- Date posted
- 4y
- Date posted
- 4y
Hi, first of all, it's not a bad thing to self diagnose! There are so many reasons people struggle to get formally diagnosed (the cost being one of the biggest reasons!). If you've done some research and feel like the signs of adhd match your experiences then there's no reason to feel bad for self-diagnosing. I was self-diagnosed for a while before finally getting a diagnosis last month! I totally understand the experience of having the ocd part of your brain constantly questioning whether or not you have adhd! It drives me mad. I went to a counsellor initially to ask a professional opinion but she wasn't qualified to properly diagnose me. I'm based in the uk where our only options are seeking a diagnosis from the nhs (which can have a waiting list of years depending on where you live) or getting a private diagnosis. I bit the bullet eventually and got privately diagnosed despite financial concerns and it has been one of the best decisions of my life. Many private adhd clinics are conducting the whole diagnostic process online so it is possible to start this process during lockdown. If you aren't able to go down this route yet, I would recommend joining some adhd Facebook groups - specifically ones that are for women with adhd. You will find lots of other members who are also self diagnosed and their experiences can be very affirming. Lastly, ocd and adhd are often comorbid so it's very possible that this is the case for you. And even if you do more research and decide for whatever reason that you don't think it's adhd after all , this does not mean that you are just "lazy" or "disorganized" or any of the other stereotypes. Even if adhd is not the cause, there are so many reasons why you might be struggling so be kind to yourself x
- Date posted
- 4y
Thank you so much for being so sweet! It’s really irritating to have to go through different places to get diagnosed with different mental illnesses. Thank you for the kind words and I hope you are faring well! Xxx
- Date posted
- 4y
You can get counseling through NOCD without going out and many other counselors are remote right now anyways
- Date posted
- 4y
As a woman with both OCD and ADD (I am boycotting the removal of it from DSMV 😉), I can tell you with classic “girl” symptoms, it can be harder to get diagnosed if you haven’t already done your own research, etc.. Even if you’re not yet able to get an official diagnosis, there are things you can do yourself. There are resources for strategies to help. In fact, if you have already tried some of them before you find someone, you can discuss with them what you’ve tried and how you thought it helped or how it may have fallen flat for you. As far as I remember, a lot of these strategies are pretty safe to try even before finding help. Most of them are strategies that are also taught as general study habits or to improve focus for people regardless of diagnosis. You are so not alone in this! Best wishes!
- Date posted
- 4y
Thank you so much! That’s so sweet! I really appreciate it and I hope you are faring wel during this time!!
Related posts
- Date posted
- 17w
How to know if you actually have it or if I’m just making up the symptoms? I have a lot of intrusive thoughts constantly and even have a “theme” but it really surged after I search up what I was experiencing, but then again I search up a lot of what I experience and constantly have to recheck things. My parents say I’m normal but I know I’m not, (both of my siblings have adhd) I find it immensely hard to focus from turning 17-18. Please let me know what you think l! Thanks!
- Date posted
- 14w
Hey, so I've never actually been diagnosed with OCD. I did a little bit of research, I always thought OCD was organizing things. But I'm not normal, I have this thing where I feel something isn't right. I obsess over it or if I brush my hand over something correctly then it's fixed. Or I have to do this thing on stairs, I'll walk up a few or down them because something isn't right. I read this thing on memories. I know something happened, but then I doubt myself to the point I don't know if it happened. And I think too logically in relationships. I'll put statistics on things and if they might not work out I distance myself, there's other odd things I do. My family always told me I was fine but then said things like I was messed up, and said to just ignore what I felt. Like I was making it up. I don't know what to do, I don't have a doctor currently, I was never diognosed. Is there a way to be sure I have it? Or a way to stop everything? I just want to stop everything, please and thank you. Sorry for the long post. If anyone can help, I would be so thankful.
- Date posted
- 11w
My mom will sit and listen to me for quite a while, but she interrupts a lot and gets angry/upset. While I appreciate her passion, it's often stressful. Every time I come to her, if I even *mention* OCD, she gets frustrated and says, "Everyone deals with these issues, you know. It doesn't mean it's OCD." And I repeat, "I'm not saying my issues are unique — I'm saying the way I respond to them is a problem." But she just shakes her head and says, "Okay, I need to get back to my day." Full context, I'm an adult, and I live with my boyfriend, but I'm staying at my mom's for the next month. After living away from home for years, I went back to living with her during the pandemic, and I only recently left to live with him. Honestly, I think living with her for so long in my adulthood really messed with me and made me feel like a teenager all over again. I feel like my mental growth is stunted, and that's part of why my OCD is so bad lately. Not blaming, just noticing. She doesn't seem to understand how relieving the OCD diagnosis has been for me, because it explains so so so many things I've struggled with for years, and it's exciting to have more resources that can help me. But I think she sees it as me finding an excuse to *not* work on myself, which is just untrue. I'm not going to let OCD hold me back or use it as an excuse, but I'm also not going to pretend it's not a problem when I know it is — I was even diagnosed through NOCD. The whole point being to fix it, not use it as a crutch. When I have an issue, it's unbearable. Any issue, big or small, feels just the same. I feel a sinking feeling, my mind races, my heart beats out of my chest. I end up running to my support systems, crying, ruminating for days on end. Then, months later, the same exact issue can feel like nothing anymore, because it's no longer an obsession. I'm sure everyone deals with issues in a similar way, but I *know* there is something specific and debilitating going on with me. This is reassurance seeking, but in the face of being told I'm making a big deal out of nothing, can someone diagnosed with OCD tell me if they relate to the specific intensity of these feelings??
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