ADHD: Over-diagnosed and overmedicated, or under-identified and under-supported?
Ugh, here we go again.
In May it was the BBC, now it’s the CBC...
Yesterday, the CBC published an article entitled “More adults are taking medication for ADHD: Physicians say trend is a double-edged sword”.
Not only is the media manufacturing “scandal” where none exists, but worse, they’re focusing entirely on the wrong issue.
While I’m sure there are a small number of people who are misdiagnosed, or who are seeking access to stimulant drugs for nefarious purposes, the vast majority are adults who are struggling and seeking support.
They don’t want an ADHD diagnosis if they don’t actually have ADHD. They want an accurate diagnosis to accurately reflect their challenges in order to better understand why they are struggling, and what types of support might be effective for them.
Here are just a few of the barriers to a thorough assessment from a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist in Canada:
In order to see a psychiatrist, one must receive a referral from their GP.
Many people don’t have a GP because there aren’t enough doctors.
Some GPs “gate keep” access to psychiatrists, telling patients they ‘can’t have ADHD’(often based on misinformation) and refusing to refer them to an expert.
Wait times of between 8 months and three years for a psychiatrist qualified to complete an Adult ADHD assessment.
The cost of receiving a private assessment is approximately $4,000 in Manitoba, and there are still waitlists for private assessments.
People from marginalized groups are less likely to receive a referral and diagnosis because the diagnostic criteria for ADHD is based primarily on cis white boys.
I’m cured!
I’m not suggesting we hand out stimulants like candy at Hallowe’en.
I’m not saying these private ADHD clinics aren’t problematic—they most certainly are.
They’re capitalizing on a significant systemic problem in Canadian healthcare. It’s in their financial benefit to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medications. That’s a major conflict of interest that (in theory) isn’t supposed to exist in Canada’s healthcare system.
What I am saying is twofold:
Stop scapegoating people who are struggling. We are invalidated enough on a regular basis. People don’t go seeking an ADHD diagnosis and medication unless they are struggling and looking for answers.
Instead of—or alongside—“exposing” private ADHD clinics, please, let’s expose the huge gaps in service provision and the myriad barriers to accessing timely and competent healthcare.
Panic! Scandal!
Unfortunately, this seems to me like a watered-down version of the BBC’s Panorama episode which aired back in the Spring.
We need to focus our energy (and money) on addressing those issues, rather than pointing the finger at these private clinics which shouldn’t have the opportunity to exist in the first place.
We have enough people in our lives treating us like we're "making it up" or "making excuses". Bullshit like this makes it even more difficult by spreading inaccurate information.
ADHD is real, it’s just not at all what people tend to think it is.
My article below also covers extensive documented differences in ADHD brains as compared to neurotypical (NT) brains.
Read more:
By the way
Just in case anyone thinks I’m projecting… I was one of the lucky ones who did receive a formal diagnosis from a highly qualified psychiatrist who specializes in Adult ADHD.
While my GP did initially try to gate-keep my access, I demonstrated greater knowledge than him about what ADHD really is, so he acquiesced.
© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB
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