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My experience of an ADHD assessment
I chose Care ADHD, so I find it incredibly difficult to accept that questions are being raised about the quality of assessments carried out by private providers.
My care was excellent.
I completed 14 different forms before my assessment, and my family were included in the evidence-gathering stages.
The comprehensive 38-page report I received was certainly no summary. It was thorough, well written and informed by a skilled professional.
The clinician who assessed me took her time to understand me fully during the most caring and kind assessment I have ever been given in my life.
I actually cried with relief at the end.
Hearing the outcome was emotional. She was simply wonderful, and I felt heard for the first time.
The reality of living with undiagnosed ADHD
I find myself reflecting on what this review, and the conversations surrounding it, will bring up for so many people.
The perimenopause has, without question, exacerbated my symptoms, and I have worked harder than I ever have in my whole life to run my business whilst being quietly exhausted in the background.
Yes, we may mask well!
But that doesn’t mean the difficulties aren’t there, or that they haven’t been there for a very long time.
Why we must be careful about the conversation around “over diagnosis”
Previous conferences have welcomed an exceptional range of keynote speakers and coThe thing is, they aren’t even sure we are being overdiagnosed. It is a mere possibility.
Yet that uncertainty is not what we are seeing in some of the headlines and media coverage, and that feels so disappointing.
We are real. We are valid. And many of us have not been seen or supported our whole lives.
I urge the Government to proceed with caution and not jump to conclusions that could deprive people of an ADHD diagnosis when they meet the diagnostic criteria.
People have a right to understand themselves better and to receive the treatment they may wish to access to improve their quality of life.
For those of us who have spent a lifetime wondering why things have felt so difficult, finally being heard and understood can mean everything.
Sarah Henry
ADHD support and information
If you are looking for information, support or guidance around ADHD, ADHD UK provides resources for people affected by ADHD, including information about diagnosis, treatment and living with ADHD.