<p>So does it cost money if you get diagnosed only through tests? And how do you do it through that route, as opposed to doing it through elementary school forms. I'm plagued with attention span problems, and have been for the last few years, but they only affect my more intellectually demanding work, not my less intellectually demanding ones. The other issue is that I <em>know</em> I'm fully capable of the work - I have really good stats (<em>far</em> better than those of almost everyone at my school), yet my psychiatrist told me that if it doesn't show up in childhood, it's not authentic ADD[**]. He told me to major in something else, of all things. Yes I like math, and no, I don't like getting bogged down in the textbook every sentence or so, or getting distracted every few minutes, or just staring at the words without absorbing anything (PS: breaks don't help). So I didn't see him again after that. Yes I've tried sleeping more, adopting healthier diet, etc => none of those work at all.</p>
<p>[**]: I think it's because it was adolescent behavioral health. That's the thing. He's specialized in dealing with childhood ADD. So how do I get connected with someone who deals with adult ADD?</p>
<p>Also the problem with ADD is that it is so ill-defined (and <em>extremely</em> poorly documented in older individuals) in such a way that he really shouldn't be saying that if it doesn't show up in childhood, you don't have it. It's interfering <em>majorly</em> with my life - so bad that I still can't get my work done even though I have no ECs or outside activities.</p>
<p>EDIT: From Wikipedia, it says Adult</a> attention-deficit disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that symptoms must have been present in childhood. The problem is - what if <em>others</em> haven't noticed them at all (WHEN I WAS A CHILD)? Psychiatry hasn't categorized all malfunctions as of yet (in fact, by EXCLUDING people from categorization, it leaves swaths of the population TOTALLY unrecognized. And I'm no scientologist - I read and trust Scientific American/PNAS/etc as if it were a Bible, but the fact is that classifications don't really follow the scientific method [until you've made them up and THEN use the scientific method to test how people fitting under such categories do in life relative to others in dimension X. They're valid but not perfect, and when they're not perfect, they end up leaving people out]). And as for me, I know that my attention span is higher at some times than at others, but it's only high during a small minority of times. And it's immensely frustrating for me to realize that I <em>could</em> achieve more.</p>
<p>EDIT2:</p>
<p>EDIT2: Also, this is <em>inattentive</em> ADD I'm talking about. The hyperactive form doesn't show up in real life.</p>
<p>EDIT3: There are plenty of neurological changes that can cause ADD as you grow up. Like lead poisoning. Seriously, those things can happen later in life as well. And they <em>can</em> permanently affect attention span.</p>
<p>If you have medical insurance that might be able to cover the cost of testing. If not, it might cost around $2,500. Call your medical insurance and ask them to refer to a place that does testing. </p>
<p>The questions on the test are extremely basic for the most part. A lot of people think they have ADHD, but when you take that test you will be surprised how people are not able to do able to comprehend some of the things on it.</p>
<p>hi, I'm twenty years old, and got diagnosed with ADD Inattentive less than a year ago. no one had ever thought I had ADD as a child, and now the only people who can see it looking back are my parents and I. I had a spotless academic record until I hit college and then I was drowning suddenly, and very depressed for various personal reasons and that is why I sought treatment. Getting diagnosed is the best thing that has happened in my life, I'm going back to school next year and am happy for really the first time in my life. after starting on medication and treatment, I can read about 5x as fast, have actually started getting some direction in my life...</p>
<p>my pscyhologist said that it is absolutely classic that people with ADD will get into their twenties and be depressed for apparently no reason and then get diagnosed with ADD Inattentive.</p>
<p>so my point is yes keep trying to get diagnosed if you think you have this! it can be hidden in children for so many reasons. I can't really comment on the money thing because I'm from Canada so some of the expenses were covered, and most of the rest were covered through my dad's health insurance. but if you can get the money, the difference in has made in my life is priceless</p>
<p>btw, have you read any books on this? Delivered from Distraction, Driven to Distraction, Out of the Fog and You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Crazy or Stupid are all excellent. they deal a lot with adult inattentive ADD, and why it's so frequently missed in children.</p>
<p>WOW - thank you so much for the reply gscanadian!! Yeah I've heard of those books, but I've been discouraged from reading them since most ADD books are overfocused on childhood hyperactive ADD. Of course, the <em>inattentive</em> kind is the kind that many people don't believe in at all. The only problem is that I am kind of concerned that I might get tested and end up testing negative (which is possible since ADD is a continuum like condition) and then face the possibility that I'm just an undignified lazy disorganized brat. Because the problem is that I am lazy, and yet laziness is not something that one can easily control at all. (that and ADD does fit in such a continuum).</p>
<p>What I feel A LOT is that my attention span varies with the course of the day. there are occasional times when it's good, but those periods are sporadic and it's horrifying most of the time. That and my interests are mostly academic which makes things harder (I can <em>stare</em> at a book for hours and then realize that I've gotten nothing out of it)</p>
<p>EDIT: how many psychologists did you have to go through?</p>