ADHD, BBC, FFS
Today was a 70mg Elvanse day - I get a higher dose in the days leading up to my period, so you bet this article was partially funded by PMS. 💪
"I'm glad you have found something that works so well for you, I'm just sorry you didn't find it sooner"
My NHS Doctor after taking over from a Private ADHD Clinic.
There's a BBC article doing the rounds today about private ADHD clinics. If you read it, please remember:
🔹 People do not seek ADHD (or other) assessments because everything is fine.
🔹 ADHD is very common - in the UK they are guessing around 1 in 20 adults has ADHD. It has a strong genetic component with similar heritability as height. It's normal for it to run in families.
🔹 The real people who are using these private clinics are not doing so to game the system. NHS waiting lists vary from 6-months to 4-years - for someone who is struggling that is unbearable.
🔹 ADHD is not just being quirky. Untreated ADHD is associated with a *13 year* reduction in life expectancy due to increased risk of suicide, homicide, accidental death, and illness due to poor lifestyle.
🔹 ADHD is the most researched mental health condition or disorder in the world, and the first line treatment IS medication. Medication can make all other interventions more effective.
🔹 Not all people with ADHD respond to medication the same way. Medication working or not is not a diagnostic test.
🔹 There's a lot of rhetoric around "drug seeking" - and yeah, I *want* to take my medication because it helps me live my life. It helps me regulate my emotions. It helps me read, and write, and put my ideas into action. Of course we get stressed if we can't get the medication we rely on!
🔹 There is a systemic need for change so people don't need to turn to private clinics. Instead of writing about private clinics and the people who are turning to them for support, why don't we talk about NHS funding? NHS wait lists? The systemic inequalities in accessing assessments?
Instead of going after people who are *finally* understanding themselves, let's talk about improving the system that missed us. In reducing wait times, in increased funding to ALL mental health services.
My ADHD diagnosis changed my life, and I went to a private ADHD clinic for my assessment.
I am now under NHS care. I've been balanced on my medication for a year. In that time I've published my first book, paid off a significant proportion of my debts, been able to grow and evolve in my business, and felt level for the longest time I can ever remember. Life has been sustainable and manageable. I never thought I'd feel like that, and now I do.
And I am eternally grateful for the doctor who assessed me. Private or NHS, more people need access to the right treatment. Maybe we should all be focusing on that.
Read more here.
I’ve made the decision not to link to the BBC panorama piece. I feel the ethics of a reporter having four ADHD assessments with the current wait lists is unethical at best, and not something to be promoted or shared.
