How ADHD Treatment Is Not ADHD Friendly 

“I should have been asked more than is the medication working and are there any side effects” OMG this!!!! This is all my psychiatrist asks me. There is zero discussion on adhd management skills or tools or any guidance on how I can better set myself up for some (if any at all) success with my treatment. Medication had the power to relax my brain enough to where I can finally be able to put in the psychological and behavioural work that will help me to better cope with/manage my adhd but without any assistance or what to do or guidance on what I could be improving on I’m at a loss. I keep trying things but I feel so lost and on my own with this. I got diagnosed at 37 and it felt like a life saving revelation in my life to finally have answers. But I need to do something with this knowledge and understanding for it to have any real long lasting value in my life. I need someone to guide me on my journey of learning how to make my brain work in this world or how to beat use my brain to make the most of what I can do. This video touched me so much. I feel your struggle so deeply. I am sending you so much love and a huge hug. You, we and *all* of us are not alone. Even in our loneliness. ❤️

I wish people understood this. Everything you need to do to get meds is made exceptionally difficult by ADHD. It's a nightmare.

I once saw a meme on Reddit where the caption said “what navigating the health care system with ADHD feels like”. The picture was of a dog holding the end of its own leash in its mouth.

The last time I saw a psychiatrist it felt more like a police interrogation than a medical consultation.

There's a mantra of "you need to get help, you need to get help." Medical help needs to be available, affordable and accessible. Period.

Update -- 1) My doctor said to have the pharmacy fill the prescription for just 1 week, which was cheaper than paying for the full month, while we waited for the pre-authorization. 2) When the pre-authorization went through, my insurance still wouldn't cover my meds. They aren't in their formulary. 3) I use a discount card now, which helps a bit, but I still have to tell the pharmacy every month that yes, I understand how expensive it is, before they will fill it. 4) I'm considering switching back to a medication that didn't work as well for me because my insurance will pay for it.

I finally had to ask the doctor, "Why is this so hard to get you to take seriously?" I think it shook him a little.

"I feel like I've been trying my whole life to figure out how my brain works and to do my best" - this hit hard

I am a therapist with ADHD and this is a real thing. I try to treat my people as best as I can. I hope everyone else can find a therapist that does.❤

Well said. ADHD “treatment” boils down to “Don’t have ADHD.” It’s barbaric.

You have no idea how your channel has helped me❤️

I’m tired of feeling like a criminal for asking for meds. Or that others get treated better because ADHD is just lazy

I'm a pharmacy technician with ADHD and I completely understand. My heart breaks every time I have to tell someone that their med is on backorder or insurance won't pay for it because they're an adult. A few of my own coworkers go on rants about how these days, anyone can go to a doctor and say "I can't focus" and they'll come to us with a prescription for Adderall. Or how when they get upset that they can't get their medication, that it's just because they're addicted and want to keep abusing it. I completely understand that there are people out there who do abuse ADHD medication, but I get so angry when my coworkers scoff at our patients who are getting meds. How do they know that whoever it is doesn't actually have ADHD? And it is NOT that easy to get a prescription for Adderall. At least not for me. This year I started my own journey for finding a medication that works for me. I had a therapist that knew me really well and believed me, but he couldn't prescribe me anything and then he got a different job. I started seeing a psychiatrist, but even after I came in saying I had been diagnosed by a mental health professional, towards the end he told me that he was still on the fence if I had ADHD. For that and a few more reasons, I started to have anxiety when I see him. He eventually prescribed me one of the meds, but it was a nightmare to actually get it filled. My usual pharmacy told me that they had stopped manufacturing the generic a while ago (a total lie because I knew for a fact that the pharmacy I work at had plenty of it and had no trouble getting it in). So I took the prescription to my work (on my day off) and my coworker told me that my insurance doesn't cover the med for anyone over 18yo without a prior authorization. Because either ADHD magically disappears when you turn 19 or they just want you to suck it up and stop being lazy or just try harder. So I call my psychiatrist's office and ask them to work on the prior authorization. By the time Monday rolls around, they still haven't done it. So I called them again and they just told me to try the store discount card because it would probably be cheaper anyway. It was $98. Next day, I called them AGAIN and the guy I talked to got it done in less than an hour. Even with the PA, I still had to pay almost $70 for a one-month supply. I started taking it and I haven't noticed any effect yet on my ADHD symptoms, but I was short of breath with an increased heart rate and I started to feel nauseous when I tried to eat food I would normally really enjoy. I have enough trouble eating enough as it is without getting nauseous about my food. I just started college and I was trying to get accommodations for my classes. They told me to get a letter from my psychiatrist at my next appointment which, at the time, was a couple of weeks away. When I was finally able to talk to him about accomodations, he questioned if I really needed a couple of them and because I'm a doormat, I gave in and he didn't write those ones down. When he wrote the letter, he didn't do it right and the accommodations center at my college told me he had to rewrite it. So I gave up on accommodations because I didn't feel that I was worth the hassle and there was no way I was going to push for him to write it again because of the anxiety that he's been causing me. So now I need to find a new psychiatrist and I probably also need to try a new med that may or may not be on backorder at every pharmacy in the area and that may or may not even work if I do get it. I know this is 3 years after the release of this video and probably no one will see this comment. But I'm really frustrated about it all too. I needed to see this video today, thanks.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who cries or seems sad when really angry

