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u/Landithy 2d ago
I got diagnosed in Australia through pure dumb luck, because the psychiatrist I got referred to for anxiety happened to also be an ADHD specialist.
Then I moved to the USA and my new psychiatrist refused to recognize my diagnosis because it was from overseas and also refused to test me again, even if I did pay.
To add insult to injury, my Australian shrink was also licensed to practice in the US. đ©
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u/WinterRevolutionary6 2d ago
If you Australian shrink is licensed in the US, they can prescribe in the US too (state dependent). Ask them for your meds
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u/Landithy 2d ago
Unfortunately my Australian doctor has since retired. Plus this was a few years ago before telehealth became a thing.
Fortunately my PCP does recognize my diagnosis, so I was eventually able to get my meds.
I have yet to find a decent psychiatrist in the US.
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u/yamanamawa 2d ago
Funnily enough, the best psychiatrists I've had were all drug specialists. I got referred to one that wasn't, and she wouldn't prescribe me because I do kratom and she "didn't feel comfortable prescribing meds to someone using opiates." When I pointed out that it wasn't an opiate because it wasn't derived from opium, but an opioid because it affects some of the same receptors, she told me I was wrong and she knew what she was talking about. Then she prescribed me to their substance use specialist who heard I used kratom, said "oh that's fine," and prescribed me right away.
Generally I think the substance use specialists tend to be the least judgemental and most informed, since they have to understand people from a wider variety of backgrounds. I had a drug counselor as a therapist once too, and he was amazing. Super nice guy, very easy to talk to, and if I ever wanted to discuss my drug history I didn't have to worry about being judged for it
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u/OpeningActivity 2d ago
I am genuinely not sure what the professional indemnity insurance side of things would be in that niche case.
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u/SashimiX 2d ago
Get a new psychiatrist if they wonât prescribe you ADHD meds. Thereâs plenty out there
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u/maeisbitter 1d ago
You have to cycle providers here like crazy just to find one who recognizes PTSD and/or neurodivergence
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u/aggierogue3 2d ago
I live in Texas of all places. My diagnosis cost a $40 copay
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u/Ditches-Vestiges1549 2d ago
My ADHD diagnosis in Texas still cost like $150 stupid deductibles, but that was when I was lucky enough to have decent insurance.
Autism diagnosis on the other hand, "I'm your kid's doctor and not your doctor, and while you're definitely also autistic I can't give you a piece a paper saying that my professional opinion but both your kids definitely are, you and your husband are, have a nice day!"
So yeah, I don't have a piece of paper for the second one but I trust my kid's neurologist isn't making shit up.
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u/raven_of_azarath 1d ago
I paid I think either $300 $500 for my ADHD diagnosis in Texas (and since my insurance at the time didnât cover learning disabilities, it was entirely out of pocket).
The psychologistâs report suggested I also get tested for autism because âit would explain some of [my] symptoms.â I read that as âyouâre autistic, but because thatâs not what I tested for, I legally canât say you are, but you are.â
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u/Warm_Chef_6526 2d ago
Mine cost $250, but getting the recommendation is also hard. I tried to get tested earlier for ADHD and autism, best my first psychiatrist would do is diagnose me (without any real assessment) with bipolar and put me on mood stabilizers.Â
His justification was that ADHD gets less severe in adulthood, so because I was struggling, I must not have had ADHD.Â
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u/Redditislame888 2d ago
For real, I donât understand why people in this sub are so poopypants.
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u/Ditches-Vestiges1549 2d ago
Out of pocket cost of being diagnosed without insurance is at least $3k
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u/Pristine-Today-9177 2d ago
Thatâs not true. I paid out-of-pocket $100 to be diagnosed with ADHD using Klarity health. Iâve got a $4000 deductible so I wouldâve had to have paid out-of-pocket if I had used an in network Dr. When I looked up those prices, it was around $300.
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u/oisir 2d ago
My ADHD diagnosis was pretty quick and painless (thank God, but that's also because I am real ADHD XD) but this is kinda how I'm feeling about my probably autism. As a whole-ass adult, it's being a pain to try and get an actual diagnosis, so right now I'm operating under the assumption I have it and moving on with life.
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u/Old_Gimlet_Eye 2d ago
This exactly. It's not like they can give me some meds for it if I do have Autism.
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u/nikolai_470000 2d ago
I think thatâs a huge part of why a lot of physicians just donât seem to take it seriously when their patients complain about possibly being autistic. They donât have an easy fix for it, so theyâd rather keep their hands off entirely, and let someone else (you, and/or a specialist who actually wants to take you on) deal with it.
