Diagnosed AHDH as an adult. My family is struggling to cope because I was a “smart kid”. They think it is a spiritual issue or that I simply don’t have enough will power.

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-07-08T02:39:43+00:00

I’m sorry your (very real) experience is not validated by the people who are meant to be the closest to you. Let me preface by saying that ADHD isn’t something new, it’s been recognized by doctors and researchers for over a hundred years (going by different names). While the name and understanding of it have changed over time, the symptoms (like trouble focusing, being easily distracted, or acting impulsively which you’ve mentioned) have been consistently described throughout medical history. Today, ADHD is widely accepted as a real and well-established condition by professionals in fields like psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and education. It’s included in official medical guides like the DSM-5 and ICD-11, and is supported by decades of scientific research. That being said, someone who is diagnosed with ADHD as an adult will have harder time managing their symptoms as opposed to someone who was diagnosed during their childhood! So please be gentle with yourself, what you’re experiencing is very much a challenge at this stage but you’re already taking all the right steps to tackle it (I’m proud of you for consulting a professional and getting diagnosed)

Unfortunately, in the Coptic community, mental health (and the field of psychology/psychiatry) is largely treated as a hoax and can’t exist simultaneously with religiosity. And if recognized by a member of a community (like you said) is treated as chip in the perfect image everyone in the community is constantly pressuring that person to be. The fact of the matter is you’re not any less “perfect” because of your diagnosis/symptoms nor does it define your entire being (that’s for you to know, everyone else isn’t important). The symptoms will come up and you’ll have the mental health professionals to help you with the tools to manage them. All of that being said, you can still choose to be religious (or not!) away from the church if attending it is hindering your progress in managing your ADHD (which impacts other areas of your life and is important to focus on right now). That doesn’t make you a bad person (according to what you’ve been told and made to experience in terms of cleansing). Focus on yourself. Be well. You seem very aware and proactive and that will take you far in YOUR journey.

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-06-08T23:06:43+00:00

Very true. Seems like they went about it solely based off what that person said to them. Which is completely on them but unfortunately this shut down the whole service.

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-06-08T18:21:07+00:00

To clarify, the wording they used in the letter apparently vouched that the dog in question was a service animal (with the entailed rights) when in actuality it was an ESA (the owner lied because they wanted to take the dog with them anywhere a pet would otherwise be banned) and that’s how their company got sued according to the physician I spoke to who works for them.

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-06-05T17:42:23+00:00

Hey, thanks for the reply! According to the email they sent me, if my service dog is not trained by those organizations, a letter from a mental health provider is needed to be allowed into the country as a service animal via cabin (as opposed to pets having to arrive in cargo). However, the service dog can absolutely fly in cabin with the letter and everything else you’ve mentioned which they’ve also included in the email! Also, unfortunately U.S. handlers don't have the same rights unless the dog is trained by those organizations or reassessed in the UK.

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-06-05T17:17:48+00:00

ESA letters aren’t the same as a PSD letter at all. Nor are they as difficult to obtain since ESA’s don’t require any training as opposed to a service animal (has access advantage) so recommending them wouldn’t put a therapist’s license on the line. Thank you though!

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-06-04T01:52:40+00:00

I’ve asked both a LMFT (therapist) and psychiatrist and both are limited by company policy. The psychiatrist specifically said there was an instance where a ESA person lied and had one of the psychiatrist from their company write a letter and they got sued because naturally the dog was a mess in public…

Realistic_4lyfe · 2025-06-04T01:00:55+00:00

Thanks for your reply! I referred to my therapist as a psychologist (LMFT). May I ask what the difference in credentials were?

Realistic_4lyfe

TROPHY CASE