So many people see ADHD as a moral failing. So many people think I need to try harder. That’s not even to say how hard it is to get medication, or how hard it is to get psychs to take it seriously. It’s so difficult to find someone who even knows how to treat ADHD. YOU have taught me more about ADHD than ANY of the SIX therapists I have seen.

This would be like making someone with a broken leg walk around to get their cast fitted or get a wheelchair.

00:00 ADHD Treatments: Are They Truly ADHD-Friendly? 01:16 Challenges: Missed Appointments & Accessing Medication 02:16 Navigating Health Insurance & Locating ADHD Specialists 03:19 Hurdles in Securing ADHD Medication 04:24 Advocating for an ADHD-Friendly Treatment Process 05:36 ADHD Care: Beyond Just Medication 06:38 Healthcare & Insurance Barriers in ADHD Treatment 07:41 Despite Challenges, ADHD Treatment is Crucial Thank you for shedding light on these vital issues surrounding ADHD treatment. Your dedication to raising awareness and educating the community is truly commendable. Keep up the amazing work! 👏🌟

The biggest thing about being told "you are smart" is that they don't address where you are smart. Sure, you excel at your job, but your personal life matters can be in complete shambles.

I feel this so hard. They treat adults with ADHD like we're criminals or addicts. There's a ridiculous amount of hoops to jump through and the doctors don't even care about how you're feeling.

People will sit here and try to tell us that adhd is a lie fed to us to get us to buy meds and yet its this difficult for us to get meds? Make it make sense 🤷

I just want to share a personal story, so I go to college at Indiana and I have been diagnosed with ADHD when I was 7. More than a decade ago, I’m 18 now. My college’s Disability services straight up told me that because my ADHD was diagnosed a decade ago it’s not valid and therefore I need a new diagnosis. Which for the record costs roughly 3000-4000$ alongside tuition. I have had this condition for as long as I can remember every day was a struggle, and it infuriates me that this part of me was so unexplained for a long time. I’m thankful that I found away around this particular problem but it’s important to address that this is a problem. Later into the first year of college I had a math exam and the professor did something that really impacted me, he pulled me aside and asked me “hey I notice you’ve been struggling but you do every problem and seem to run out of time? Would extended time be beneficial for you?” This surprised me because I had genuinely had no idea that I didn’t need approval to get support. So yeah this video hits close to home and it’s one of the things that I want to change.

Flashback to the time my therapist said I didn't have ADHD bc I "wasn't impulsive and inappropriate" enough. That my impulsiveness just "didn't impress her"

“[B]ecause I don’t know if my mental health is worth an extra $50 per day” whew, this is too familiar.

I was part of the “executive team” to co-design Headspace, I advocated for mental health for childrens mental health strategies, I did so many extracurriculars in my school and was even a school leader, I took responsibility for my life to get treatment for ADHD, only to have numberous providers tell me that I don’t have ADHD or that I’ve made it up. I was diagnosed. The medication was working. But no-one believes me either. Jessica ❤️❤️💞Thank you for your videos, you remind me of the fact that I am not alone and that there’s hope. Thank you :)

I know this video is old, but it absolutely broke me. It was relatable to the point I was getting pretty emotional. The pain and struggle of dealing with the Healthcare system in regards to these medications is almost as bad as adhd itself. It's always a fight. Always an inquisition, and it does not have to be this way. To anyone else out there struggling to get their proper meds, my heart goes out to you.