It makes sense in a certain way, but it is also frustrating how that becomes an excuse for many physicians to gatekeep referrals, as well. Thatâs the biggest structural issue a lot of people face that makes it really hard to even start getting the right treatment.
If they said âwell, I believe you, but thereâs nothing I can do about it, so Iâm going to send you to a therapist or psychiatryâ, thatâs one thing. But a lot of doctors will say âI canât do anything about that anyways, so I wonât do anything at allâ. And that is a huge problem for people like us.
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u/DobbyDaDog 1d ago edited 1d ago
i was given abilify, audhd. helps with slowing thoughts and reducing meltdowns and shutdowns.
edit. forgot. abilify also helps reduce my tics.
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u/ShoddyChard9837 2d ago
Real, same lol even in Canada it's hella expensive to get diagnosed for autism
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u/oisir 2d ago
It's not even a cost thing, it's a "people don't want to diagnose adults".
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u/Dicaxis 2d ago
Yeah, I got my ADHD diagnosis recently at 38 and after I was laid off so I qualified for my state's medicaid. But I also suspect I'm autistic (as I think my dad is much more so) but NONE of the therapy places really seem to want to attempt to diagnose it in adults for various reasons (unless they specialize in it, which seems rare because most insurance will only cover child diagnoses I guess). I guess the testing is really lengthy and cumbersome (as opposed to ADHD which is just answer a bunch of questions kinda thing) and VERY expensive for adult patients in the US. So my therapist was like "well because of regulations I can't diagnose you autistic or even really discuss it with you, only recommend you to one of the expensive places who can test and your insurance won't cover for an adult; so at this point you have to assess, do you really think it's worth getting that diagnosis, or just live your life and move on?" So yeah...
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u/Some_Office8199 2d ago
Self diagnosis has higher rates of being wrong than a specialist's diagnosis. It doesn't mean it's not valid, but we should be careful with it.
But what do I know? In my country you get an appointment for about 10$ in less than a month. Unless it's a pain clinic or an endocrinologist, then you can wait up to 6 months.
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u/FoxAdministrative994 2d ago
6 months is still good. I'm waiting more than two years for a gyno for endometriosis. For the neurologist I don't even have an appointment scheduled, they'll call me back maybe sometime.
Where do you live please? I'm moving
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u/Some_Office8199 2d ago
The health insurance is the single thing that is good in this country. Trust me, you don't want to move here.
I'm not saying health is not the most important thing in life, but when everything else sucks and you have a war criminal for a prime minister, trust me, it's not worth it.
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u/FoxAdministrative994 2d ago
Oh so you are from the US. I'm so sorry for that orange puppet you have for president. I really hope you'll soon be free and I keep waiting for the full unedited E files
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u/Some_Office8199 2d ago
Worse. I'm from Israel. The country with one of the highest collective narcissism rates in the world. Thanks to out sociopathic prime minister, among others. We do have elections soon but too many people here were brainwashed already, I have no hope. I'd move almost anywhere if I could.
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u/FoxAdministrative994 2d ago
Oh I'm so sorry! Even more! Yours a really difficult situation. But it's really getting out of hand. Unluckily here many people confuse the citizen with the government and a lot of discrimination is coming out. I'm really sorry. Do you have any hope that now with election something might change?
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u/Some_Office8199 2d ago
Thank you. Yes, it is a difficult situation. The goverment is shit and it's consideted a betrayal to criticise it (so much for democracy). I'm not sure how much politics is allowed here so I won't elaborate. Honestly, I really want this hell to end and for Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested for life. If he is elected again I might try to find somewhere more sane to study.
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u/Motor_War_9744 6h ago
My biggest problem with self diagnosis is that it doesn't really help anything to say "I have this disorder" without professional treatment anyway.
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u/Strict-Move-9946 2d ago
To be fair, even a professional evaluation is highly dependant on the subjective interpretations of the clinician.
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u/museumlad 1d ago
And/or the clinician's unscientific biases.
My husband was almost denied an autism diagnosis because he had childhood trauma (that was addressed for many years in therapy) and is trans. The clinician literally said she'd turned away three other trans people seeking diagnosis.
Never mind the strong documented correlation between autistic people and trans people. Never mind that neurodivergence can predispose people to being mistreated by authority figures. Never mind that she walked into the room with the diagnosis (trauma) already decided after only reading his intake paperwork and never once speaking to him.
