Do you wish you hadn't gotten officially diagnosed ? (sopuli.xyz)

submitted 1 week ago by Talos@sopuli.xyz to c/adhd@lemmy.world

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I’m in kind of a weird situation. I’m past my 40’s, and a close younger relative of mine got diagnosed with ADHD and I was talking with their psych and she said “uh it’s pretty clear you have this too., and you’ve been masking.”

So I was already seeing a psychiatrist, for anxiety, paying out of pocket because I didn’t want people in my profession or the health insurance company to know.

I told my own psych about the ADHD idea and she started prescribing stimulant meds to see if it helps.

It’s been amazing. My anxiety has practically melted away and just everything has gotten better for me.

Should I get diagnosed officially now?

On one hand I like the privacy.

On the other hand, my current psychiatrist might retire soon, and also if I have to change jobs, I think I’m required to list any pre-existing conditions.

I’d really like to hear other people’s experiences either way.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 week ago

Do you want/need medication? If so, an official diagnosis will help. If not, it's probably not worth it, unless it's going to put you at ease.

In my case, official diagnosis really fucked me up for a while, as I could no longer deny the things I'd spent a lifetime denying/ignoring/making excuses for. It made me feel broken in a way that can't ever be fixed.

Eventually, I got over that, as I realised I and everyone else is "broken" in a thousand little ways, and I was placing way too much emphasis on one aspect. But, still, it took me a while to get to that point.

Given that I don't really use ADHD meds (adult ADHD is very gatekept), I'm not sure formal diagnosis has done much to help me. But aside from the initial burst dam of negative feelings, it hasn't done much to hurt me either.

[-] Talos@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 week ago

I’m not worried about the diagnosis per se. It’s pretty clear to me that I have it and I’m okay with that. Also I’ve been having no problems getting meds since my psychiatrist is on board.

I am wondering if there are just things I haven’t anticipated that come along with becoming ‘out’ to ‘The System.’

this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026

3 points (100.0% liked)

ADHD

12539 readers

6 users here now

A casual community for people with ADHD

Values:

Acceptance, Openness, Understanding, Equality, Reciprocity.

Rules:

No abusive, derogatory, or offensive post/comments.
No porn, gore, spam, or advertisements allowed.
Do not request for donations.
Do not link to other social media or paywalled content.
Do not gatekeep or diagnose.
Mark NSFW content accordingly.
No racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, or ageism.
Respectful venting, including dealing with oppressive neurotypical culture, is okay.
Discussing other neurological problems like autism, anxiety, ptsd, and brain injury are allowed.
Discussions regarding medication are allowed as long as you are describing your own situation and not telling others what to do (only qualified medical practitioners can prescribe medication).

Encouraged:

Funny memes.
Welcoming and accepting attitudes.
Questions on confusing situations.
Seeking and sharing support.
Engagement in our values.

Relevant Lemmy communities:

Neurodivergent Life Hacks

lemmy.world/c/adhd will happily promote other ND communities as long as said communities demonstrate that they share our values.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

MrPoopyButthole@lemmy.world

MrPoopyButthole@lemmy.dbzer0.com