This hit hard. I was diagnosed at 11. I'm 20 now, and I've only RECENTLY started to discover just how much ADHD has affected me. For the longest time I just thought it meant I had trouble focusing. Nobody told me that it can also affect so SO much more like cleaning/clutter managment, emotional control, avoiding things, and much more. And when I say recently started discovering, I mean as in a few weeks ago. I've had to learn on my own through this channel and my own research.

US "health" care is such a joke. For those of us with any sort of chronic condition it gets exponentially worse. I'm behind you on everything you've said here.

I have a doctor's appointment in 20 minutes. And because I'm uninsured, I get the pleasure of spending $300 on a degrading and humiliating appointment that I am forced to go to to prove that I'm not addicted to adderall. I haven't watched the video yet though because I cried enough on the phone making the appointment and I'm struggling to hold it back now.

I don't have ADHD, but I can SOOOOOO relate to this!!! I'm diabetic, and my doctor and I have been trying for more than TWO YEARS to get medicine added that my insurance company will approve. My doctor will prescribe something, then the insurance will say no. Then she'll try something else, and they'll say fine, but it's $500 out of pocket (which I can't afford). Meanwhile my blood sugar is out of control, and there's not a damn thing we can do until we hit on their magic formula (which they won't tell me what medicines the doctor IS allowed to prescribe). Anyone who says that the US has the best healthcare in the world is seriously delusional.

The doctor dismissed your chances of having ADHD because you're intelligent? Sounds like they've never heard of neurodiversity - it's a hallmark of neurodiverse conditions like ADHD to have big weaknesses, yes, but also big strengths. I like this Venn diagram from Genius Within - it emphasizes that these conditions can come with many strengths www.geniuswithin.co.uk/infographics-and-literature/neuro-diversity-venn-diagram/ Also, keep up the great work, you're an absolute blessing for newcomers with ADHD. You should feel massively proud of what you've managed to achieve.

In one of my ADHD support groups, the moderator asked how many of us have had to educate a mental health professional--someone that was supposed to be treating us--on ADHD, and more than half raised their hands. I think it was ~2/3

Thank you for this video. Currently in my car, crying tears of solidarity and pride in your journey, as I’ve just faced the toughest two weeks in the same position searching for medication during the nationwide stimulant shortage. Two years later, this message still resonates. Thank you.

I feel like when the doctor sayings you don’t have adhd, it’s like “oh you don’t have adhd, you are perfectly normal and functioning well” but obviously you are seeking out treatment, you are not functioning well in some way and you owe to yourself to figure out what’s wrong. I wish there was more support but the healthcare system is very constrained in terms of resources and money.

I'm a licensed Therapist and unfortunately due to lack of training I only just now started looking at getting myself assessed for ADHD after being frustrated with the hyper-focus on the things that were making it hard to focus on the things I wanted to focus on. There is not enough training for treating ADHD, I'm glad to be a clinician who is going though this experience because I know first hand what it is like to have ADHD and to be undiagnosed with it. The fact that I learned more from RU-vid and TikTok about adhd then I did in grad school is alarming to say the least.

my heart goes out to the americans with ADHD it sounds like it is horrendous there

I can't thank you enough for creating this youtube channel. I am nineteen and I am 100 percent sure that I have ADHD. Before your RU-vid channel everyone my parents thought that I am just lazy and can't complete my tasks and I just don't care after a while when ADHD started affecting me a lot in everything mostly my studies I also thought that maybe I am just useless , lazy and a disappointment so thank-you for creating this RU-vid channel. It was so hard for me to tell my mom about this that I have ADHD but she doesn't believe me and thinks that it's just a excuse and my father won't believe me either though he is a child specialist doctors himself. So I won't be able to get meds or anything but your videos help me a lot to cope with my daily life struggles thank you for the support I really wanted it. I started crying in the last part of the video thank you for not making me feel alone. I will go to a doctor when I become financially able because my parents will never agree but I wont give up anymore thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This actually describes a lot of the healthcare system - "Oh, you need help for your debilitating condition? Are you sure? Are you really sure? Are you really, really, really sure?" Something here has got to change.

Don’t even start me on how hard it is to have parents who don’t believe in medication, therapy, but still compare me to their neurotypical children. That didn’t even get me extended time on my highschool placement/entrance exam. I should have been in honors, but instead I was in basics with extreme support.