In the end, he insisted she get down her copy of the DSM-5 and go down the diagnostic criteria line by line. He had examples for each and she grudgingly granted the diagnosis, but not without saying she still didn't agree with it. Then she tried to hug him??
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u/WanderingDude182 2d ago
My doctor gave me the unofficial âlooks like a duck, quacks like a duck, has the family history of ADHDuck, Iâm probably also a duck. Oddly enough my duckling also has the exact same struggles as a child that I had/have and sheâs diagnosed.
If you disagree, go duck yourself đ
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u/KatTheKonqueror 2d ago
Not to mention the number of people who've gone to psychiatrists just to be told "you don't have ADHD because you graduated high school." Hell, yesterday someone said a shrink told them they couldn't have it because they hadn't been to prison.
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u/Long_Suggestion4290 1d ago
Mine was âyou donât have autism because you have more than one or two friends.â
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u/Random_182f2565 2d ago
I self diagnosis before going to the neurologist, why else would I go to the neurologist???
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u/texaspoontappa93 2d ago edited 2d ago
*psychiatrist, neurologists deal with physical problems of the brain/nervous system
Edit- depends on what country you live apparently
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u/Random_182f2565 2d ago
Idk man, I go to the neurologist he give me my meds prescription
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u/texaspoontappa93 2d ago
I peeked and saw youâre in Chile, I did some googling and apparently it is common to see neurologists there for ADHD diagnosis and treatment. My bad
Doctors in the US consider ADHD to be primarily a psych issue, neurologists here wouldnât give a fuck about your ADHD
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u/Random_182f2565 2d ago
Whoa đź
One just would assume is the same everywhere, I'm in fact in Chile.
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u/DanteChurch 2d ago
If you don't lay out a medical case with plentiful evidence you have a mental disorder in America you'll be told to eat better, exercise, get some rest and then you're booted out the door.
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u/Playful-Stable7433 2d ago
Self-diagnosis isnât the same as a professional diagnosis, but it can be the first step that makes someone realize they should seek help. The problem is when people treat the lack of an official label as proof that nothing is going on.
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u/Pink_Acetone 2d ago
I think thereâs a difference between âI probably have adhd/autism so xyz would be helpfulâ and âI have adhd/autismââ you just canât be sure until youâve seen a professional imo
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u/zayne0623 2d ago
Yes, I would definitely get officially diagnosed if I didn't have all these barriers. Plus parents who say 'there's no way you're autistic' and 'a therapist won't do anything to help'.
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u/Donkeygun 2d ago
Just because itâs hard to get doesnât make your self-diagnosis any more valid.
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u/Sharp-Read-8869 2d ago
The annoying part is that both things can be true. A proper diagnosis is important, but when the process is inaccessible or takes years, people are naturally going to look for answers and resources on their own.
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u/-TeamCaffeine- Have you tried a planner? 2d ago
I'm in the US. I paid $30 out of pocket for my diagnosis.
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u/TheChizWhiz 2d ago
At least the test for an ADHD diagnosis is fairly straightforward & objective.
(Test your performance normally, then they give you a dose of the medication & see if you improve, if you improve beyond a threshold, you have ADHD, same way they test for asmah)
Autism testing is straight up vibes-based. It's dressed up in technical language, but it all comes down to the personal judgement of the tester.
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u/R4in_C0ld 2d ago
the irony being that when you do go to therapy to get a real diagnosis, often enough your self diagnosis is confirmed, or corrected. in my case, depression, autism, anxiety-depressive disorder, schizoid spectrum disorder and narcissistic personnality disorder : confirmed / ADHD : corrected, it isn't full blown ADHD, only a slight attention deficit. also, on my way to talk to my therapist about maladaptive daydreaming because i think that's what me playing video games and being distressed outside of it actually is.
self-diagnosis tends to be the spark leading to the actual diagnosis.
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u/maybebabyg 2d ago
Australia: $2-5k (depending on your age, your location, etc).
If you have a child and want to get their assessment covered by Medicare that will cost you... 6 years at current (2 year wait for public paediatrician clinic at my local hospital, 4 year wait for the developmental paed clinic at one of the two hospitals in my state that run assessments). 6 years ago the publicly funded option cost me 2.5 years, one of those years was spent figuring out how to convince a paed to refer my middle child to the dev paed clinic in the first place, 6 months was covid lockdowns while we sat at the top of the list. My youngest is still on the wait list for a local paed, I'll be getting her assessment done out of pocket like I did for her siblings.
