Finding proof of ADHD diagnosis as a child (UK)

Mr Ray

I'm trying to change my current ADHD medication to something hopefully more effective and with less side-effects.

I was diagnosed with what was at the time A.D.D as a child, the problem is:

A: I'm fuckin' old, so any paperwork confirming this diagnosis is going to be nearly 30 years old
and
B: I've moved from the UK to Australia since then

Normally I could just get re-assessed, but what with the great plague still sweeping the land, there's not really anywhere currently even doing mental health assessments. I've been able to log into the NHS app, and it has a detailed record of every medicine or vaccine I've ever had... except for the ritalin that I took for nearly a decade which is mysteriously absent. They have the polio vaccine I got in the 80's, but not the pills I took for ten years. Go figure.

I've asked my mother if she can try to dig anything out, but again, anything she has will be 30 years old so who knows if we even still have anything at this point. I don't even know what department or service I would call up to start figuring this out. Halp?

darkmayo

So you are currently prescribed something to treat it so I would assume the doctor who currently writes your prescription would be amiable to try something else?

Mr Ray

Not how it works, unfortunately. I got incredibly lucky to see a G.P once who had a special interest in ADHD and anxiety who just happened to be randomly doing a shift as a G.P, and was able to prescribe me a drug that's used both as a treatment for ADHD and an anti-anxiety medication. I believe this is because as a G.P he's allowed to prescibe for anxiety, but not for ADHD. So I've tried various different anti-anxiety drugs over the years, but the more research I do the more I suspect that my anxiety is due to untreated ADHD, and I'm just treating the symptoms rather than the actual problem and also copping a bunch of other fun side-effects at the same time.

Every G.P since has been happy to continue prescibing me what I'm on, on the basis that I'm already on it, but nobody will offer me anything beyond antidepressants without a proper ADHD diagnosis. Any of the specific ADHD drugs (Adderal e.t.c) are heavily regulated and would have to be prescibed by a psychiatrist, with an official diagnosis.

Cambiata

Is it not possible to get an ADHD assessment via a teledoc appointment? I would think if in-office assessments are suspended right now, that Psychiatrists aren't just starving to death, they must have come up with an alternative.

Unfortunately I know zero about Aussie services, so is this a legit website for teledoc or a scam?

Corvus

Mr Ray wrote: »

I'm trying to change my current ADHD medication to something hopefully more effective and with less side-effects.

I was diagnosed with what was at the time A.D.D as a child, the problem is:

A: I'm fuckin' old, so any paperwork confirming this diagnosis is going to be nearly 30 years old
and
B: I've moved from the UK to Australia since then

Normally I could just get re-assessed, but what with the great plague still sweeping the land, there's not really anywhere currently even doing mental health assessments. I've been able to log into the NHS app, and it has a detailed record of every medicine or vaccine I've ever had... except for the ritalin that I took for nearly a decade which is mysteriously absent. They have the polio vaccine I got in the 80's, but not the pills I took for ten years. Go figure.

I've asked my mother if she can try to dig anything out, but again, anything she has will be 30 years old so who knows if we even still have anything at this point. I don't even know what department or service I would call up to start figuring this out. Halp?

If you can find the name or the Dr. who diagnosed you, they may have it in their office files. Speaking from Canada, not sure how long a Dr. might retain files in the UK.

Oh, hey, as you're a UK Citizen I would assume, could you get a teledoc assessment with a doc in the UK if an Aussie one isn't available?

Morblitz

Cambiata wrote: »

Is it not possible to get an ADHD assessment via a teledoc appointment? I would think if in-office assessments are suspended right now, that Psychiatrists aren't just starving to death, they must have come up with an alternative.

Unfortunately I know zero about Aussie services, so is this a legit website for teledoc or a scam?

We would be talking about a 4-6 month wait, and there's no guarentee that the doctors opinion would be that @Mr Ray has ADHD, particularly if there is a lack of documentation.

ADHD is such a weird area in that you can be taking prescribed medication for literally years and need to be re-assessed for whatever reason, and the next doctor can disagree and bam.

Getting re-assessed for ADHD is always risky, because we depend on the medication to function properly.

With all that said.

I know that this service is legit: https://dokotela.com.au/

However for the psychiatrists specialising in ADHD, it's a long wait.