Share review of Psychiatry-UK

Psychiatry-UK 2022-07-13 Person 4 5 0

This was an ADHD diagnosis through the right to choose NHS route which I started mid the first year of the pandemic. Initially great - quick and thorough diagnosis, and while it felt like the single video consultation wasn't long enough, the paperwork I had to fill in before-hand that the doctor had read was extremely thorough. Titration for medication did take a while. I felt like I was looking for a needle in a haystack in the dark, in respect of deciding which medication was right for me, as I had very little information and felt like the dose increases/adjustments were on me. Like I was negotiating a maze blindfolded when everyone else had a map and could see! I didn't receive much guidance on this, though the titration nurse was lovely there were things she had no clue about such as medication interactions and side effects and duration of side effects. It would have been helpful to know that for example the extreme dry mouth would eventually resolve but that it could take a couple of months after each dose adjustment. It would have been nice to see a list of 'real world' symptoms such as dry skin (with suggested solutions too!)... For me it has been really hard to be objective and know when you've hit the right dose as I don't have a standard job and being a single parent don't have an objective outside observer... However, with a lot of advice and support from a community group not linked to PSUK, I have been able to find the information I needed to try to make educated decisions on my treatment. For my (very brief!) review the Doctor appeared to be falling asleep when I was talking, closing his eyes, which wasn't ideal from my point of view! (I hope he was still listening?!) Am I really that boring to listen to on a short 30min call? He asked about side effects I've experienced but didn't give any advice on them or reassurance, no indication of what was normal or anything - again I feel left in the dark and don't know what's right and what isn't and not knowing what information he was after... It would have been helpful for me to know what questions I was going to be asked in the review as being put on the spot my mind goes blank - "no, no side effects" and then I come off the call and remember all 10 of them... Nevermind... Overall though this has been a positive experience. I'm now where I should have been over 10 years ago when I initially approached the NHS about an adhd diagnosis only to be fobbed off with tales of the 7-10 year waiting list... (and an NHS referral that it turns out was never put through!). From initial referral by the GP to diagnosis was around 4-5 months which felt like agony but compared with the NHS wait time was blissfully short! It's been an enlightening experience, and while I didn't receive much support from PSUK, simply having the diagnosis has enabled me to research further and start the journey of understanding myself better. It would definitely be helpful to have a leaflet or similar with "So you've had a diagnosis of adhd as an adult... Now what?" - with expectations, advice on the grief process, looking forward and suggestions of how to approach things with relatives, work, colleagues, etc... I do feel that it should be made clearer what support is (or isn't) available, and that medication is not a magic wand... There is little information about what symptoms the medication helps - and what symptoms it doesn't. Overall I definitely recommend this service with the caveat that you should also educate yourself about your potential condition alongside this!!