First Dr I saw said I can't have ADHD because "you can focus sometimes if its interesting". How do these people get degrees again!?!? I have another appointment in about an hour so fingers crossed.

Don't forget that missing appointments is a reason health care professionals will drop you and refuse to treat you. So you are punished for having ADHD instead of helped.

I know this will probably get buried, but if anyone who reads this is in the Portland metro area and struggling to find a doctor/therapist who can help, contact NW-ADHD. They're an ADHD clinic that provides diagnosis, therapy, skill building groups, and medication management. They do require you to do therapy exclusively through them if you want to try medication, so that is a possible barrier to entry for someone who already has a therapist that they like. However, the benefit is that they approach therapy for depression, anxiety, and more from the perspective of a patient with ADHD rather than someone without it.

Thank you. I’m less than a week from learning I have had ADHD for 48 years. You’re an invaluable resource and this honest video arms me for struggles I may face. Thank you.

I dont understand why this is considered a psychiatrist thing in so many countries? Ive been going to a Neurologist for 6 years now and according to him, ADHD is a Neurologist jurisdiction, not a Psychiatrist. As a Psychology graduate, I 100% agree.

I am very thankful for these videos that you make. As a kid I always struggled just about everywhere but I couldn’t possibly have ADHD because I was too “smart”. It wasn’t til last spring that my mom got diagnosed after a childhood of my parents telling me that I couldn’t possibly have ADHD that I decided to get evaluated. Doctor after doctor and multiple therapists telling me that I’m “just depressed and anxious” or that “it’s just childhood trauma”, telling me to stay on SSRIs. Like, seriously, take me at my word. I cannot focus no matter how hard I try. Starting stimulant medication completely changed my life, but still, I am stressed for the time that I’m going to eventually move, change doctors, and have to go through that process again. ADHD is a disability and I’m sick of not just doctors, but friends and partners treating it like a quirky disposition that I’m choosing to put on. I am a competent adult and I intend to be treated with dignity and respect.

I was amazed that after my diagnosis I wasn't offered anything other than meds. There's zero post-diagnosis support for adults.

After being misdiagnosed with BPD, avoidant personality, even OSDD, because of this channel I finally realized I have ADHD. I got my diagnosis today. I’ve felt so alone, even talking to people in my therapy group with BPD cause i just couldn’t fully relate to them. Without this channel, I don’t think I would have found out for a long time. I am 25 now and have dropped out of community college 5 times. I want to thank you so much for in a way helping me fix my life, but a professional should have known. A professor should have maybe known. There is so much misinformation about ADHD, even amongst people that are supposed to know.

Good god, you make my existence feel so validating. I come from a small town where nobody believes in mental health disorders. Nobody understands the nightmare of trying to find meds before finals and no pharmacy carrying the medication so you have to drive for tens of miles trying to find the stuff for your brain to function. Glad I found your channel

I'm a 59 year old woman. I was diagnosed with, "Hyperactive Disorder," when I was 7. It was new and my doc was sharp. My meds finally work. It's taken so long. I understand and I'm tearing up. Thank you for your channel.

I just want to share that I have just this week been diagnosed as an adult with ADHD. You are performing an important service by running this channel, and I will be financially contributing to your continued content creation. This video has aged like fine wine in that the problems you experienced are even worse now. My poor GP has run out of psychiatrists to refer patients to. Don't give up on this channel. You are a beacon for us.

as a medical assistant with ADHD, i am. forever infuriated and devastated by how UNNECESSARILY chaotic, unorganized, and downright greedy the healthcare system in the USA is. because that's what this is. this is a failure of the system as a whole, in every aspect, not just for mental health but for a staggering majority of conditions. it's shameful. the US healthcare system is not patient friendly. period. and it breaks my heart.

"Don't give up if they dismiss you because you're smart and you've succeeded so far, because you know what it's done to you on the inside to get there." Most emotional part of the video for me. I think many people would be surprised to hear I have ADHD because I have a degree in English and Philosophy. And a college degree. But earning them was really, really hard. My ADHD didn't mean I COULDN'T do it, it just meant that it took so much more effort... but I did it, and I'm now an editor. I still struggle every day. But my ADHD doesn't stop me from doing what I want to do and what I'm good at. It just makes it so much more challenging. My ADHD doesn't make it any less worthwhile to pursue my goals. Don't give up. Never, ever give up. ADHD brains know how much other ADHD brains fight for our place in the world. Don't give up.

