Diagnose, Diagnose, Diagnose
Posted on March 12, 2012 by Thom Cathcart MA, One of Thousands of ADD ADHD Coaches on Noomii.
Only with a true medical/ professional diagnosis can you engage the beast of ADHD.
If there is one thing that will move you through the opening challenges and throes of ADHD it would be to receive a medical diagnosis. So much of the opening challenge of an ADHD disorder is the accepting and acknowledging that you indeed have this disorder. The suspicion that you might have ADHD is a good place to start your work, but true acceptance and hence true coping can only come with professional diagnosis.
Its one thing to work on the symptoms of ADHD: the lack of organization, the forgetfulness, the inability to complete a project and such. That is good and important work, but the biggest part of dealing with ADHD isn’t really the disorder or the symptoms of the disorder; it’s the taking on of the stigma, the humiliation, the pain of having a brain disorder. That is no small feat. Then coming to terms with the fact that you will always have this disorder, you will never be cured, is a big hurdle to take on as you proceed through coaching.
Possibly one of the biggest issues is the understanding and relief that ADHD is a dysfunction of the brain and not a dysfunction of the personality. It isn’t that you don’t care, don’t try or don’t pay attention. This is often a big relief to the psyche and the Spirit when we receive word that this “spell” that we have been living under for so long is about to be lifted.
This may seem a small item now, but when it occurs it will be big. It’s almost like being present at your own birth. So much changes when you have this curse lifted from your mind and your soul. Often people want to take a short break after receiving this news just to come to terms with a diagnosis.
It in a way, the diagnosis is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that it’s not your fault; the curse is that you will always have ADHD. Both may be difficult to come to terms with, but coming to terms with both are essential to successfully move forward with coaching on this issue.
Most treatment of ADHD follows a four point process: Medication, Education, Therapy and Coaching. Medication is an important part of the treatment process and to have access to medication, you need a medical diagnosis. That’s the practical side; the more idealistic side is the shift the diagnosis brings to your state of mind and feeling of heart.
If you have not been diagnosed, now is the time to pursue a diagnosis. It is very important that you pursue a quality diagnosis from a medical professional. A doctor or psychiatrist will be your most likely source of a diagnosis. An assessment will not do.
An assessment is an indication that you may have ADHD that you show signs and symptoms of ADHD, but an assessment will not give you a diagnosis, and a diagnosis is what you need.
