Last month, a BBC investigation found that many areas of the UK have such long backlogs for adult ADHD assessments that it would take at least eight years to clear them. The investigation suggests there are currently at least 196,000 adults on waiting lists across the UK.

...

Since 2019, there has been a 51 per cent increase in prescriptions for ADHD medications such as methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine, according to the Nuffield Trust. But it has still not caught up with demand. In April, the trust said 24 per cent of patients referred for ADHD in England were having to wait one to two years for an assessment. Rising demand fuelled by increased awareness of ADHD symptoms, coupled with limited capacity, has contributed to the backlogs, with three trusts having closed their waiting lists completely.

It's been about eighteen months since I first spoke to a doctor about getting referred for an adult ADHD diagnosis. The doc said basically "I'll refer you but don't expect anything because you're holding down a job and a family so you must be doing alright". I had my screening interview back in June, and that was followed up by two web-based questionnaires, one for me, and one for an adult who was about when I was young. My mum filled this role. And it's off the back of this questionnaire that the NHS has discharged me, stating "ADHD is a life-long condition and we would expect differences to have been evident from an early age" and "[my] difficulties are not best explained by a diagnosis such as ADHD".

Unqualified as I am, I do still feel like based on my own research, ADHD is probably the best explanation for a bunch of stuff in my life. A guy I've spoken to a lot who has some experience says my lived experience sounds fairly textbook ADHD/autism as taking effect from my mid to late teens (when my mum wasn't about so much), but the NHS seem to have focused in on my early childhood in discharging me.

Has anyone here been discharged by the NHS before a diagnosis, and what did you do afterwards? Did you carry on and get diagnosed elsewhere? If that happens, do you have to cover the entire cost of prescriptions forever? Did you get diagnosed with something else? ngl this feels like a real blow and I don't really know what to do next.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/10089820

The extraordinary rise in demand for autism assessments and ADHD treatments in England has overtaken the NHS's capacity to meet it, a think tank says.

Since 2019, there has been a five-fold rise in people waiting to see an autism specialist and a 51% increase in prescriptions for ADHD medication, according to the Nuffield Trust.

Growing backlogs and longer waiting times are negatively impacting people's daily lives, it warned.

It said a "radical rethink" was needed.

...

One out of every 100 people is on the autistic spectrum, it is estimated, while 2.6 million people in the UK have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) .

The Nuffield Trust said 24% of patients referred for ADHD in England were having to wait one to two years for an assessment.

On top of this, thousands of people with ADHD have been unable to get prescribed medication amid a major supply shortage. This was announced in September due to "manufacturing issues and an increased global demand".

Meanwhile,172,000 adults and children are on a waiting list for an autism assessment - the highest recorded figure - according to NHS data analysed by the think tank.

Between October and December 2023, the median time spent on a waiting list after an autism referral rose to over nine months, compared with four months in the same period in 2019.

Wellness firms are exploiting a national shortage of ADHD medication to push so-called “smart supplements” as an alternative to prescribed drugs.

As patients struggle to get hold of medication – or face years-long waits for NHS assessments – companies are peddling unproved products as a “natural” treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In some cases the supplements are being marketed for use in children as young as three. In other cases they are promoted to young people via ADHD “influencers” on Instagram and TikTok, or advertised by salespeople in Facebook support groups. The claims made about their benefits include that they can improve focus, increase memory, banish brain fog and boost brain power.

Health experts said that the claims lack any robust evidence and could give patients and their families false hope.

Great news people. I had a consultation with my provider (ADHD-360), they told me that elvanse was trickling back into stock.

They updated my prescription from Amfexa to elvanse, I ordered that evening (Tues) and the meds are arriving today!

So it might be worth getting in touch with your provider and seeing if you can get the good meds 😊.

Might be worth noting that they asked how I was getting on with Amfexa. I told them honestly; it's just not as good. So maybe they are taking into account people's tolerances when deciding.

So basically I'm a college teacher and I've been doing it for less than a year, our new set of learners has multiple people with ADHD and honestly they are fantastic people and they have great input for the lessons but they're also very disruptive at times.

I just want advice from people in the same boat on what I can do to be better for them. I never expected for a single day in my life that I would become a teacher so I don't really know what I'm doing in this situation and I don't want to be a dick about it cos it's not their fault.

Thanks in advance.

I also wanted to post this great segment from BBC Breakfast, currently a pinned post on r/ADHDUK.

I found it both extremely validating and upsetting to see the exact anguish on his face that I've been experiencing.

The link should take you to the start of the studio segment (2:18) but the clip that precedes it is also worth your time if you have it.

If anyone in your life wants to know why you're struggling right now, I'm yet to come across a better and more concise resource to express it.

So I got a batch of Elvanse about a week and a half ago after spending a few long and painful days unmedicated, and I was happily taking them as usual. Then it occurred to me late last week that there's no guarantee I'd get more in a few weeks' time. I decided to try only taking them three or four days a week to try to make them last, so I missed Saturday and Sunday, took one yesterday then missed today.

Bad decision.

Boy, have I ever been depressed the last few days. The shortage has been a great stressor for the last couple of weeks so I'd been struggling anyway, but going mostly unmedicated really takes me back; it's been a while since I've felt that overwhelming numbness of 'real' depression.

I'm okay now after taking a couple of Amfies through this afternoon. In fact, I feel remarkably normal. It has once again highlighted the stark difference the meds make for me. The underlying dread of uncertainty with future prescriptions is still there, obviously, but if all we have right now is hope then I'd rather cling to that than sink into the hopelessness I've experienced over the last few days.