It’s such a relief to hear other brains have struggled with this as well. US healthcare system is not ADHD friendly. It’s very difficult to find a doctor or providers that takes the disability seriously. We shouldn’t have to suffer so much just to get help. I have and have heard too many horror stories just for people to get help. Humans shouldn’t be treated less then for needing help.

my friend suffered the whole ‘you’re too smart thing too’. some people tried to tell me that when I was complaining. why can’t people wrap their head around the fact that you can be smart AND neurodivergent??? A lot of things are honestly just stress inducing and it makes me even more tired that I already always am

Ex-pharm tech here. SOOOOOO Many issues for us just on the pharmacy side of things. Prior authorizations are the most BS thing to ever happen... especially for ADHD. Most ins companies require one for ANYONE over 18 years of age for ADHD medication. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I think we’re still seeing the effects of the stigma that it’s not a “real” illness. Also, I’ve been trying for almost a year to find a therapist for my ADHD and it has been very very difficult even with full mental health coverage through work. The two I have talked with need to watch your videos because they do not understand ADHD. So frustrating and exhausting!

This struck a chord with me. I have ADHD, but I was diagnosed back in 3rd grade started a medicine, taken off that medicine after a short time, and never treated for it again. When I was 18 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and dealing with the combination of both of these and the medical system that did not believe me or at least thought that I was not as bad was very harmful. I have had agony because I procrastinated calling my pharmacy/doctor/insurance to tell them to call each other and get me the medicine that I needed to just be able to get out of bed so I end up in my bed in pain and agony with huge brain fog on top of ADHD brain that I did not understand calling 2 or all 3 of them to say call the other up to twice a day. This last time that it happened, I spent a month in bed with my boss mad that I was not at work. When I finally got my medicine and went back to work I was given a warning that I could not have any mistakes or I would lose my job. I was just a few minutes late (that was not my fault) and fired. We need to fix the healthcare system and employer attitudes.

Your channel is literally the only ADHD information that I can handle inputting and processing. It's to the point, short, and fun/fast paced enough to help. I'm 35 and have not had a career due to mismanagement of my symptoms. I think I will probably die without ever having accomplished anything and it keeps me in a constant state of depression and anxiety. Thank you for making this channel from the bottom of my heart. I did something similar with another health condition just so I could keep track of the information I was learning and not lose it.

The moment you said "and i feel like ive been fighting my whole life to learn how my brain works and to do my best" really struck me hard because i feel the same way too!! i struggle so much with adhd and im trying my hardest to figure out how it works still! this channel helps alot and we appreciate you so much for putting yourself out there to help others!!

Being diagnosed with ADHD was a relief but also a tremendous hit, because of how uninformed society and even some doctors are about ADHD. On one hand my life has improved, on another, in my country adult ADHD meds aren't covered by insurance, and I'm terrified of the exact thing that happened to you - if I move to another place, if I need to find another doctor, if I want to travel somewhere and they take my meds away at the airport. Any change in my life will need that extra step of making sure I get my ADHD treatment.

Thank you for being vulnerable because I've been facing this issue for months and I'm glad to know that there is a community out there who knows how I feel. It's been a nightmare figuring out the medical system with ADHD. You and your channel are SO SOOO cherished!

I don't really get the whole "I'm not prescribing this medication because there are people who abuse it." There are also people who abuse morphines but no one would think about to refuse that for people with severe pain. There are also people who abuse thyroid hormones still those with a dysfunctional thyroid will need those.

I'm autistic, so while it's not the same thing as ADHD (which I was incorrectly diagnosed with in the past), we do have a lot of symptoms in common and your content is a huge help. I'm currently struggling to get my autistic 12 year old daughter diagnosed and it's a nightmare. Thank you for reminding me not to give up.

My husband and daughter have ADHD. In March, he went to his doctor to get his Rx renewed. His doctor told him that he did not believe that adults can have ADHD and told him he would not prescribe him his medication (this was the start of the pandemic when getting a new provider was no small feat). It took until May to get him in to see a psychologist at the northwest ADHD clinic. A full evaluation was done but he still cannot see the nurse practitioner who will prescribe medication until the end of this month. That’s nearly 6 months of no treatment. This has had real and lasting impacts on our whole family. On Friday, he was fired from his job because of symptoms and behaviors directly related to his untreated adhd. It is Not okay.

