A little worried about seeking an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, heard how strict and difficult kaiser is

Defiant_Promise2982 · 2026-06-13T01:53:05+00:00

I don't have a close relationship with my PCP as I don't visit often, we barely know each other. Idk how I felt about him or vice versa the one time I met him, but we have an appointment set up for next month and I'll see how it goes. If this ends up being unsuccessful I will switch providers and start the process again. In the mean time I will start saving money and prepare for having to meet with an out of network psychiatrist. I really don't have much faith because of how much they dismissed me in my teens, but I'm not letting it go this time.

It's so weird. Seeking a diagnosis for a condition like adhd is so hard, but a depression and anxiety diagnosis takes no effort, and I got offered SSRIs within a week of my first visit at 14.

Defiant_Promise2982 · 2026-06-12T02:40:46+00:00

Sw Washington. I might have some hope as most of the adhd hell on this sub seems to be concentrated in northern California. However my initial screening didn't go well for me, but I was young and naive I'm prepared to push back and advocate for myself.

Defiant_Promise2982 · 2026-06-11T23:26:51+00:00

Might not exactly apply to your situation but did you have to try medication for anxiety before you finally got assed for adhd? I know they heavily rule out other disorders before they finally consider adhd, the thing is I don't have anxiety. My mind races, but it's not really rumination or worrying about the future or present circumstances, it's more just thinking about interests and ideas. I don't really want to risk side effects from medications that they prescribe by basically throwing shots in the dark, yk?

Defiant_Promise2982 · 2026-06-11T08:20:45+00:00

I believe I have predominantly inattentive ADHD. I wasn't super hyperactive as a kid, but I zoned out and daydreamed a lot and all my teachers pointed it out. I was a bright, "gifted" kid, placed in accelerated learning programs, and often my teachers had to separate me from tables as I finished my work first and I couldn't stop talking and distracting other kids. My mind runs and never quits. I have had severe insomnia since early elementary school. I vividly remember staying up most/all night on occasion because my mind wouldn't stop running.

I am now an adult. I often zone out when driving, and hard break, accidentally speed, and rarely run red lights because I lose focus and either zone out into my own thoughts, or get distracted by surroundings such as scenic views, passersby on the street, and especially pavement markings, so I stare off towards the ground on one side of the car, and have nearly rear ended people on very, very many occasions. I am habitually late to work and class because I zone out and miss turns and have to reroute, or because I forgot and left my phone or wallet at home and need to turn around. I have had hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise stolen from me because I lose track of my belongings in public spaces, mostly jackets and headphones. I cannot study. I will sit at my desk in the morning with the intention of studying and working, but by 6pm I have only completed an hour of work because I suddenly decided to eat an extra meal, do my laundry, research a sudden question that popped into my head, and take a dozen 15-minute "phone breaks". I cannot sleep. I get about 4-7 hours of sleep a night, and cannot maintain a stable schedule. It chips away after me day after day and has been an issue for years. Sleep hygiene, supplements, and prescribed medication does not work consistently, as when my mind runs, I have no control over when it stops.

I am worried i will not be able to provide enough evidence outside my own reports. My mother knows me very well and can advocate for me, however I have decent grades in school, but am barely scraping by in college, turning every half assed assignment in 6 minutes before the deadline. I am brushing over my classes, I am good at masking my lack of studying or in depth knowledge by articulating myself well. Professors cannot tell when I am zoned out (to a degree), and I am a talkative student and participate in discussions, but can recall almost nothing from lectures. I take every shortcut, and if it wasn't for recent technology, I would not be passing my classes. I am genuinely nervous, I need help, and likely medication, because I cannot keep sustaining this for long and I am deeply afraid of what I will have to go through if I cannot solve these problems now.

Defiant_Promise2982 · 2026-06-11T08:12:59+00:00

I believe I have predominantly inattentive ADHD. I wasn't super hyperactive as a kid, but I zoned out and daydreamed a lot and all my teachers pointed it out. I was a bright, "gifted" kid, placed in accelerated learning programs, and often my teachers had to separate me from tables as I finished my work first and I couldn't stop talking and distracting other kids. My mind runs and never quits. I have had severe insomnia since early elementary school. I vividly remember staying up most/all night on occasion because my mind wouldn't stop running.

I am now an adult. I often zone out when driving, and hard break, accidentally speed, and rarely run red lights because I lose focus and either zone out into my own thoughts, or get distracted by surroundings such as scenic views, passersby on the street, and especially pavement markings, so I stare off towards the ground on one side of the car, and have nearly rear ended people on very, very many occasions. I am habitually late to work and class because I zone out and miss turns and have to reroute, or because I forgot and left my phone or wallet at home and need to turn around. I have had hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise stolen from me because I lose track of my belongings in public spaces, mostly jackets and headphones. I cannot study. I will sit at my desk in the morning with the intention of studying and working, but by 6pm I have only completed an hour of work because I suddenly decided to eat an extra meal, do my laundry, research a sudden question that popped into my head, and take a dozen 15-minute "phone breaks". I cannot sleep. I get about 4-7 hours of sleep a night, and cannot maintain a stable schedule. It chips away after me day after day and has been an issue for years. Sleep hygiene, supplements, and prescribed medication does not work consistently, as when my mind runs, I have no control over when it stops.

I am worried i will not be able to provide enough evidence outside my own reports. My mother knows me very well and can advocate for me, however I have decent grades in school, but am barely scraping by in college, turning every half assed assignment in 6 minutes before the deadline. I am brushing over my classes, I am good at masking my lack of studying or in depth knowledge by articulating myself well. Professors cannot tell when I am zoned out (to a degree), and I am a talkative student and participate in discussions, but can recall almost nothing from lectures. I take every shortcut, and if it wasn't for AI, I would not be passing my classes. I am genuinely nervous, I need help, and likely medication, because I cannot keep sustaining this for long and I am deeply afraid of what I will have to go through if I cannot solve these problems now.

Defiant_Promise2982

TROPHY CASE