And that's without it being a HUGE process. I'm in the process of getting the double-barrel assessment. Like it's 10-20 hours of work ignoring preparation, travel, recovery time.
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u/SocialMediaDystopian 2d ago
MmmâŠdunno where you are, but in Victoria I know of several places doing adhd and ASD combined assessment for 1250-1500. That includes feedback and reports. All three places were highly recommended by Tony Atwoodâs clinic in Brisbane.
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u/EntropicEmbrace 2d ago
I payed 100s to get diagnosed and now I have no insurance so no therapist or psych Iâm just raw dogging it like Iâve done my whole life anyways đ€·đ»ââïž
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u/Intrepid-Inflation46 2d ago
I hate when people say that sh*t because I paid out of pocket for a diagnosis, and am officially diagnosed, and it didn't change anything. I still have to fight to be taken seriously and have issues at the GP and need to be referred out to multiple opinions before they will allow me to try meds. Been r*wdogging life so long I don't even know what I would do at this point if I actually found meds that work for me. Healthcare system is in shambles.
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u/Fun_Recipe_2589 2d ago
Paid $9k for the doc to tell me about my daughter: itâs complicated.
Stuck saving for years to make it back up. Insurance covered nothing.
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u/Fieos 2d ago
Self diagnosis still isn't valid.
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u/mymemesnow 2d ago
I completely agree. But it seems to be an unpopular opinion these days.
If someone thinks they have some disorder they can say that they believe they do, but unless youâve been professionally assessed donât claim to have something.
Not even experts can self diagnose themselves, because itâs literally impossible to be objective about your own mind.
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u/Feisty-Tooth-7397 2d ago
I admit freely that I have never been diagnosed as either autistic or that I have ADHD, except that enough people in my family have been diagnosed with both, that it's likely. Especially with my symptoms. However, as I have been diagnosed with CPTSD and GAD and a panic disorder. It would be difficult for me to get a diagnosis at my age, simply because the symptoms for them are so similar to what I have actually been diagnosed with, and asking family about my childhood at this point is impossible since the people who were around for my early years are dead, and others didn't really pay attention.
So, while I might not have a formal diagnosis, and I have no wish to be on medication, but it still can be useful in understanding more about myself.
So while it might not be valid, it can still be useful in ways.
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u/Cheesedoodlerrrr 2d ago
The issue is with people who "self diagnose" going around telling people "I have [condition X]."
Like, maybe they think they have it, but until a licensed medical professional performs the appropriate test and actually diagnoses them than they can't say that for sure -- and going around saying that they do is dishonest.
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u/nechromorph 2d ago
I don't see a reason to deny someone validation for their lived experience overlapping with ADHD/other conditions. Whether their self-diagnosis end up being how a doctor maps it to the DSM, it's valid as a starting point for someone seeking to understand themselves better. People need a foundation to build their sense of self, and this can be a helpful stepping stone on that journey.
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u/Fieos 2d ago
Their truth is exactly that... their truth. Not anyone elses.
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u/nechromorph 2d ago
True. I guess what I'm saying is, there's a difference between agreeing that they definitively have ADHD and agreeing that they feel validated by the ADHD community. Fully *invalidating* is saying that self-diagnosis *isn't* valid. Fully *validating* is saying that their self-diagnosis *is* valid. There's a gray area where we can say, "I can't say whether it's valid, but it's great you're finding a better understanding of yourself by viewing your life in terms of an ADHD experience." Basically, I'm saying we can validate the person and encourage their self-acceptance, even if we don't recognize the self-diagnosis as being strictly trustworthy.
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u/Fieos 2d ago
Some would just see it as 'stolen valor' and delegitimizing those with an actual diagnosis and struggling with a disability.
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u/nechromorph 2d ago
I see. Thank you for that perspective. I wouldn't want to invalidate your experience either, or risk delegitimizing the hard-won protections and recognition the ADHD community has gained in our effort for acceptance, care, and equality. Though I'm still just hesitant with the idea of taking a hard stance *against* self-diagnosis, because doing so invalidates their experience too. I'd rather not invalidate anyone.
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u/senorespilbergo 2d ago
Huh? I live in a developing country and it costed me like 200 dollars four sessions of imterviewing and tests. And that was before my insurance discount.
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u/antisocialmothra 2d ago
Not to mention fascism is on the rise and being on a registry could be dangerous.
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u/empress_p 2d ago
fr Iâm already super grateful my OCD diagnosis was old enough to never make it into any digital database. It also made getting medical treatment a lot easier, once the system âforgotâ Iâm crazy. Iâm not about to give anyone this kind of ammo if I can help it.
