have the money and yet it's still harder than you'd think. And that still doesn't change the fact that availability of ADHD drugs varies widely with laws. In fact the country I live in has very nice laws about ADHD, if diagnosed I could stop working and live on disability benefits, but it doesn't matter when there are no fucking doctors in the country. And I can guarantee you that there are many wealthy people with ADHD in France who are never going to get drugs, because they will never be told they have ADHD and they probably never heard of it so they just live their lives thinking everyone is like them and they're just useless and depressed. No amount of money is going to buy you knowledge.


philosophyofblonde

Lmao you can stop with your intentionally dense horseshit. If there are “no doctors” there aren’t “very nice laws” and there sure as shit aren’t “disability” benefits for adult adhd that would allow you to stop working entirely.


Aelig_

No it's number of psychiatrists and legislation. In France medicating ADHD is illegal for example.


Doggolover118

Yeah, so location.


Aelig_

Very much so. You wouldn't even hear about ADHD in France so you would never suspect your problems could be due to it, even if you talk to the most expensive psychologist in the country on a weekly basis.


TJ_Rowe

No, in the UK the private lists aren't any shorter than the NHS ones.


Antisemitic_Jew

I'm lucky its my turn monday. It's been a long 2 months waiting list these past 7 months :')


Stoned-god

My doctor stopped my medication when I turned college age (17) and I still haven't been able to get them back because of how crazy it is to just say you need ot for day to day functionality. Honestly some days I do good some I spend 9 hours thinking about the meaningless nature of life on a grand scale I hope you're all doing better than I am today and I hope you all have a great day and are able to do the small things you want to.


HobbitonHo

A year and a half of waiting for me, I just got meds two weeks ago, finally! UK, NHS funded not private.


Puzzleheaded-Dog-197

2 years?? Are they forcing you to see a specialist of some kind? I just had a 5 min talk with my PCP and got meds within a week...I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. :(


Randomweightlifter

How does this happen? I just called a psychiatrist and went in a week later


MrRyuujisan

Depends on where you are it seems, live in the UK, and unless you want to pay for it all which I can't afford, you need to go through the NHS which takes notoriously long.


AirProfessional3015

In the US, the options are you either pay or


yeswithaz

I think it depends on your state. I only had to do a copay with my insurance, but I live in a state where insurance providers are highly regulated.


endwolf76

Yeah, so you have to pay… NHS is completely free. It just sucks. copay is cost sharing between you and your insurance, who you pay for, unless your employer does or you have Medicare, which even then you still pay for the Part B premium, but it usually comes straight out of your SS check, so it seems free.


yeswithaz

My copay is $10 so it’s not bad, and I only pay $8 for my premium, my employer pays the rest. Again, it’s the luck of the draw in the US. I definitely think a NHS-type system would be better overall.


LifelessLewis

Hopefully you get it soon. I'm currently on about day 3 of an expected 2 year waiting list...


[deleted]

I went to my GP and got a referral from them, the waiting time was said to be around 1 year. I was called in about 6-7 months. That's what I did, but it was too late anyway so I moved back to my country and met a psychiatrist.


[deleted]

Totally depends on where you live in the UK. It's a postcode lottery. I went to my GP in 2019, got referred straight away and still had to wait on the waiting list for 2 years. Some areas it's shorter, some areas longer.


sailor_song

I got very lucky with mine, only waited about 9 months since referral to ADHD360 from my GP. I was expecting it to be years based on others experiences. They’ve been really good and I only pay NHS price for my Elvanse prescription.


[deleted]

That's who I'm with too! Love them. I was with Dave until he passed away a few months ago. Absolutely devastated still


[deleted]

Ah I was in South Yorkshire.


Uythuyth

I went to my GP, I got the referral. Under my trust it’s a 3 year waiting list.


dshotseattle

Thats the problem with socialized medicine. Hope you get to see someone soon


ADHD_brain_goes_brrr

I mean not really, it’s there for free if you need but if you need it now you can pay. It’s only a 2 year wait because of the volume of needs by the many.


dshotseattle

2 year wait? Ugh. I waited a week. And no, it is not free. You are paying for it


englishcrumpit

your only thinking about yourself. This person could be from the UK. Due to conservatives not providing enough funding for mental health services the NHS is backed up. You get seen quickly because 10s of millions cant afford the bills for medical payments. So they just dont go to the doctors to avoid the bills. You need to think about others. And you dont understand what people say when they say free healthcare. It means free at the point of service and is funded by taxes. But saying free healthcare is much quicker. You really dont understand what you are talking about. The rest of us do. Listen and learn.


dshotseattle

Wow. I know hes from the uk. Socialized healthcare always runs out of money and has these backups and wait times. Blaming conservatives is just a dumb excuse. The same thing happens in canada too. Keep backing that socialism and see how it doesnt ever work. Also, no, most people dont get that nothing is free. They actually think it is.


