For those of you who weren’t diagnosed until adulthood (I’m in my late 40s), what was the diagnosis process like? Are you just given a written test, or does someone evaluate you more thoroughly? Do they try to understand your symptoms, or is it more of a checklist? If anyone has personal stories they’d be willing to share, I’d love to hear them. I’m also just curious about what to expect during the appointment. Who do I make it with? A psychiatrist?
I also wonder if there are other related conditions or learning disabilities that I might have, such as dyslexia. Do I need to be proactive in asking for multiple diagnoses? Or will they be able to evaluate me for anything/everything?
I was recently diagnosed from a neuro-psych. Similar process of many hours of testing (~5h). My friend was also diagnosed recently from a psychiatrist through question answer, but no formal cognitive evaluation measure. The amount of clarity I got from the neuro-psych in terms of cognitive function and my specific circumstances was significantly more helpful than what my friend got from the psychiatrist.
After all the formal testing, I was given a thorough 17 page report including a breakdown of each aspect of cognitive functioning, any applicable disorders (with recommendation for therapy to investigate further and confirm), next steps, and treatment and coping mechanism recommendations. My friend was given a broad diagnosis of unspecified ADHD with no additional information.
If you are able to afford the neuropsych eval, it is well worth it.