Booking a GP to discuss a diagnosis for ADHD can feel daunting, especially when you’re not sure if you qualify or if your doctor will take you seriously. It’s not always easy to get the referral you need despite the fact you display many of the symptoms that are disrupting your life on a daily basis.
But the trick to getting your doctor in your corner on this is to go in prepared. It’s knowing what exactly will make your GP give you the referral you need to be prepared yourself for getting what you need.
Let’s take a look.
Track Symptoms first
This is really important as your doctor needs to see proof that it’s not just occasional occurances that you’ve felt require assistance due to watching a few tiktoks on the topic.
These ongoing prolonged examples and scenarios of when this has massively impacted your life. And for those genuinely living with adhd the patterns will be there in how you live your life in how you’ve adapted. It’s the constant losing your keys, never being on time, the inability to start tasks despite knowing the need to be done and even wanting to do them. It’s the hyperfocus rabbit holes you find yourself in frequently and more. You’ll know when you start to track it. And the more examples you can give your doctor the better. They need to know how important it is to you day to day so they can help you.
Book the Appointment
A good tip is to request a longer appointment than the standard ten minutes. This gives you time to really discuss with your GP all of your concerns and present your case properly, not just bring it up as a side quest. You can mention the reason for the visit ahead of the item so they’re prepared and know what to expect as they can sometimes help the GP plan the allotted time and appropriate discussions and information you need.
Always ask when you book to make sure you’re getting the right appointment; some practices have specific GP who deal with certain topics as their speciality, meaning if you’re upfront about the reason for your appointment, and there’s someone there with a focus on adhd or mental health, you can get someone who is knowledgeable on the topic.
Ask for the Referral Letter
You need to be clear about what you want from the appointment and ask specifically for the referral. You need a GP referral specifically for an adhd assessment, including for some private ones, so make sure you are upfront and you don’t wait for your GP to suggest or offer the referral. If you don’t ask, you don’t get as the old saying goes.
Once you have done this, you can then take an adhd test with a private provider if you wish. Then once this is in hand, you will begin your journey to getting the diagnosis if you satisfy the criteria. Remember even if you feel you have ADHD you might not always qualify once the legitimate assessments begin so don’t get your hopes up that simply because you got the referral, you’re going to get the outcome you think you will.
MindOwl Founder – My own struggles in life have led me to this path of understanding the human condition. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy before completing a master’s degree in psychology at Regent’s University London. I then completed a postgraduate diploma in philosophical counselling before being trained in ACT (Acceptance and commitment therapy).
I’ve spent the last eight years studying the encounter of meditative practices with modern psychology.