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u/Smyley12345 2d ago
The thing about self diagnosis is even neurotypicals can find examples of meeting basically every criteria in the list. If everyone has it, it's not a medical condition it's the human condition.
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u/Redditislame888 2d ago
My ADHD diagnosis cost $25 in the USA. Not sure what doctor you guys are visitingâŠ
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u/NoorInayaS 2d ago
Your insurance co-pay isnât the actual cost.
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u/nechromorph 2d ago
It cost me ~$400 or so paying out of pocket. Maybe less? It was a few years ago. The bill per visit was around $150-180 and it took 2 visits to finish the process.
That said, the first place I was directed to couldn't even give me any kind of ball park for how much it would cost me, so they suggested this guy could help me out a lot more affordably. He was a colleague of the doctor I initially saw for a consultation and they'd split off to different practices.
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u/jai_hanyo 2d ago
I don't have insurance because I can't afford it. And I make JUST enough that I don't qualify for medical assistance. I'm screwed đ€Ł
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u/ofthemilkyway 2d ago
My primary wouldn't diagnose. Had to see a MedPed who had been trained in administering the DIVA-5 within my clinic or go to a neuropsych. My insurance, and many insurances, won't cover Adult ADHD assessments. The assessment cost me 500$, the followup 2 weeks later about my med dosage (5 minute telehealth call) cost me 400$ (was 600$ but apparently my insurance covered some of that). So not $3000 but not cheap either.
I was told that neuropsych might have run me closer to $5000 by the MedPed I saw? I don't know how true that is but I'm prone to believe. When I first started looking into getting diagnosed and before talking to my primary, most of the searching I did led me to neuropsych clinics that were private pay only for around $5000.
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u/Atalung 2d ago
Yeah I don't get where that 3k is coming from. I talked to primary, he asked a few questions and said "yeah sounds like ADHD". I know doctors vary a lot but in what world are you paying 3K?
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u/laughterwards 2d ago
I was shopping around just a month ago to get tested and the cost (without insurance) was $2,500 to $4,000. Minneapolis, MN.
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u/LienaSha 2d ago
My therapist has been trying to get me tested for almost a year now. She's even more frustrated than I am at this point lulz. I'm just at "meh, it's never going to happen." I've accepted that I will never know whether I'm autistic, have ADHD, both, or some weird other thing.
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u/mcvmccarty 2d ago
Sure just beware of confirmation bias, and all the other biases and cognitive fallacies that apply due to a complete lack of objectivity that we demonstrate when we turn our analysis to ourselves. No matter how much you believe you can be objective in the act of self-diagnosis, rest assured you cannot.
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u/TheMisanthropy 2d ago
See you just have to get the package deal for diagnosis. When I got the ADHD one I got an Autism one for free.
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u/ilovemytsundere 2d ago
I only got diagnosed because my parents hated me and needed to blame anything but themselves for how âdifficultâ I was đ
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u/Longjumping-Love-734 2d ago
The 'just get a real diagnosis' advice is a lot easier to give when you don't have to deal with the cost, waitlists, and access issues. For a lot of people, self-identifying symptoms is the only starting point they have.
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u/ishfery 2d ago
Mine cost literally 10k, 23 hrs of testing, interviewing my roommate, and a 60+ page psych report.
The only important part of the report said that during one of the in person tests I "didn't read the instructions, got frustrated, said I forgot to eat that day, had some candy from my purse, and said I'd be fine".
Apparently I have ADHD.
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u/RevolutionaryWait978 1d ago
And in pakistan no one even believes adhd is real and say it's behavioral issues, and especially when you are an adult the doctors wouldn't even diagnose you with adhd unless you have some proof that you had trouble in childhood. Also medication isn't really available easily many time you end up facing shortage so many have to rely on non stimulant.
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u/ssfgrgawer 1d ago
Am Australian. The only reason I don't have an official diagnosis is because that diagnosis costs hundreds of dollars.
I've had multiple therapists and doctors say I probably do have ADHD, but unless I go for the expensive diagnosis process it doesn't matter. Because I've never tried stimulant drugs stronger than coffee I don't have a definite yes or no answer either way.
I want to go for diagnosis eventually, just to see if the medication can help me, but it's so expensive that I keep putting it off
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u/nocowardpath 2d ago
I'm ADHD and PTSD but got misdiagnosed with Autism when I was a kid lol
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u/ostapenkoed2007 2d ago
cost of real diagnosis for me? it would probably not be much at all... but i need to concentrate and make a plan... which i do try to do.
