I had an appointment with my GP who has recently become an endorsed prescriber. She needs a second opinion. What should I think?
I have suspected ADHD for a few years now, after a therapist recommended I be assessed after seeing him for unrelated issues. I am F, and am receiving a late diagnosis.
Last week I had my assessment done by my GP who is still in training for the NSW endorsed program but is qualified to diagnose as of a month ago. She said she has done about 5 other assessments before me.
I completed all of the paperwork, which included questionnaires for myself, mum and partner and 3 reports from primary school which I believed showed symptoms.
I sat the interview and answered everything as honestly as possible. The issue came after the end of the interview and my doctor said that in her opinion I met all of the interview criteria, and everything pointed to yes for a ADHD diagnosis. She said “I can’t diagnose you because I’m not sure that the evidence you’ve provided has met the childhood criteria”. HOWEVER, she can if she gets a second opinion from a psychiatrist herself, and they agree that my evidence is enough.
She was understanding that my mum doesn’t believe in ADHD and that girls often don’t display ADHD symptoms at school before the age of 12. My high school reports don’t have teacher comments either.
I find out on Tuesday whether the psychiatrist says yes or no, but I have no evidence from when I was a child other than self reported symptoms. She says if I get called in for another appointment it means I am diagnosed and we are discussing medication, and if she calls me herself it’s a no.
Am I right being nervous and quite scared at the possibility that I may miss out on being diagnosed because of a lack of evidence from my childhood?
Opinions?
And is it worth me going through a psych to try another assessment? Or is it her lack of experience (in this area still being in training) and she genuinely doesn’t want to give me a legal diagnosis before she gets a go-ahead from a specialist?