I don't have great insurance, so I don't have the ability to shop around exactly. I'm sure a lot of you know the feeling of building up the energy for engagements like this and I'd appreciate some advice on how to navigate things.
Are doctors wary of people looking for stimulants? I'm open to other treatment forms, but I don't want to discount my options.
If you did get a medication prescribed, how did it affect you? Things like if I need to take time off or side effects. If that's too personal, feel free not to answer.
Finally, if you have any general advice on figuring out treatment/therapy, I'd really appreciate that too.
you're going to want to find a psychiatrist that accepts your insurance, or at the minimum has a sliding scale payment system in place. once you're prescribed a stimulant for adhd, you have to go back every month to get a new prescription filled.
the process of getting on the medication was surprisingly easy. you'll have to tell them you suspect you have adhd, and they'll go ahead and ask why you think so and they'll give you an evaluation that kinda feels like one of those "do i have adhd" quizzes. if all goes well, you'll get a prescription (usually adderall) immediately after diagnosis. the medicine itself doesn't have any side effects that you need to take time off work or school for. in fact, it helped my immediately and improved my performance in both settings. just be aware that due to the nature of the drug, your appetite will drop significantly and you'll have to make sure you're eating enough. my solution was to download a calorie logging app and inputting everything i eat.
Thank you so much for this advice! I already have appetite issues, so that last bit is super helpful.