Hi everyone! I have an ADHD assessment coming up soon and I don’t know what to expect so I just wondered if anybody here has had one and would be happy to share their experience? I have mental health conditions such as BPD. I also have an inherited autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder which I have been told neurodivergence frequently occurs with. I am 26 so this would obviously be an adult ADHD assessment. Thank you!
I don't know, if it's different in other countries, but I got asked a bunch of questions from my childhood and how it is now. My psychologist said I do have ADHD symptoms, but some of it can be connected to my environment. She also said she would like to ask questions from my parents, but I said they don't remember such stuff and wondered how could diagnosis actually help me and asked, if she talks about it to my psychiatrist would I be okay if I was described stronger ADHD medications.
There are many different types of instruments used to assess ADHD in adults. They range from paper tests that ask various questions about how you handle situations, which you fill out on your own, to one or two-day long detailed assessments, done by a psychologist, that delve deeply into how you think and handle various types of situations. There's really nothing to prepare for except to go in with an open mind an not try to out-think the test; just answer honestly with what comes to mind, and that will help you get the best result. As the previous poster said, depending on which instrument(s) are used, you could have an answer immediately, or it could take a couple of weeks to evaluate and write up. I also recommend, for anyone who has or thinks they might have ADHD, that you consider reading Gabor Maté's "Scattered Minds." It is an excellent book written entirely about ADHD, and Gabor's perspective is almost unique about the origins of ADHD and how we address it.
My sister(30F) just had her assessment here in the UK in April and I went with her. If you've not done the DIVA 2, might be worth a look, as it looks as the different criteria in different ways, just so you've got thoughts in your head and examples. For my sister it was a positive experience Hope yours is too!
I learned some stuff. I had just the questionnaire on paper done. Sometimes also family members are involved on getting the diagnosis, but I didn't know how many other ways there were. I'm honestly kinda torn about the adhd diagnosis, since I'm not sure if the medications for it would help me and you can try to manage your adhd even without it.
