Since it’s a somewhat complicated process that requires patience, commitment and dedication, getting an official ADHD diagnosis often makes one wonder: Is it really worth it ?
Does getting an official ADHD diagnosis really make a difference ?
Deciding to seek an official ADHD diagnosis is a major step to take. A lot of people who suspect having ADHD prefer being kept in the dark and not really talk about what they go through, especially with their close circle or their doctor. This can lead to feeling major frustration and anger that come from people not understanding them and/or not treating them the way they want to (ex: Criticism, bullying..). Not getting an official ADHD diagnosis can also be the cause of great financial, psychological, academic and social problems such as overspending, struggling with school, having a hard time making and maintaining friendships…
However, choosing to get a diagnosis can help in many ways.
Having a valid and logical explanation to what you go through and feel like can give you a lot of clarity in addition to helping you understand precisely what goes on inside your head and in your body.
Your past experiences and decisions will start making sense to you and you will acknowledge what went wrong, why it happened and how you can prevent the same thing from happening another time.
To sum it all up, if you want to better understand your ADHD and its effect on you, getting an official diagnosis is the best way to start. Our self-assessment and reporting workbook can help you explain and communicate to your loved ones and clinical team how you feel, how ADHD affects you and visualize your symptoms. If you’re officially diagnosed, you can definitely benefit from any help or ressources that are offered by your school, workspace, government aid or clinical experts in your region but to be honest, that might not be available everywhere, so you’ll still need to do some research . You can also have access to focus and discussion groups of ADHDers in your area for more support.
The next step that comes after getting an official diagnosis is discussing a treatment plan with your doctor. Depending on your condition, your choices and what your doctor recommends, treatment can either be ADHD medication, therapy sessions, a lifestyle change or even meditation.