How to get prescribed Ritalin Uk

[thewhitebuilding]

I don't want to go to my GP an immeadiately be judged as a drug-seeker. (which I am not - at least with regards to recreational drug seeker)) So any advice aprecieated.

Just started a very high end degree, (don't want to give too many personal details away, but its a difficult course to get on to, with an extremely reputable job at the end of it....).

Anyway, I've been a straight A student my whole life. But all of a sudden, perhaps due to certain family/personal issues (though I don't personally attribute those to this), I've been unable to concentrate in lectures ect. I'm still able to understand stuff in my own time when I REALLY put my mind to it, but this takes effort. And its to the the detriment of fulfilling my full potential. Lectures are redundant now. I go along, and as soon as I hear something interesting my mind wanders, and 15 minutes later I realise I've missed the lectures pertinent content. Same goes for reading. It takes me hours to read a chapter that I could once breeze through due to my mind going off on tangents.

Would ritalin solve this? If SO how do I word it to a doctor to prescibe it, without going though pyschologists ect ect.
And if NOT, what would help?

 

[Tangerine Dream]

Could be depression, or a series of things, of course it could be adhd too.

From wiki

Adults with ADHD are diagnosed under the same criteria, including that their signs must have been present by the age of six to twelve. Questioning parents or guardians as to how the person behaved and developed as a child may form part of the assessment; a family history of ADHD also adds weight to a diagnosis.[1] While the core symptoms of ADHD are similar in children and adults they often present differently in adults than in children, for example excessive physical activity seen in children may present as feelings of restlessness and constant mental activity in adults.[1]

Three subtypes of ADHD are identified in the DSM-IV (inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and combined). In later life, the hyperactive/impulsive subtype manifests more frequently.[1]p44 Adults with ADHD typically have difficulty following directions, remembering information, concentrating, organizing tasks, or completing work within time limits or meeting appointments. Low self-esteem is common. These difficulties cause life problems within several different arenas, such as emotional, social, vocational, marital, legal, financial or academic areas.[3][4] Adult attention deficit disorder (AADD) is marked by inattentiveness, difficulty getting work done, procrastination, and organization problems.[5]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_ADHD

Read all that... Decide whats more suitable, for your personality type/circumstances

Inattentive-type (ADHD-I) :

Avoiding tasks or jobs that require concentration
Procrastination
Difficulty initiating tasks
Difficulty organizing details required for a task
Difficulty recalling details required for a task
Difficulty multitasking
Poor time management, losing track of time
Indecision and doubt
Hesitation of execution
Difficulty persevering or completing and following through on tasks
Delayed stop and transition of concentration from one task to another

or Hyperactive/Impulsive-type (ADHD-H) :

Chooses highly active, stimulating jobs
Avoids situations with low physical activity or sedentary work
May choose to work long hours or two jobs
Seeks constant activity
Easily bored
Impatient
Intolerant and frustrated, easily irritated
Impulsive, snap decisions and irresponsible behaviors
Loses temper easily, angers quickly

memorise some but not all symptoms, also look at child symptoms so you have a wide scope of understanding and thus your words have more validity.

Also why you weren't diagnosed as a child, what was the reason? Don't seem to keen. Don't go in first time saying I think I have ADHD. Study enough that a competent doctor will regocise symptoms you list.

Probably won't be easy, hopefully you have no problem with manipulating doctors! Because even with some truth it can require some exaggeration to get what you want. Don't expect results first, second, third or any sessions.

Remember you can change doctors if having no luck. Adults are diagnosed late in life and treated with stimulants, so its not impossible.

Quiz:
http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

Wow...guess I can add that to the list.

NSFW:

Results of Your Adult
Attention Deficit Disorder Quiz

You scored a total of 30 (Moderate ADHD)

Inattention Subscale: 18
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Subscale: 12
Based upon your responses to this adult ADD/ADHD screening quiz, you have replied in a way similar to people who have symptoms of moderate attention deficit disorder. Some people with scores similar to yours have sought professional treatment for this concern, especially if you find it interfering with your life.

If you were diagnosed with ADHD, it would likely be of the Combined type, as you indicated significant symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.

