"Probably have ADHD" - Still not enough validation
I was diagnosed as Autistic in 2014 at age 24. Prior pt that I had diagnosed depression and anxiety and very obvious OCD (which I refused to get diagnosed until 2018).
But there were always elements that didn't seem to fit my batch of diagnoses.
My 11 year old autistic son ended up getting diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) a year or two ago (although his mother was confident long before that.
I have spent the past two years slowly thinking I might have ADHD more and more. Eventually 'semi' self-diagnosed myself in December 2025. As I've become more familiar with ADHD, I feel more affinity with ADHD then with autistic tbh (which I am officially diagnosed as).
And I began free counselling sessions here in Australia in February with a registered psychologist who had experience with ADHD assessments. An official ADHD assessment in Australia seenes to cost $500 to $2,500 depending on who and where. I am trying to avoid that. I don't really see the point unless I want medication.
Anyway, I've seen her three times. I believe my psychologist is diagnosed ADHD and self-diagnosed autistic.
She gave me a screening tool [Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1)] after our second session and my answers in Part A had 5 darkly shaded boxes with a score lf 4 or more indicating that symptoms are highly consistent with ADHD in adults. We then spent our third session going through my symptoms together.
She created a Venn diagram due to overlap between Autism and ADHD (note: not sure I agree with some of her groupings but oh well).
Autism = Rigid, meltdowns, social differences, sensory sensitivity.
Both = Poor executive functioning, pattern recognition
ADHD = (trouble) getting started, focusing, hyperfocus, time blindness, difficulty planning, impulsively, forgetfulness.
And she finished our session saying that I "probably have ADHD". I feel a bit deflated. I'm not asking for a written diagnosis or anything. I just wanted someone who isn't me to validate it.
I don't know where to go from here. I have another session coming up this morning.