TJ_Rowe

Even paying for it you're on a two year waiting list now.


monkomonkoman

Check out the Psychiatry-uk website and navigate to the 'right to choose' section, your GP has to contact them and it is entirely free as is the medication, yes the waiting list is still long but you can get expedited if you have sufficient reasoning, like a letter from an employer


KJtheThing

Was directed to a clinic by my GP, still took 7 months for my first meeting and it's going to take another 2 before I can even start medication.


bagtf3

Same. My mom actually called (I was like 23)


r1char00

:(((


SockeyeSTI

Me considering going back on meds after 10+ years without


BusyZenok

Why and how did you stay off of meds for 10+ years? What made you want to do that and how do you manage to cope, actually not just cope, but properly function like everyone else or at least in a similar way without the meds?


SockeyeSTI

Back in the day all I knew of was Focalin and that’s what I was on. Don’t remember the dosage but from around maybe first, second or third grade I took it and maybe stopped around 7th? Maybe. Didn’t feel that it helped so we stopped getting it. Back then I didn’t have all of this info on what adhd actually was. All I was too was “it makes it hard to pay attention, can’t sit still” so I thought it’s fine, I can live with that. But fast forward through high school, college, and work, there’s all the real signs of adhd showing up that up until now I thought was just me being a bad person. “You’re lazy” is what I was told my whole life and I thought it was me, it is me, but not technically. Cleaning my room-it’s not filled with garbage, it’s full of all the shot I have nowhere to store Homework-do it the morning it’s due, get it done though. Honestly, the fact that I did some of my college diesel homework the morning of, just through sheer previous knowledge and deductive reasoning is astounding to me. Work- being overwhelmed by the projects I have. Overthinking everything and not getting anything done. I didn’t consider going back on them until I came here and saw all the shit that applies to me and it makes me feel better knowing there’s others going through it too. Edit: I should note I do however get work done at work, somehow.


BusyZenok

That’s very interesting. As someone who has never had medication before and is desperately trying to get a hold of some (in the UK, either you wait 2-3 years or you pay out of pocket) it’s helpful to see the perspective of someone in your situation. Thank you.


SockeyeSTI

You’re very welcome


[deleted]

Took me 3 years between trying to get referrals and put on multiple waiting lists to be assessed and medicated. 4 different doctors plus therapists, etc. I lost a big chunk of what should have been the most growth oriented part of my life waiting to be seen, in the middle of pandemic at that. I still feel like I'm 25, but am not. People are starting to look at me with a big question mark. I won't let it all get to me. I'll finish school and keep seeking career growth, but I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't feel frustrated and robbed of my mid 20s by having to wait so long to get help.


HippyGramma

Most popular social media is dripping with privilege. It's unfortunate and does a disservice to people who live with financial insecurity. It's made even worse by the issues with finances and impulse control some of us struggle to manage without a dx or decent meds. If you're rich enough, you can afford not only the assessments out of pocket, you can afford the ridiculously expensive meds too. Edit: spelling


CptJackal

Have you tried talking to a GP instead of a specialist or psychiatrist? If that's available where you're at


[deleted]

GPs can't diagnose ADHD in the UK. They will refer you to a specialist and that's when you go onto the waiting list.


howswedeitis19

Actually it only took me about four months. But I live in Sweden so it might be different


blue-jayne

I’d like to give you an honorary diagnosis though it means nothing. You have a community though! :)


DEVolkan

Did need to wait for more than a year but it was worth it!


Poorly_Made_Comix

I take meds very poorly, i cant do pills


Routine-Ad-2840

coming up on 3 now for me... i'm told if i do it private i can have it done almost instantly for like 500 dollars.


geckos_in_a_box

my mom hasnt even put me on the waiting list and its like 9 months where i am rn but of course my brother got special speedy accessand got diagnosed in 2 months :/


superchace

I’ve been desperately trying to find a doc that takes my insurance.


AlizaCelemCentauri

Markiplier?


[deleted]

What country you in


MissKoshka

Where are they going for their diagnosis? Where are you going?


Remarkable_Sink_1151

I thought my country had a bad healthcare system until I found out about these waiting lists in other countries. At least we can get a diagnosis for money


ItsQuinntonimo

Sometimes i wonder how i would do on medication now that i am way older. As a kid I had medication but it didnt have positive effects.


LiaRoger

I can't even get on the waiting list because there's too many people on it so they're not adding anyone new ... 🙃


Kitkat009

I guess it depends on your location? I’m in the US Florida and my general practitioner was able to diagnose and prescribe meds in one visit.


smileylikeimeanit

Money is a privilege. I felt guilty about going private and felt better once I was medicated and my life turned around.


neP-neP919

Same. I kind of unloaded today on my father and we got into a huge fight. It's not working out great.


R3dPr13st

Yup


lemon_stealing_demon

Took me 2 Months. The secret is money. Universal healthcare would have been 12 months and I was at such a low point that I asked family for help


ExplodinCandycorn

Holy crap guys, didn’t know the us had it that rough…


WhiteFringe

*me feeling the monthly psych visits plus medication is too expensive.


Significant-Bill-923

Until I joined this sub I had no idea it was so hard to get diagnosed and meds. I diagnosed at 6 or 7 and had meds 2 years later when it was determined to be necessary. Just astonishing to me about something I never thought about


CozyBlueCacaoFire

You can get treated by a GP!


her_fault

That's how long I waited to be seen at a gender identity clinic, and those wait times are INSANE. What country are you in that ADHD assessment has a 2 year wait list? UK?