I feel ya. We're kind of taught to look up to doctors, psychiatrists and therapists, but honestly, the lack of compassion and sheer ignorance and incompetence on display in these fields can be downright staggering. It really can make you feel incredibly frustrated, lonely, overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless, because you feel like you have to figure EVERYTHING out for yourself. At least nowadays we have the internet and terrific resources like your channel so we can help each other out and build on the knowledge and experience of others.

You have an ADHD pal in Seattle 🙋‍♀️I have a great ADHD specialist just north of Seattle if you ever need it. He is extremely understanding and makes life as simple as possible.

Just today I got accused of manipulating my psychiatrist. I was recently diagnosed and started meds, but had some complications when I realised that the only brand of the med available here in Australia has both gluten and dairy in it, both of which I can't have because of an autoimmune condition. So I had to return the meds, and then jump through hoops to get a new script for a compounding pharmacy to get them to make the medication without these very common allergens, which costs 8 times as much as the regular brand. And somehow me advocating for my own health so I don't take a med containing ingredients that flare my other condition amounts to me manipulating the psychiatrist... Idk, I'm honestly so disheartened, this journey has been challenge after challenge, and now I'm going to have to find a new psychiatrist, because there's no way I'm going back to this one who I don't trust, and who clearly doesn't have my best interests at heart. Tired and upset.

Seems like you went through such a tough time and for that, I’m sorry. However, you nailed your own advice of ‘trying different’. We’re lucky to have you and your content. Thank you, Jessica❤️.

Who else is combing back to this video in October 2022 because of the adderall shortage. I went from paying 4.00 in September to 74.00 today in October.

me to my psychiatrist - i always can't sit still, and always have trouble focusing on things- I move onto another thing as soon as i start the other. Then i always forget things even if they are really important... As well as me having problems with time management.... my psychiatrist - well don't then... just learn how to manage your time *this woman just cured adhd ohmygod*

I was talking to my therapist about how maybe my problems with productivity are related to ADHD and she said stuff like "So what if you have ADHD? You are still you" and I'm just sitting there thinking to myself "Ironically, you seem to have more trouble following conversations because that is NOT what I was talking about!" and it was frustrating. I have no problems with self-acceptance but she went on and on as if she was gonna cure me with words. She's usually very nice but that was weird and frustrating. Update on my therapist, she is very nice and things are going well.

THIS. My diagnosis of having ADHD should have made my life easier, but everything stands in the way of treatment and makes things so much harder. Is this the cost of my mental health? Are we so unimportant that we must jump through hurdle after hurdle to be mentally well? I hope things have improved for you. Know that your channel has helped me accept myself and my ADHD in a way I couldn't before. We are here for you just like you are here for us.

I am just starting my official diagnosis process but I’ve been sure I’ve had ADHD for years. I reached a point in my therapy where I was ready to address it head on this winter. I watched your TED talk and felt like you were telling my biography. Then I’ve been listening to your videos through my RU-vid premium subscription. Your information has brought me so much peace. Thank you for your work!

WHY DO I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ADHD CAN GO TO THE GP AND GET ADDERALL AND SOMEONE WHO WAS ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED CANT IM MAD

"Even when my brain doesn't want to cooperate." I feel this so much. it makes me very sad how people make light of people with conditions like ours.

I get this. One of the barriers here in Texas is that you need to schedule an appointment every month due to it being a scheduled drug. If I fail to get my pills it takes months to get back on track. Our system is terrible. My God I've learned more about myself from RU-vid then I ever did from a doctor.

At one of my first attempts to get diagnosed, I heard that " I don't have ADHD because I never failed a school year. I'm just lazy, unorganized and capable of only doing things I want, without taking anything else into consideration". Our appointment lasted less than 20 minutes. It's been a year, but this still enrages me till this day. I finally got my diagnosis a week ago, fortunately... I wanted to share this, in case anyone went to a similar experience. You're not alone 💜

You're a living proof that ADHD people are very generous and you, particularly, are very brave to share all your struggles you had because of ADHD. I identify myself with you 100%, and it's very good to know we are not alone. Thank you!

