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I need to find a doctor to diagnose in the Bay Area. After reading online at About.com, I am convinced I have Adult ADD. It was kind of a relief, but I want to have an official diagnosis. Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Monique
Thanks!
Monique
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sun, September 17, 2006 - 10:06 PMFirst, a very strait up gripe: What is adult ADD? A marketing gimmick to sell strattera. With the exception of brain damage do to an injury, disease, stroke or drug use - adults don't get ADD. Instead they always had it but it was not diagnosed earlier in life. ADD has a wide range of symptoms beyond hyperactive boys.
Rank over: Just about any psychiatrist can make the diagnosis, just look around until you find one that you like and listens to you without inflicting their own prejudices into the diagnosis.
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sun, September 17, 2006 - 10:52 PMMonique I found my doctor through the Kitty Petty organization which is a subdivision of CHADD. Contact your local CHADD (www.chadd.org) division and I am sure they can provide a list of doctors.
It is expensive though. I one hour meeting with my ADD doctor was 450 USD. -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, September 18, 2006 - 2:22 PM"It is expensive though. I one hour meeting with my ADD doctor was 450 USD."
That is absolutely *absurd*! -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, September 18, 2006 - 7:24 PMYes, that is very absurd, even for private practice,
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Tue, September 19, 2006 - 7:31 PMthanks everyone. well, "adult" is what the label was and since i know little about it yet... honestly, i think i have always had add, but my coping mechanisms have been screwed since becoming a mom and it is more obvious to me.
i have an appointment with a doctor in the morning, off of the CHADD website, who is ADD himself and does coaching, etc . he is pretty reasonable at $185 for a consultation and testing. i hope it works out... again, thanks. -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Tue, September 19, 2006 - 7:45 PMMonique: PM or call me and let me know how it goes.
*Hugs* -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sat, November 4, 2006 - 12:45 PMHi Monique,
This is Monica here. I was just diagnosed with ADD two weeks ago! Today, I took my first dose of Focalin.
I was so sure I would be told it was depression or I just had to work on my daddy issues, but the psychiatrist I met with started asking interesting questions, and when he told me what he thought, it felt like one of the truest things anyone's ever told me. He backed up what he said with lots of facts and research. It's genetic, predominantly occurring in people of Middle European descent, particularly Irish, Russian, Jewish. I later called my mom and found out my dad also has it, which no one ever told me.
If you haven't found someone you like, I can recommend my doctor. This is his specialty. He charges $175/hr.
Monica -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sun, November 12, 2006 - 11:39 PMLooks like I have the double whammy; half Irish/English and half Ashkenazy Jew.
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, June 4, 2007 - 4:02 PMHi Monica,
I'd love the name/number of the doc you saw if you still have it handy. PM me with it please?
Tanya
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sun, May 18, 2008 - 2:29 PMHi Monique.
I guess your message is pretty old now. I've been going through the whole "OMG I'm ADD" at age 37 and would like to be tested but my ADD keeps getting in the way, LOL! Did you have a good experience with this doctor and is he still doing his thing? I'll be back in SF soon and would love to have a plan for getting this taken care of.
Appreciate any help.
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sun, November 12, 2006 - 8:58 PMI guess I did pay a lot more than the rest of you. I called about 5 or 6 doctors when I was looking for an ADD dr to make my diagnosis. The rates ranged for 350 USD to upwards of 800 USD. So 450 USD did not seem so bad.
Subsequent visits with my doctor are 30 min for 150 USD.
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Fri, January 5, 2007 - 1:22 PMbeware that some doctors refuse to acknowledge that add exsists and won't prescribe for it. -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Sun, May 18, 2008 - 11:58 PM<<In instances where heredity does not seem to be a factor, difficulties during pregnancy, prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco, premature delivery, significantly low birth weight, excessively high body lead levels, and postnatal injury to the prefrontal regions of the brain have all been found to contribute to the risk for AD/HD to varying degrees.>>
I found this to be interesting..it was on the chad site under causes...
I dont seem to see any symtoms in my parents or sister so I question where mine came from??
I would like to have a professional diagnosis myself....
Adult ADD exist meaning for those that were not aware of it as children but are now as adults
not meaning you develope this as an adult....
My parents being from another country and not as advanced in the sciences would have never noticed anything in my behavior plus they dont believe in ADD.
Instead they labeled me as strange, crazy, lazy,disorganized, not "attentive enough", not motivated, careless, distracted,, unconventional, absent minded, etc
I can see how those with ADD can have self esteem issues especially being compared to a sibling that is " normal" and not understanding the childs differences... I lived it!