With feddit.uk communities soon being migrated in light of potential defederation, ADHD UK will be moving over to a new instance.

Once that happens, this community will be locked. There are currently no firm dates on when this will be but it's Soon™.

You can read more about the migration here:

Fedxit: Migrating to a new instance

that it's like my brain doesn't instinctively understand that no one is experiencing what I'm experiencing; it treats what I see, hear etc along with my internal monologue like a movie that everyone is watching.

I was so confident last week. After some six years of (needlessly) taking various antidepressants and dealing with how awful withdrawal from each of those was, I had no concerns about being faced with the shortage. I usually don’t take my Elvanse at the weekends and I’m fine, and I’ve got the Amfexa boosters to tide me over, so I felt like I was ready for what was coming. What I’d forgotten to consider was that I don’t normally have to be anywhere at 8am or do anything that requires focus at the weekends.

This has been my third day without meds and Amfies haven’t tided me over at all. These last couple of work days have been tough, at a time where I really need to be at my best. It’s really highlighted the difference the meds make, although right now it’s hard to tell where the old, unmedicated me starts and the withdrawals end.

Don’t get me wrong, the Elvanse withdrawals so far don’t hold a candle to going cold turkey on anti-d’s but I worry for everyone out there dealing with the shortage that hasn’t been through medication withdrawal before. I’m fortunate enough to have medication coming ~~some time next week~~ tomorrow(!!) ~~but right now even that feels like an eternity away~~; what about all the people that have no idea when their next prescription is coming?

To everyone out there suffering from withdrawals: it’s cliched but stay strong, it won’t last forever. It can be scary and things might be rocky for a bit, and you may act or think in ways that are unlike you; show yourself some compassion and understand this isn’t ‘you’. You’re also not alone in this and there are always people out there you can reach out to if things feel overwhelming, even if it’s an ADHD stranger on the internet.

This shortage has been a monumental fuck up from everyone involved and it’s hard not to feel angry, however futile that anger might be. In that regard, all we can do is hope that something changes as a result of this so it doesn’t happen again.

of having so much motivation to set up an ADHD community, then after a while it becomes the newest thing collecting dust in the corner.

and stop grinding your damn teeth

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1551255

When I am cooking, I have trained myself to set a timer for 10 minutes.

My rule for cooking is "don't leave the kitchen", but that isn't realistic. I wander without realizing. It's an issue. I've been in another room and the timer has gone off and I'm like,"Oh fuck!". I completely spaced it.

Anyway, when the timer goes, I set another timer for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat until the stove is off.

Like with other neurodivergent conditions, meeting the expectations of the 'normal world' can be exhausting for ADHD people. Regulating yourself through the eight hour work day can leave your head feeling stuffy and like it's about to burst but there's no shame in taking some time for yourself after the work day.

A lot of us will have spent our lives being told we're "lazy" and "underperforming", so it's hard to shake the feeling that we should always be doing something productive. But "productive" can mean having some downtime if it leads to greater motivation and mental clarity later on.

Of course, this isn't always possible if there are other things involved like family or other work commitments, and it's whatever works best for you. Just don't feel like every moment of your life has to be dedicated to furthering 'the bigger picture'.

Don't be afraid to watch the next episode of your new favourite show or sink another hour into whatever game has you hooked right now. Read another chapter, draw something just for fun - whatever it is that clears your brain fog.

It's important to look after yourself and relaxation is a huge part of that. Different people are wired differently; don't always hold yourself to the standards of the 'always on' crowd if it doesn't work for you.

Have a good week!

I dont (I think) have ADHD, but my partner is in the process of pursuing a diagnosis.

I was wondering if anyone was aware of any resources that would help me better understand and support them.

I think the strain it can put on relationship is quite well documented, so I would appreciate resource that would help me.

I've tried some podcasts aimied at people with ADHD, and that gives me and insight, but it doesn't help me understand want to do to be more supportive or helpful, as they just tend to moan about things people do wrong.

Anything would be helpful. Cheers all!

It's a hot one out there for a lot of us today so remember to take a water bottle with you, keep drinking and refill it when it's empty. Also avoid staying in direct sunlight for long periods of time wherever possible.

This is especially true if you're taking stimulant medications as these may dehydrate you, making you more susceptible to heat exhaustion and sunburn.

Refill can show you the locations of water fountains where you can refill your bottle for free.

If you keep misplacing something, keep it in a set place or places in each room and discipline yourself in doing so until it becomes habit.

It's usually best to put something in the first place you think of when trying to find it, even if it might look out of place there.

As an extension to this, I've found putting most of my day-to-day things in a bag/backpack etc. helps the most. It's whatever works best for you but I always keep my keys, meds, cards and a USB cable in my bag, and that goes out with me basically everywhere. Just make sure you're not carrying half your life around with you!

I hope that this can be a positive, safe space for discussion around ADHD in the UK.

Please feel free to get involved. Rant if you must.

Rules can be found in the sidebar.

To get things started I'll occasionally post general tips (I guess the kids would call them "hacks") on dealing with ADHD day-to-day.

A~~n icon and~~ banner will be added at some point.

~~I'll also add some links to other ADHD spaces in the Lemmy-sphere to the sidebar once the influx of new users has settled down and we have more clear-cut communities taking shape.~~

For now, remember to eat and stay hydrated. The doomscrolling can wait!

Update 1: An icon has been added. The banner will be added whenever I'm struck by inspiration. If anyone has any suggestions for it then please DM it to me

Update 2: Made rules less wordy. Added 'Other Communities' and 'Other Resources' to sidebar.