I thought adhd was just “can’t sit still” disorder for a while. It was only until a year or two ago where I learned that there’s so much more to it. Honestly quite annoying that my check ups were all about making sure my meds were working and not you know, tell me shit I’d need to know

It doesn't help that there is currently a national shortage of ADHD medication

I work at a pharmacy, and one of the hardest things I have to deal with is trying to get people what they need and not being able to because of the way that the system is set up... It's so hard and I hate that people aren't able to get the medicine they need to function like a "normal" person. It really eats me up inside and I hate that you had to go through this 🥺😓

Please don’t be hesitant to post more rant videos like this. I know they’re a lot and hard to do I don’t want to say you NEED to you can post whatever, but this really helps me with my struggles and helps me understand I’m not just some f up and that everyone with adhd struggles a lot and it’s not always possible to ALWAYS cope well and have magical awesome tips n tricks to get everything done easily. I love you and your content so much please keep up the amazing work

On the topic of being told "You don't have ADHD"... When I first started looking into treatment as a teenager, I was waiting in a doctor's office reading a favorite book. I was an avid reader. The NP who saw me asked why I was there and I told her that I wanted to seek help for possible ADHD, the first thing she said was "You don't have ADHD. If you did, you'd be bouncing off the walls instead of sitting down reading a book." She tested me for thyroid issues, despite "inattention" being my only symptom of such an issue, and I never heard another thing about it. It took ten years for me to get a diagnosis. Mostly because I didn't have insurance for ten years. Even then, I had to pay hundreds of dollars just to be evaluated. Another two years before I was medicated because no one told me my next steps. Y'all.

I only learned through your channel that my struggle actually wasnt, what "everyone has to go through in life" as my family and teachers told me. And I only recently understood that no one percieved my struggle as "worth beeing helped" because no one understood it. It was only when my ptsd symptoms got the best of me that I was (finally) diagnosed with adhd, even tho I had much bigger problems then that at the time...

being gifted and not hyperactive delayed me getting my adhd diagnosed until i was in my mid to late 30's. this was found out after i went to get help with forgetfulness with a family history of dementia. my parents still do not believe me even though my diagnosis was confirmed by a neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, and primary care internal medicine doctor. i am only now learning how to manage it and meds are a night // day difference.

I’m sorry your health system is so screwed up. Here in Australia, there is so much more help. I pay $8 a month for my little boys meds. He gets so much support (mainly because he has an autism diagnosis too). You have every right to rant and rave. This is not acceptable. Wishing you so much better xx

My high school refused to test me because I was "doing well" in school despite how hard it was to get through the year. My mom ended up taking the school's side, thinking I was just copying my friend when honestly, I hadn't considered ADHD until he listed his symptoms and something clicked. It took a breakdown Freshman year of college to get a test, and then these videos ended up being my lifeline so I could have some strategies. In February, right before the pandemic hit and I was sent home for online schooling, my insurance company decided it would no longer cover the medication I had been taking for two years. I got no warning. I simply showed up to the pharmacy to find a much larger price tag. I ran out of meds the week we went online because I couldn't afford to pay out of pocket. As I struggled with my insurance company, I was taking college courses with no support system and a brain that refused to cooperate. I was off meds for a month as we switched me to something I had to order from an online pharmacy and cost 5x as much. It took until June for me to get new meds that I could also afford. And still remembering to call on time every month is a Struggle. Thank you and everyone who commented about similar experiences to remind me that I'm not alone.

As a person (specifically us women)on Medicaid with substance abuse history (sober 3+years) living in the bronx, they will never care to make getting a diagnosis available to us. Let alone medication. Let alone stimulant medication. Which is what actually works. In other words. You have to be a certain kind of person to even have the chance of treatment. Knowing I'm not and never will be "that person" just depresses the hell out of me.

When I was diagnosed it was like 'here's a pamphlet, here's some pills, go pass your classes.' I have learned everything I know now about ADHD from you. ❤