Thank God I know what it is now...
and I can stop being so hard on myself and be happy .
I have improved so much on my own with all my research but I know I can use more help professionally to get even better results.
I didnt find the list of Doctors on that site ..what is it under exactly so I can look again? -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, May 19, 2008 - 10:20 AM"I dont seem to see any symtoms in my parents or sister so I question where mine came from?? "
Like much of genetics, complex traits (like ADD) are rarely caused by a single gene. Both of your parents could have some of the genes that cause ADD but not enough to actually cause a problem.
"Instead they labeled me as strange, crazy, lazy,disorganized, not "attentive enough", not motivated, careless, distracted,, unconventional, absent minded, etc "
That plus your current symptoms is probably enough for a diagnosis of ADD (a patients history and observations of others is very important to diagnosing ADD). -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, May 19, 2008 - 10:34 AMAs Troy said, ADD also varies quite a bit from person to person. So it is possible that members of your family have ADD but it wasn't quite so pronounced as other people. There could also be issues that happened during your mothers pregnancy that effected what happened to you before you were born. My mothers smoking may have had an effect. She also had two miscarraiges so something was could have been happening to her physically that made it difficult for any potential offspring.
Where you have been labeled as strange, crazy, lazy, etc. very much has been, and I hate to say, still is described about me. But even though my sister is better developed than I am, she still appears to have those problems, at least from what I can tell, and both of my parents seem to have something odd about them. -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, May 19, 2008 - 11:30 AMThank you so much for your insights..
My parents and sister are very "normal"
thus .. I had a difficult time growing upbecause I was the one not acting like them ...
Its still sad sometimes but I understand that we can all be unaware at times and make mistakes.
the only difference now is that I can explain my responses to situations that seem odd to others or how I feel.
I have always been chronically late , disorganized when doing paper work( yet I know where to find everything)
slow to start and difficulty maintaing interest ( Ive been to college twice before now and unable to finish).
I can drift away during any part of a conversation often asking people to repeat themselves . I stay up til wee hours of the night unable to turn off the noise and then It difficult to wake up in the morning ( thats why I work and go to school at night now)and much more... not to mention that I have attributes of dyslexia .. despite attending college I struggle with increasing my vocabulary, poor memory, math is such a challenge because i cant remeber the sequence ( Im taking statistics now but we have open book quizzes thank goodness so I can do the math without having to memorize the steps), although I am familiar with a word I often switch, miss or write phonetically yet I am a good student A and B's.
through self help I have improved so much but I can still see it in myself .
The best part in my opiion is that I am no longer ashamed of it or keep to myself as I did when I was younger..
I tell people " hey I have this so dont be surprized"
I know testing is expensive but I just want to confirm what I already know...
Im not sure I want the drugs but knowing is half the battle for me...
it gives you that sense of " ok Im not crazy" -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Mon, May 19, 2008 - 9:36 PMJust a little warning about being tested as an adult: Although this is changing, many doctors still refuse to diagnosis an adult with ADD regardless of the evidence (there are historical reasons for this, doesn't make it right). If you get tested and the doctor gives you a daignosis other then ADD make them justify it to your satisfaction - or find another doctor.
BTW what you describe is very typical ADD behaviors. -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 9:12 PMoh yes and I forgot to mention that when I am at a hyper point which is less often than the other symtoms I do blurt out stuff and interrupt when my friends and I are having a conversation... all of a sudden I become excitable.
Thanks again Troy ...
I have managed this far on my own and Im 36 but still have more inner work to do..
Do you think I should even bother getting tested or go ahead and do it but be careful as you say with the doctors?
Like I said to me its been such a relief to know why I did and still do the things I do....so... thats all folks.
oh and in case you havent noticed I can talk forever if you let me ; )
jess -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 9:17 PMIf you are happy with how you funtion with your job and your social relationships, and are satisfied with your housekeeping than it probably isn't worth the bother, but I for myself find that it helps make life run more smoothy. -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 10:10 PMId like to be able to be on time more often, falling asleep and waking up like a normal person ; ) , I can use help on being more organized, and being more focused for my projects at school... Im pretty social but dont mind being alone so Im not sure what I want there or what can be improved....
thats about it.. everything else if ok right now -
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Re: Doctors to Diagnose in San Francisco
Wed, May 21, 2008 - 8:59 AMAs for falling asleep, if you increase your physical activity you are likely to have an easier time falling asleep (and staying asleep). THe excerise will also help with some of the other issues but may not be enough to make a real difference.
From your posts, there are things you wish to improve but aren't able to on your own. If you can find medications that work without to many side-effects for you, then going to a doctor could easily be worth it.
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