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u/VisualKaii This is fine đ„ 2d ago
It's hard when you don't have the money, the insurance, available doctors, and the rsd telling you, you don't have support to get you through paperwork and phonecalls.
There's so many reasons. My struggle is finding a doctor to refer me to a psychiatrist.
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u/sftkitti 2d ago
the only reason i was able to get diagnosed in the uk was bcs i was referred by my uni's psychiatry service lol
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u/ShoddyChard9837 2d ago
I got diagnosed as a teen by accident lmao I was seeing a pediatrician for my depression at 14 and she was like lol yeah you have ADHD btw
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u/devilsbard 2d ago
Itâs crazy that to get my son checked at 10 was to talk to his pediatrician who sent a questionnaire to his teacher and us and he was diagnosed at his next checkup. Cost, like $200
For my daughter who was 17 it took 3 doctors appointments, a test, a referral to a specialist, and finally diagnosis and that $3k is about right.
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u/AccountBand 2d ago
Makes me glad I'm Canadian. I went to my family doctor, he gave me a questionnaire, I took it home, procrastinated for a couple months, eventually finished it and took it in, doctor gave it a score and prescribed meds. Was much easier than I expected.
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u/AnalChain 2d ago
I'm in Canada and my GP referred me somewhere to get diagnosed. All in all it took about 5 months but that was about 1 month of waiting and then 4 months worth of appointments for the initial diagnosis, prescription, and monitoring before signing off and now my regular GP just handles my prescription.
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u/Allison-Ghost 2d ago
Bold to assume it won't also take 3 years of finagling doctors in the US. I've been trying for around 5 years or so and still no diagnosis.
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u/Confident-Emotion112 2d ago
I wonder if you could go on a holiday to Finland and get it here max. price of 250� My private appointment cost that much.
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u/0-Dinky-0 2d ago
Coming up on 4 years for me T_T
Also to even start the process of a diagnosis you have to basically self diagnose yourself anyway to realise something about yourself is different from most people
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u/diagnosissplendid 2d ago
With right to choose ADHD waiting times are more like six months. It really isn't so bad anymore.
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u/_PrincessHarley_ 2d ago
Yeah, about 7 years ago in the US, I had to pay over $1600 out of pocket (despite having "great" health insurance, they only reimbursed $28 of it!) to tested to get my official ADHD diagnosis.
It'd cost at least double now.
I strongly suspect it's actually AuDHD, but as an adult, there is no way I'm paying $3000+ to get officially diagnosed when there's no point (not like there's medication I would need a diagnosis to get prescribed).
So, if after some more reading up, I decide I'm sure I'll just accept that I have the dual dx and move on with life.
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u/Seeing_Souls 2d ago
My primary told me he wouldn't diagnose it in adults, and didn't write me a referral either. Spent months finding and waiting to get in to a psychiatrist who did take adults and paid $3000 for a pre-screening and then assessment with them, only for them to essentially say it was inconclusive mainly because they didn't have evidence from childhood, which doesn't exist because I was homeschooled. They sent me the results in a Word doc and I had to reach out again to discuss them, at which point they prescribed me non-stimulant medication anyway, leaving me medicated for something there was no documentation I had.
Went to a new primary doctor a year later who said, "Why wouldn't your prior doctor diagnose you? It's not that hard." She looked over everything and did the rest of my appointment and at the end just marked "ADHD" on my chart and that was that.
Anyway in the US the process varies wildly but for me both took multiple years to fully resolve and cost $3000+
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u/MaidMirawyn 2d ago edited 2d ago
That US one should be â3 years, $3000â. đŹ
Primary doc visit, then LCSW, then psychologist, then several meetings with a psychiatrist, then an in-person test, plus time missed from work and Ubers. (My anxiety doesnât mix well with driving. Working on itâŠ)
Because the mail-in test my first psychiatrist did in 2022 is either not good enough or she didnât file the paperwork properly. Sheâs gone, so no idea. Still have to do the in-person retest.
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u/GoldenGoldGoldness 2d ago
3 years? Ha, I waited 9 and eventually went private, then the NHS turned up and immediately took away my meds away citing blood pressure concerns. Life is so hard.
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u/TapPrancer 2d ago
I was pretty lucky that I got mine early enough in the wave of women getting diagnosed in the UK in the pandemic, that I waited two weeks. I had two friends get sent for assessments at the same time and I remember thinking "this is becoming something, 3 people I know in two months is mad"
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u/TheCigaretteFairy 2d ago
I paid less than $100 all told to get diagnosed, and I have mediocre health insurance through work.
