If you're seeing a flood of content about ADHD and are starting to wonder if you have it, is it worth seeking an official diagnosis?
Although seeking a diagnosis is ultimately is a personal choice, there are some important points to consider as you explore your options.
What does an ADHD diagnosis mean to you?
Receiving a mental health diagnosis can be a complicated thing. Unlike physical health diagnoses, which are often seen in a much more neutral light, mental health diagnoses can carry stigma and sometimes can be used to dismiss or pigeonhole those who receive them. While this has improved, particularly for younger, Western populations, stigma still happens. For older generations and people from other cultures, it is still often the dominant perspective. This means that while diagnosis may come with some benefits, it may also carry a significant personal or social cost depending on your age, culture and beliefs.
Today, and especially in younger generations, mental health diagnoses like ADHD and Autism are becoming seen more as an important and valuable aspect of someone's identity and the community they belong to. While these conditions are still disabling, there can be social solidarity and affirmation that comes with receiving an official diagnosis.
Whether a diagnosis means that you're being labelled as defective and broken or as belonging to a certain group and deserving of accommodation will change the way you feel about and approach the process of diagnosis.
Is an ADHD diagnosis required in order to access the supports you need?
When we're talking about ADHD diagnosis, many people seek out an official diagnosis in order to access medications. In this case, a diagnosis is often the only way to get the specific support that medication can provide.
Other supports that may require an official diagnosis include tax breaks, disability payments/support, or other accommodations at work or school. In BC, it's worth asking your GP if you can access an official ADHD diagnosis through publicly funded healthcare and how long the wait times are. Private-pay ADHD assessments are also available in BC.
It's worth investigating whether the accommodations you need require a diagnosis, especially at work or school, as many accommodations are available to all students regardless of diagnosis, although they may not be widely known.
Can you improve your ADHD symptoms without a diagnosis?
Research shows that therapy alone can have a significant improvement on ADHD symptoms. Many people also find that even with ADHD medication, there are still symptoms that only can be addressed through therapy. In addition, ADHD tends to occur alongside other mental health challenges, and has one of the highest co-morbidity rates of all mental health disorders. This means that if you are experiencing ADHD symptoms like difficulty concentrating, paying attention, organizing tasks and managing big emotions, you're also very likely to also experience difficulties with alcohol or substance use, anxiety, depression, tics or bipolar.
In BC, Registered Clinical Counsellors can help people work on improving these symptoms without giving a diagnosis. You can also work with a psychiatrist or GP to receive a diagnosis and/or medication while also seeing a RCC to work on other aspects of ADHD and any other challenges you're experiencing.
Making a Decision About ADHD Diagnosis
Fortunately, it's not an either-or decision. There are many ways to address the challenges that come with experiencing ADHD traits, whether or not those traits meet the official diagnostic criteria for an ADHD diagnosis. Accommodations and support, as well as identity and belonging, are available to everyone and can be tailored to the specific difficulties and challenges each person is facing.
Want to learn more about my approach to ADHD therapy here at Clearwater Counselling? You can read more about my approach to working with adult ADHD here, and more about me and my approach to therapy here.
You can also click here to book a free 30 min consultation to meet and ask questions by video.
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