So, this was initially one post, but this part got a little rant-y and I determined there's really a different message here. The "aha" moment where you realize you might have ADHD and that it might explain some of your struggles is poignant in its own way, kind of uplifting.
The rest is a fuster-cluck that will make you wish harder than you ever have that you could just be normal already. I actually cried at work.
I discussed the possibility of ADHD with my doctor a couple of weeks after reading the article at my annual physical and she gave me a referral to another doctor in the clinic that handled ADHD evaluations for adults. I was warned not to miss the appointment, that he would not reschedule if the evaluation was missed without a cancellation. I'm sure he's been stood up by Inattentive ADHD types before...
There was a SNAFU in scheduling my evaluation, of course. I thought I was so lucky to get an appointment just a week later, at 7 am Friday morning. Fantastic - I could be back to work before 9 and not have to take any time off! The day before, the nurse called and left me a message asking what I was being referred for (I was apparently referred for something else that had come up in my physical that I said I would take care of on my own, thank you very much). I left a message back that it was for an ADHD evaluation and drove in the next morning. The nurse explained when I got there that I could not be seen - evaluations are 80 minutes long and they only do them on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:20 pm. They could not squeeze me in.
She asked if I could wait until October - apparently there are a LOT of us getting evaluated and they were booked out until then. And then maybe she smelled the desperation because she began to offer me Friday afternoon at 3:20 the first week in September. No go, I had a pediatric opthomology appointment for our daughter Car (kid can't catch a break, I swear) that I was already waiting 5 weeks for. The following Friday? Nope - Scrapfest at MOA, for which my mom was flying in so we could spend the day together and we had already signed up and paid for classes. September 23? YES!
I went to the appointment shaking like a leaf. I was terrified the doctor would say I had ADHD. I was terrified he would say I didn't. He was really kind and walked through the whole test with me, discussing the questions and my answers rather than sitting me down with a piece of paper like it was the SAT. I tested VERY highly on the Inattention scale. I barely registered on the Hyperactivity scale.
A week or so later I spent several extremely painful days trying to schedule an appointment with someone who would prescribe meds for ADHD. Which is odd, because I have had NO problem finding a pediatrician (several, actually) to prescribe these same meds for my 6-year-old. I tried to get into a clinic specializing in family therapy for ADHD and other disorders, but they wanted me to retake the evaluation - 4 hours, over 3 appointments - and then wait another 3 months to see their in-house psychiatrist for a prescription. I finally have an appointment with a far inferior option - at the end of November, a full 7 weeks after I called to schedule. But I don't have to complete a new evaluation.
If you're considering an evaluation as an adult for ADHD, my advice is to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. As an adult, it's harder to find someone to evaluate you and it's excruciating to get an appointment with someone who is willing to prescribe a stimulant for you. Your primary doctor may be willing to maintain your prescription, but you will most likely have to get started with a psychiatrist and see them until you are stabilized on a prescription. It may take weeks or months to get an appointment with a psychiatrist after your evaluation.
But if the article I linked resonates with you, GO AND GET EVALUATED. You are not lazy, you are not a slob, you are not a terrible parent/spouse/housekeeper/friend/human. Your ADHD might look different from a man's, but it's just as difficult to deal with without some help and direction.
I find this a general trend in our medical system, and largely infuriating, that unless you're a kid or on Medicare, you might as well not bother until you're gushing from an artery. For example, I'm three weeks out on what will likely be a five minute adjustment to my overpriced insoles so that I can wear my new boots all day without having leg cramps all night.
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