This has an aspect of OCD but isn’t mainly about that. I’m 90% sure I have ADHD, like I keep seeing articles about how symptoms present in girls and I match with most. Currently counselling isn’t an option as I’m in a tier 4 zone and in lockdown, so there is no way to ask a counsellor for their opinion, which means I’m stuck, unsure of what is happening. I don’t want to self diagnose because I know that is awful and the whole situation just makes me feel very anxious. My OCD is making me doubt that I have the symptoms and telling me that I’m faking having everything. That I’m faking OCD, anxiety and that I have no symptoms of ADHD. Does anyone have advice on a way for me to get this checked out over lockdown to appease this?

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

You can get counseling through NOCD without going out and many other counselors are remote right now anyways

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!