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Comment by seanssel | Hacker News Reader

This is my first time hearing about inattentive ADHD, but it seems to describe me pretty well. Do you have experience looking into this as an adult? I feel like there’s such a stigma around ADHD diagnoses and people seeking stimulants.

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Not OP, but I was diagnosed as an adult. There are brief screening questionaires therapists or general medicine doctors can use as a quick first step. But when I was given one of these tests, I scored a couple points under the threshhold. Later, when a thorough, proper battery of tests was administered by a psychiatrist at a major university medical center, I was found to have significant ADHD impairment. So if you think you may have ADHD, it's worth seeking out a proper evaluation from a psychiatrist. The battery of tests will take multiple hours.

I haven't had a lot of issues getting treatment after my diagnosis, personally. I know some people do have issues, and there are inconveniences like annual drug tests I have to take, but my only regret is not getting diagnosed ten years earlier.

Hey, thanks for the response. I'm in my mid 30s and have considered myself a "space cadet" my entire life. School was absolutely brutal for me, and I'm still amazed at myself for getting through it. Assumed that most of inability to focus was because of mild depression and anxiety, but I'd like to see if something else is going on. Feels like I've been living in a daze for decades.

Guess I'll reach out to a GP first and see what they think. Appreciate you.

Good luck.

Not much to add vs the other comment. Look into ADHD symptoms - inattentive traits that you relate to are all part of that. Upon reflection you might relate to some other symptoms as well. You might want to read about how all of diagnostic criteria are defined in the DSM-5, which is likely similar to what your psychiatrist will rely for diagnosis.

Disregard the stigma, it is mostly confined to people fully ignorant as to what ADHD is, how stimulant medication works, and its well proven safety profile.

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