For those of you who weren’t diagnosed until adulthood (I’m in my late 40s), what was the diagnosis process like? Are you just given a written test, or does someone evaluate you more thoroughly? Do they try to understand your symptoms, or is it more of a checklist? If anyone has personal stories they’d be willing to share, I’d love to hear them. I’m also just curious about what to expect during the appointment. Who do I make it with? A psychiatrist?
I also wonder if there are other related conditions or learning disabilities that I might have, such as dyslexia. Do I need to be proactive in asking for multiple diagnoses? Or will they be able to evaluate me for anything/everything?
I had to answer a questionnaire (did you know that NT people can quiet their brains?? Like, thinking about absolutely nothing, and have a purely silent mind. I had no idea!) and answer on a scale of 1-5. While this was happening, the doctor would randomly start conversations with me. While there, I thought she was just being annoying, but I think it was part of it to see how my focus gets derailed (it derailed and destroyed every town nearby). Then, I had to wait for a board review (about a week or two). Then, I had to sign a thing saying that I won’t abuse any meds and that I consent to urine tests and pill counts if the doctor thinks I’m abusing the meds. I don’t want to take meds in the first place, and absolutely hate the side effects, but man! That brain quiet was amazing! Good luck! May your right treatment be prescribed to you the first time.
Edit: oh, I forgot to say. I went to my PCP to do all of this.