this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2023
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ADHD
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A casual community for people with ADHD
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I'm still awaiting a diagnosis, being middle aged and having been unmedicated my entire life. It only really dawned on me, despite the suggestion years back by my spouse, that I was perhaps undiagnosed.
Hearing anecdotal accounts like yours, and those I had in years gone from people successfully medicated, really inspire some hope in me.
My partner was also the one who suggested I get checked. I hope you'll be able to find the support and help you're seeking soon, because it really makes a difference.
All those flaws you've kicked yourself over for a lifetime suddenly become manageable and doable with medication, in my own experience. It's such a: "Wait, that's it? That's all it takes?" moment.
I'm kind of in this boat myself now and am thinking about if I should try to get diagnosed. Had it not been for adhd memes on Reddit and here I would never have identified the commonalities. I feel like it might be a stretch, but my procrastination is legendary around the house and my flaws seem pretty ADHD symptoms.
I've just feared seeking a diagnosis in that it might have negative repercussions on my life, (which I generally like as is), but I'm giving it more thought now.
You don't need to disclose the diagnosis to your employer as long as you're not seeking any accomodations. I've personally withheld my diagnosis from my boss since there's no need for accomodations beyond my medication.
I used to have a very hard time staying awake in meetings that didn't involve me directly, and medication has been a lifesaver. There will be people who insist you never had a problem before, etc, but I'd encourage you to just ignore them and do what's in your best interest. You know yourself best.
I think it's definitely worth looking into. ADHD doesn't have the stigma these days like it used to. More and more people are being diagnosed with it now, not because it's over-diagnosed but because we know more about it than we ever have. 20 years ago when I was first diagnosed (and subsequently lapsed taking my meds until recently) it was seen almost entirely as a focus thing. Now we know it affects so much more. Poor executive function has an effect on both mood and our interactions and relationships with others. Impulse control can be an issue. I know the inability for my brain to easily switch tracks meant that I would get hung up on stuff that most people were able to just move on from easily. Since being medicated my mood is vastly improved. It's not from the serotonin boost completely but more in the way that I don't get stuck in a specific mindset that I can't move on from.
And like I said, it's super normal now. Social repercussions are almost nil and once you get your meds figured out, your day-to-day could only be improved. I still do all the things I used to, but now I'm able to find the motivation to get things done that I had been avoiding before. I clean more often and I don't put things off.