You indicated that several of the symptoms were present before age 12.
You indicated that the symptoms occur in two or more settings.
For ADD or ADHD to be diagnosed by a mental health professional, usually the symptoms must occur in at least two different settings (like school and home, or work and home), and they must have lasted at least 6 months. Symptoms typically worsen in situations that require sustained attention or mental effort, or that are boring.
You should not take this as a diagnosis of any sort, or a recommendation for treatment. However, it may be beneficial for you to seek further diagnosis from a physician or a trained mental health professional in order to rule out a possible attention deficit disorder.

If you are serious this video is helpful to watch too.

 

[Shambles]

I came across some random "If x or more of these apply ask your doctor about ADHD" quizzes a while back which suggested I might have ADHD but ADHD wasn't invented when I was a kid so never really thought much about it. However, I've come across a few of these things now and I seem to score consistently extremely high. Would certainly explain a few things. Bit bloody late for it to make much difference now anyway. I do seem to score high again though...

Results of Your Adult
Attention Deficit Disorder Quiz

You scored a total of 41

Inattention Subscale: 27
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Subscale: 14
- See more at: http://psychcentral.com/cgi-bin/addquiz.cgi#sthash.Hly6MtvW.dpuf

Got no interest in a bleedin' Ritalin script anyway. Dexies on t'other hand...

But in reference to OP, we can't tell you what to say to a doc to get scripted anything - it's against the rules dontcha know - but the general advice above looks sound to me. Just book an appointment with doc, explain the situation honestly. If it's a legit medical need you'll get a legit medical script. In theory. Docs in the UK don't do adult ADHD though so I wouldn't go getting your hopes up necessarily..

Ethylphenidate/Shitalin is cheap, legal and all but identical to methylphenidate/Ritalin if you are able to (or are forced to) self-medicate. But you're made of stronger stuff than I if you can self-medicate stims without just snarfling the lot

From what you've said it sounds much more like stress and/or depression brought on by situation and circumstance rather than lifelong chemical imbalance. You said this difficulty with focus and attention came on suddenly and recently at a time when there are stresses of some sort in your personal life. Would fit much better than ADHD and would also be worth seeing a doc about. If it's stress or depression (or anything other than cancer or a broken leg for that matter) you'll probably be offered SSRIs rather than methylphenidate. And SSRIs can definitely be very useful at such times. They can also make life not worth living but that's another thread really. Either way, see yer doc and be completely honest. It's what they're there for after all

 

[Tangerine Dream]

I was diagnosed with adhd in primary school, but my mum refused the meds from the doctor.

http://youtu.be/qGo0QH4EEXU?t=53m42s I thought that part of the vid I posted was interesting... (only the first question)

 

[Ismene]

I usually find "hey gp, wassup cuz, ritalin - can you give me a taste dawg?" works for me.

Why not go for modafinil first and see if that helps? At least you can order that online. Only problem is the price - the real stuff costs a fortune. You can get the cheap indian generic - some people find it's worth a try, others don't think it's modafinil at all.

 

[Hangover]

You scored a total of 31

31 is highest score for moderate ADHD, 32+ is Adult ADHD

 

[knock]

You scored a total of 34

Inattention Subscale: 15
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Subscale: 19

We're all bloody ADHD!

 

[maxalfie]

It seems there is a name for every normal thing that folk can experience and of cause the medical firms have just the pill to help you with it.
Can't concentrate you must have ADHD here take these pills.
I get shy in front of people I don't know- oh you suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder, here we have pills for that as well.
Sometimes you just got to learn to deal with things and not rely on pills to get you through it as they don't help you in the long run to learn how to deal with your issue.

 

[Hangover]

I know right, I knew all my life iv'e had ADHD... I don't need to be diagnosed by anyone, I have my own medicine :D

 

[swampdragon]

Hmm, 31! Might have something to do with my boring job, though.

Pass the ritalin, anyway.

 

[discotits]

Thought this website didn't allow threads where the aim was to seek drugs? Standards are slipping..

 

[knock]

Standards aren't slipping, they're just not enforced!