- Username
- Surviving Not Thriving
- Date posted
- 3y ago
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
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
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!
Thank you so much! That’s so sweet! I really appreciate it and I hope you are faring wel during this time!!
Omg so keep In mind I havent been disgnosed. I say that only because I feel Im faking it sometimes to get attention its really frustrating but I sometimes obsess over OCD and if I have it or not. If my anxiety is bad and my thoughts arent good Ill research symptoms or like common things and types and its SO FRUSTRATING. Its like a mind f*ck. Like you think you have this but are scared to ever claim or talk about it because you dont have a diagnosis and you yourself doubt every part of you. You like focus on it to where you dont know wtf you are even focusing or obsessing about so much over anymore. UGHH Even writing that im like ....what?
Random blah-blah: I have GAD, and I think I have OCD too. I don't say that suffer from ocd since I'm not diagnosed. My ex-therapist suggested me to look up for bipolar disorder. The problem is, after half an year, I still don't think I am bipolar. Did my research inside my brain, as well as on the internet. The thing is, I am obssesing over my mental health. OCD was the last disorder that I checked, since I thought it's impossible for me to have it. I am anxious about this one. I am scared. I want to know if I have ocd, and since yesterday, that s all I am doing. Looking up on the internet to find an answer. I am scared if I book a call, the therapist will say: but you have GAD, not OCD. And this will be so bad because I... I honestly can t imagine why it would be so bad. Just that I ve lived in a lie for 2 days. I think my ocd is most obvious in my relationship with my bf. And I feel so bad because he keeps saying that everything he does - is never enough. It s complicated. I just want him to never doubt himself, his actions and our love.
i'm sorry in advance for how long this post is and if it's to much information. i'm undiagnosed but have been struggling with compulsions and intrusive thoughts since i was 7 or 8. My worst intrusive thoughts theme has been about p*d*phil*s. I've been dealing with it since my freshman and sophomore year but these thoughts didn't become debilitating until June of last year. I had a panic attack and confessed to my parents about these intrusive thoughts. They were obviously shocked and share. I felt so ashamed and like a monster. After talking with my dad he said we would see a therapist about it. Sadly we never did the first appointment we were late and missed are spot and the second appointment i sprained my ankle the night before so instead i was in the hospital. After that i closed myself off i tried dealing with them on my own using sources like NOCD and stuff. I did try to bring up going to therapy to my parents. Every time they would ask me if the intrusive thoughts were back and I would lie saying "no i just would like to go to therapy" I was so scared they'd be afraid of me and stop loving me, especially my mom. Eventually after awhile my parents forgot about it and I tried ignoring these intrusive thoughts because I was so focused and stressed from school. I decided I could just wait till I turn 18 and schedule myself into therapy. recently though my intrusive thoughts have gotten worse. I recently had a convo with one of my friends who has intrusive thoughts as well and she's encouraging me to talk to my parents. I'm asking y'all what should I do. As much as I'm scared I want to get help because I'm sick of living and feeling like i'm day away from acting on my intrusive thoughts.
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