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Anonymous
She blinded me with science 2017-08-16 01:28:01 Post No. 18626617
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She blinded me with science 2017-08-16 01:28:01 Post No. 18626617
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I could write a novel on this but I'll try to make it quick. I dropped out of grad school last year after having a very bad time with depression. I have also struggled with anxiety and I have mild autism (formerly called Asperger's). Since then I've been unable to start a new career or move on with my life in part due to a shattered sense of self worth.
Recently I went in for a full battery of psychological tests to get formal diagnosis of all the above conditions and with the hope of getting some recommendations for how to get started on having a life again. The psychologist did diagnose me with mild depression, anxiety, and autism, but she also insisted that I have ADHD. It's very obvious to me that I have dealt with anxiety and depression, and I have always identified with the experiences of people who have autism, but I have never felt that way about ADHD. Her diagnosis was totally shocking to me and to be honest I do not believe it is accurate.
I don't believe I have any symptoms of ADHD. I have never had difficulty paying attention or focusing. The psychologist says that I have a dopamine deficiency in my frontal cortex consistent with ADHD, which she can tell because she measured my IQ as 150 while my scores for tests of reaction time and processing speed were only average. I don't understand how having average performance could be considered a deficiency, let alone constitute a case to be treated with medication. If I had achieved "merely" an average score on the intelligence tests, I don't think she would have diagnosed me this way. Pic related is a standard test of "variables of attention," by the way. They make you look at a similar display for about 20 minutes and they measure your reaction time throughout.
What the fuck am I supposed to do with this? Anyone else have a similar experience of being totally blindsided by an ADHD diagnosis? How did it work out for you?
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>>18627475
Fuck off to /r9k/ with this shit already.
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>>18627488
What did I do?
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Hey there,
I was diagnosed with ADHD about a few months ago. Wasn't really that blindsided by it. I thought I had aspergers as well before my diagnosis, but here's the kicker: ADHD manifests itself in very similar ways to that of certain conditions on the spectrum. Your psychiatrist/therapist knows a whole lot more than you do, and unless he/she really fucked up, I'd be willing to bet money that her/his diagnosis was correct. Honestly, I can live with ADHD and not have to take medication. I don't know about you though. I wouldn't worry my head about it
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>>18628927
>ADHD manifests itself in very similar ways to that of certain conditions on the spectrum
Yes, I've definitely heard about that, but wouldn't it also work the other way around? That's one of the reasons I think they might have got this backwards. If ADHD can look like ASD, ASD can look like ADHD. My therapist wasn't involved in this diagnosis but I've just sent him the results so I guess I'll see what he thinks of it. I trust him more, as someone I've known for a long time, than this testing place I had never heard of before.
What does "living with ADHD" feel like, anyway?
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>>18628973
Well,
I've lived with ADHD my entire life. A lot of stuff that happened to me when I was younger started to make more sense after I was diagnosed, like
>teachers constantly bitching for me to pay attention
>being really good at things that interest me, and really bad at things that didn't
>forgetting a ton of things if I didn't have a list of chores handy
>interrupting people
>fidgeting, biting my nails, lack of impulse control
I've managed to deal with it by just being constantly aware of what I am doing, and writing lists so I don't forget what I need to do. Still, even though I'd very much like some Aderall to make things easier for me, I'm afraid I'd get addicted or dependent on it. Not exactly my cup of tea.
I'm actually quite social, relatively good with girls, and "musically gifted" even though I don't believe it myself. All in all its not that bad but I wish I could know what's it's like to be normal and not in a constant state of boredom and crippling existentialism
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