Ep #34 Who’s Who in Adult ADHD: Navigating Assessment, Diagnosis and Support in Australia
Apr 04, 2024
'You've made it through a Masters Degree as a Clinical Psychologist. People with ADHD can't do that. I don't think that's what this is.'
It took three GP appointments and a heck of a lot of self-advocacy before a doctor finally agreed to give me the referral I wanted. A referral to see a private psychiatrist, who, over three sessions, would go on to complete a formal assessment that led to my diagnosis of ADHD (combined type) at age 39.
Since my diagnosis, I've been able to apply everything I've known professionally to work well for ADHD adults to my own life, plus, untangle and reframe the unnecessary and unfair labels I'd acquired from others and myself, in the absence of understanding my brain based differences.
My personal journey has taught me that there's a lot of work to be done. I'm excited to be living in a time where there is large investment going into conversations and research that helps us to better understand Adult ADHD, particularly as it occurs in women, and those assigned female at birth.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts here
With increased awareness and story-sharing by those, like me, who have received a late diagnosis, it’s of no surprise that the most common question I’m asked about by listeners of the podcast is:
‘I think I might be ADHD. What do you suggest I do first?’
This is a topic close to my heart. In sharing both my clinical insights and lived experience, I hope this solo episode serves to bust some myths and misconceptions circulating about adult ADHD, and offer you science-backed insights to better inform your understanding of neurodiversity.
Further, if you're one of those people who's currently asking that same question of who's who in the adult ADHD assessment, diagnosis and support space, I hope it equips you with a roadmap to choose your next best step on your journey of self-discovery.
Key Timestamps:
01:23 Recap of previous episode, and listener feedback and questions - where to start and who to see if you think you have ADHD
04:05 Myth busting around the claims of over-diagnosis of ADHD in adults - what the Australian numbers really tell us.
09:14 ADHD defined, and what research reveals about the real world costs of undiagnosed and unsupported ADHD
13:01 Understanding the different types of ADHD
26:00 The role of ADHD coaching in supporting desired behaviour change
37:28 Supporting individuals with ADHD in the workplace
Resources discussed in the show:
- As promised, see an infographic I created for you here, to help gain a quick overview and visual snapshot of who's who in ADHD diagnosis, treatment and support for adults here in Australia
- Gain access to a resource directory of ADHD professionals via AADPA here
- Read about ADHD and support available in Australia via non-profit organisation, ADHD Foundation, here
- Check out the ADHD friendly planner I use to support my goals and organisation habits here
- See the Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines For ADHD FACTSHEET For General Practitioners (GPs), available here
- For information regarding the cost of seeing a psychologist in Australia see here, and for psychiatrists, see here
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To help you better understand options available for diagnosis and support, AADPA has created an ADHD Guideline Consumer Companion, which you can download for free here
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Listen to the full episode here, or by clicking on the images in this post.
- Connect with me via LinkedIn here
- To learn more about Messy Magic, an online program supporting women with ADHD, click here
- To discover how The Posify Group can support your school or workplace in achieving its diversity and inclusion learning and development goals, visit www.theposifygroup.com.au, or email [email protected]
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