tubabandit
Diagnosed at 43-44. Went to psychologist, talked about why I wanted an assessment, did a questionnaire. Had a second appointment, asked questions based on first questionnaire, did another one while also assessing for other co-morbidities. Wound up doing at least two more questionnaires, plus my spouse and wife did one each. Received ~10 page report that several aspects of the ADHD “spectrum”, as well as other common co-diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, autism. We discussed to ensure I was ok with it and understood it, she suggested other resources and tools, and I took that to my PCP to start trialling medications.
I knew almost nothing about the game and went into it completely without assumptions or preconceptions. I played it immediately at launch on XBone and didn’t stop for a few hundred hours of total game time. I was completely blown away.
Did it crash here and there? Was it lurchy and buggy? Did bikes sometimes get stuck in the pavement like it was sand? Did you wind up smashing an unconscious person’s head through the earth a la “Rock Bottom” every 4 or 5 times you tried to be sneaky? Yeah.
Despite that, was it one of the greatest games I’ve ever played? Fuck yeah.
People had genuine problems and a game should never launch in the state that CP77 was in, but I completely agree with him that it became cool to rip on the game.
It’s personal, not professional. They’re treating you like a child.
Worth noting that THC turns my ADHD up to 11, so cutting it out is definitely the right answer for me. YMMV.
They aren’t an expert at all. A proper evaluation involves several questionnaires and interviews that complement/supplement each other to assess the consistency and veracity of your responses, a consideration of other conditions (since ADHD is very commonly paired with other conditions such as depression or anxiety), and may also involve parents or someone from earlier in your life to check for childhood presentations, if possible.
By your GP’s reckoning I’d be fine because I have a good job and several university degrees, but that’s because I’m smart and could compensate. In reality I was drowning at work and home, and unconsciously self-medicating with copious amounts of coffee, all the while unknowingly masking a fairly significant impairment that I wasn’t even aware was there until I entered my 40s.
It might cost a bit of money but get a proper evaluation done with a psychologist. If the GP won’t help you, get a new one or find a nurse practitioner who has some familiarity with ADHD treatment. Medication is not the only fix, there’s lots you can do without it, and lifestyle changes will help you a lot, BUT it works brilliantly for something like 70-80% of cases so it would be folly not to pursue it. There are also non-stimulant treatments that don’t carry the overblown “drug seeking” fears and that may work for those who cannot tolerate stimulants. Based on the evidence provided, your care provider is uninformed or is not acting with your best interests in mind.