When I was growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, ADD wasn’t a thing. Kids with attention deficit disorder struggled to succeed and often developed anxiety and depression as a result.
This is exactly what happened to Kim, and it wasn’t until she was homeschooling her own children during the pandemic that she made the connection: Perhaps the cause of her mental health issues was undiagnosed ADD.
But it’s been much more challenging than you might expect for Kim to receive the appropriate treatment.
On this episode of Tell Me More, Kim joins me to explain how she was diagnosed with depression as a young adult and why her mental health treatment took a turn for the worse when her psychiatrist added bipolar disorder to the mix in 2017.
Kim describes how she was dismissed when she first mentioned adult ADD to her neurologist, what steps she took to get diagnosed by a neuropsychologist, and why her mental health history is still stopping her from getting adequate treatment.
Listen in for insight on what it’s like for Kim to live with adult ADD and learn how to honor your intuition and advocate for yourself when a doctor’s mental health treatment plan doesn’t seem right.
Key Takeaways When Kim was first diagnosed with and treated for generalized anxiety and depression
Why Kim was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017 and how the meds led to her hospitalization
How Kim’s psychiatrist responded to her request to come off bipolar meds and why she brought her husband along for the appointment
The revelation Kim had as she was homeschooling her kids during the pandemic and discussing their struggles with ADD
How Kim’s neurologist dismissed her when she mentioned adult ADD
Kim’s journey to being diagnosed with ADD by a neuropsychologist
How Kim’s mental health history is preventing her from getting appropriate treatment for ADD
What it’s like for Kim to live with ADD as an adult and how it impacts her relationships
Why practitioners should be careful about diagnosing mental health disorders
Kim’s advice to patients to honor our intuition and keep searching if something’s not right
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Email christine@christinemeyermd.com