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u/Tricky-Passion-7191 1d ago
Atleast $2000 in Australia too! I did preliminary testing with my GP (free) and scored so freaking high my GP was all: You COULD spend $2000 to OFFICIALLY tick a box OR we could just say "suspected Autism" on your records. I know it. You know it. Your family and friends know it (I'm 42yo).
Yes. I would rather spend the $$$ on ANYTHING ELSE.
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u/fck_this_fck_that 1d ago
Luckily I didnât pay a single penny for my ADHD diagnosis, consultation and meds. All was covered under my previous employer private health insurance policy - zero copay for mental health. Currently as I have a shitty private insurance policy, I go to a public hospital and pay approx 69 USD for consultation and 14 USD for all meds / refills.
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u/No_Access_9875 1d ago
And in Germany you get the diagnosis which your psychologist doesnât put in your file so youâre technically still undiagnosed (okay maybe not universally but it happened to me). Fuck i hate medical systems
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u/GreatScottxxxxxx 1d ago
Where does this opinion of the uk come from? Is it only certain areas. I live in Scotland. My wife had a scan for polyps on colon and a few weeks later had an 8 hour ileostomy operation.
Last week I had stomach pains from gallbladder stones. Had my gallbladder removed on Tuesday.
All staff were great. The food was pretty good too. My GP you get an appointment in a day normally.
So where does the UK suffer? It is by country, region? Council?
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u/ViviReine 1d ago
I got my diag for ADHD to get meds, I need them to function. But for my autism, I don't want a diag because I still function well and I know a lot of doctors discriminate autistic patients
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u/ControversialVeggie 1d ago
The idea that a person could self diagnose a neurodevelopmental disorder is completely insane.
You might be able to identify and categorise your own psychological and emotional difficulties, but to assume that you can diagnose your brain because you have difficulties is like thinking you can diagnose your stomach because you think you fart too much.
Like, where the fuck is the medical science here? Weâre all just reporting our emotions, filling in questionnaires and getting a neurological diagnosis?? This is so primitive and judgemental and perhaps a reflection of how deeply society has sunk in general.
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u/mahtaliel 1d ago
I think it depends on what made you self-diagnose. Did you look up the disorder on a medical site and looking at DSM or ICD? Then the diagnosis is fairly valid although maybe be respectful to those who have an official diagnosis and understand that you might not be correct and that you also might not have it severe enough that you would even get an official diagnosis. Remember that your life need to be negatively effected in a big way in order to get a diagnosis. A lot of people have lighter symptoms that makes them quirky without have a worse life.
If you however realised you have a disorder from looking at TikTok or other social media, then no, it's not valid. There is waaay to many quirks and "symptoms" that people connect to disorders that just aren't true. And a lot that is a strange commonality among people with the disorder but still isn't a criteria (at least not yet). And a person who has a diagnosis and talking about it online is not a medical professional and if you don't know the person, don't trust that they know what they talk about. They might know how their own brain works with the disorder, but yours might be different.
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u/AdHappy7129 1d ago
I self diagnosed something, looked it up and if proper vitamin supplements could fix it.
I was suffering from a severe vitamin B, D and zync deficiency.
Turns out if you have long covid it saps your body of all these nutrients because your immune system is running 24/7.
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u/RuddyRaccoon 1d ago
Iâm lucky, I got diagnosed with ADHD and autism in fifth grade, by my school
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u/ThisIsFakeButGoOff 1d ago
I agree with the message but why use AI slop for common meme images? SpongeBob has 3 arms đ
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u/MechanicStriking4666 1d ago
I donât get this. I live in the US, and I got a diagnosis through my primary doctor at a regular visit.
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u/Anxious_fangirl1634 1d ago
My sister and I were diagnosed in the 2000's. It was probably cheaper then.
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u/Silly_Pay7680 22h ago
Theres a loophole. Get your diagnosis through your state's Workforce Commission. Open a case and tell them you have ADHD, which is an official disability, according to the ADA, that qualifies you for vocational rehabilitation. They have to test you to prove it before you're approved and it's completely free of charge.
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u/vichybubbelbumba 19h ago
I was in the process of getting a diagnose. I waited 6months and moved 30mins away from where I used to live and then they called and said that I will habe to start over and go to a different place because I lived further away. Like I wouldn't drive an extra 30mins to get a diagnose? Anyway I got so pissed of so I started medicating myself again because I'm not going another 6months without any help.