My mother, now in her 80s, could have been the poster child for severe ADHD. Being a Mom was overwhelming to her and she had two bad marriages; one husband ended up taking his own life. You can imagine the upbringing me and my brother had on top of both having ADHD. (Both of my brother's sons also have ADHD). I am the only one in this family who sought help for ADHD and the depression that often walks hand and hand with it. I'm in my 60s now and I've got some accomplishments to be proud of -- I put myself through an ivy league university (also ended up with a lot of debt) and I was the first member of my family to earn a bachelor's degree (only took 25 years of plugging away at it!). I was a reporter for more than 30 years and, I am told, a very good one (probably because of my lively, inquisitive, quirky ADHD brain). I published my photography in a couple of national magazines (and got paid!). I went through the very rigorous Master Gardener program (but didn't complete it, mostly because my employers back-pedaled on letting me have Fridays off to attend the class) -- and then I found the funding and volunteers to create a large, beautiful community garden on an empty lot in my neighborhood, now in operation for 11 years. I also taught writing to adults, was recently a substitute teacher and did some other cool stuff. But I also got myself involved with an abusive guy - mentally and verbally controlling and abusive -- precisely because ADHD does a number on your self-esteem and makes you question yourself constantly, and there are people in this world who target insecure people. The longer I was with this guy (a total of 11 years before I finally got him out of my life), the more aware I became of what was "wrong" with me, thanks to looking at myself through his eyes. He enjoyed making me doubt myself. For example, because he knew I struggled with remembering things, he would deliberately say he told me something when he didn't (I started writing everything down because I thought I was going nuts). I think this is probably one of the worst pitfalls of ADHD, which is not trusting your own instincts and assuming everyone else knows what's best for you, and is "normal." So this can also make it difficult to challenge doctors and other "experts." And to not let people make you feel small because you're often late, or you forget names, or you repeat the same stories, or your apartment is a wreck, and you have this label of ADHD. I think this young woman is very brave and very generous and even in my 60s, I can gain more insight from her videos. Keep up the good work! Hang tough! You have a lot of support here.

Most of the world isn't adhd friendly.

I am so touched by this. Thank you for being so open and honest about your struggles and how you feel. A lot of videos out there today are polished, people putting on an act like a thing…..You are real, this is refreshingly real, as are your other videos - you are a blessing to me. I am waiting for an autism and ADHD assessment, and I am dying ti understand myself after 39 years of feeling a failure and weirdo. Your videos have given me understanding and much comfort. Words cannot express my gratitude - thank you!!!

my teachers act like i don't have ADHD. They're always like: "why aren't you paying attention!! YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION!!! It ISNT that HARD!!!" they don't even take into consideration that i have a way harder time than other kids. it really annoys me and hurts me. they act like it isn't even a thing. its almost like they think that the label of ADHD is a joke to them. and they give me bad report card grades for my work habbits grades. I do get good grades, but my work habbits aren't the best. can anyone relate?

The insurance systems are such a scam in America. I feel it's not the doctors faults. They are doing a great job. But the insurance companies are absolutely HOSTILE!!!!!!!

I didn't get diagnosed until I was nearly 50 years old. I went through several hells of Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds that made my physical and emotional health worse. I spent 5 years under a Crohn's diagnosis, Paying close to $1000 for meds some months. Now, I have a med that keeps me at a reasonable baseline, but can't afford counseling or coaching, I feel like a criminal every month dealing with the hurdles to get my prescription. I cried when I watched this.

I relate to this so much. Not just that, but when you're in this incredibly angering, frustrating situation -- and you DON'T act calm, collected and neurotypical -- they can turn on you and revoke assistance at their whim.

My psychiatrist told me "if you weren't jumping up and down on tables and disrupting class and getting bad grades as a kid, you don't have ADHD." I feel your pain. It seems impossible sometimes.

I have had to walk into my doctor's office in tears trying to get my prescription approved two days earlier because the renewal fell on a weekend and my pharmacy was not open on the weekend. I hated that feeling. I hated feeling like I was seeking drugs when I just didn't want the disruption it would bring. I didn't want the chaos it would bring.

I was literally told that “saying you have ADHD is drug seeking behavior” by a receptionist I spoke to when I tried to schedule a visit with a psychiatrist. I still don’t have a formal diagnosis. I was diagnosed by a guidance counsellor in high school and then again by an RN in college who didn’t note it in my chart. (I’m now almost 30) I know this is what’s going on with my brain but now I’m afraid to ask for a diagnosis out of fear of looking like I’m “drug seeking”.

I got diagnosed last week with ADHD, I’m 40 tommorow! Your videos have been like a guide for me on what to expect! I know this is an older video but your still appreciated so much because anyone with ADHD watches this it will make more sense because this is real life and real things happening, I have combination adhd and was prescribed with 30mg of elvanse for the first month, day 3 I feel like it’s gonna be ok! Thank you x

Your channel has helped me with my ADHD more than any doctor has ever and I’m so grateful that it exists