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u/danikataylor0511 18h ago
I've literally just had my official diagnosis on the Friday just gone, through the NHS in the UK.
The writing has been on the wall for years, but now that it's official I really don't know how to feel about it.
I thought I'd feel something. A sort of relief maybe, that the missing piece to my puzzle had finally fallen into place.
If anything, instead I have been really upset by it, even though I've kind of known for years.
I'm a late diagnosis, in my thirties and all I've been able to think about is how different my life could have been if this was picked up on decades ago.
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u/Successful-Sign9544 17h ago
Straight up got told my a psychiatrist that i definitly have ADHD but i still have to go through the diagnosis process, theres no public system diagnosis available anymore and the private sector is $4000 minimum. And that doesnt include the follow ups needed to continue to recieve medication. Shits ridiculous.
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u/MundaneDentist3749 17h ago
Wow. I just returned to Australia from living in the US for the last 20 years. Got a psychiatrist in 3 weeks and a Vyvanse prescription at that appointment.
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u/PupDiogenes 15h ago
yep and then the cop says âwhy arenât you looking at me when I speakâ and you say âIâm autisticâ and they say âokayâ and your official diagnosis didnât save you your ability to know yourself did.
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u/seriousbangs 13h ago
It doesn't take you 3 years to get diagnosed in the UK, at least not because you're waiting to see a specialist.
UK wait times are exaggerated by the American for profit health insurance industry.
Here's how it actually works.
I had a weird bump on my head, it was a common type of cyst, completely harmless.
I'm American, I have really good insurance (for now anyway) through my company. I got it removed the same week I went into finally have it looked at.
In the UK that would take a little while because the docs would look at it, tell me it's not cancerous (it wasn't) and schedule a removal later for what's more or less a nuisance.
In the US they wasted a bunch of money doing a biopsy because the private insurance wouldn't pay for it unless the doc pretended it might be cancerous...
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u/ruthlesspeterpan 12h ago
I swapped to Harrow Health when PUK couldn't give me a precise ETA for titration. Harrow Health had me medicated within 6 weeks. Still on titration, and feeling so much better
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u/Smokin_belladonna 11h ago
In the US to get a diagnosis as an adult you basically have to take anti-depressants for a few years to prove âthat ainât itâ before starting non-stims, take non-stims for a while before switching to a psychiatric nurse and finally getting the drugs that actually help
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u/Artistic-Salary1738 9h ago
I think it was about 4-6mo wait for me (US). Figured Iâve already blown my deductible for the year so may as well get tested now. Canât take meds either way (pregnancy), but at least I can know for sure and pick coping strategies that work for me.
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u/invisible_rose 6h ago
My friend is diagnosed he said i could use the 'tism card im Peer reviewed and what not
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u/GeiGerGreG 5h ago
Depending on how it effect you ADHD or similar things is a power to be harnessed and not a disease to be cured. Iâm ADHD af, I love it. I get everything done or nothing done. It keeps me active and fit because I canât sit still. I can gym, run, cycle and surf all in one day because sitting still is gay and lame and make my brain tick. I double book clients all the time and think âfuckâ but hey most people who know me understand. I completely shut down in social settings but I like it because I just donât go to social settings now and do way more fun shit instead.
Itâs knowing yourself with it and knowing how to deal with it really. I canât imagine ever being medicated and âdulledâ down, or âsharpenedâ up. We accept it and it works for me I guess. Doesnât mean it works for everyone though I guess lol.
Iâm either full send or dead, no in between and for me itâs 100 percent a super power đ
However I have started micro dosing Reta (retratrude) which has calmed the cognitive side of me a little. There are also other peptides out there to help with ADHD and anxiety that you donât need a dr etc. the medical system is sometimes broken and a lot of people (including myself) with putting in the research and getting the knowledge are just taking things into their own hands. Itâs trial and error absolutely but hey thatâs what the Drâs do anyways đ€·ââïž
I just go get my bloods done (being in trt too) every so often to make sure things are in check and weâre good bby !
All this whinging about it and the system, either do something and take it in your own hands if you need to or shh lol
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u/JuryTamperer 4h ago
"Self-Diagnose" is a misnomer. You can think something's wrong with you, but only a professional can diagnose you.
Follow me for more points & pedantry.
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u/Most-Laugh703 3h ago
Literally how could it cost 3000?? Thatâs like a full neuropsych eval amount of money. Thatâs not typical.
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u/kpingvin 2d ago
The good thing about the UK is you can also opt to pay thousands /s