I have no doubt I'll be diagnosed with AD(H)D when I see the psychiatrist next week but I can't afford to pay $200 for the appointment and not walk away with a prescription. I'm starting college so I badly need to sort out this concentration problem.

He'll probably start me out on Ritalin and I'd be happy with that. What kind of things should I say to guarantee he'll prescribe me meds and not suggest alternative treatment.

What I'm going to say which is all true is I have trouble paying attention to what people are saying to me and my mind constantly wanders. I can't even concentrate watching TV sometimes. I'll say I'm always forgetting things like turning on the stove and boiling water and forgetting about it. I'll say I'm restless all the time and have trouble getting to sleep at night because of this restlessness. This is all true anyway. The main reason I want to sort it out is because I'm starting college in September and I'm worried about it because I can't study at the moment due to this concentration problem.

Like I said all that is true. Would that be enough for the psychiatrist to diagnose me with AD(H)D and automatically prescribe me Ritalin or Adderall or whatever the hell he has? What should I do to ensure he steps me up to Adderall and doesn't put me on strattera or any of that other non stimulant bullshit?

I also get really tired and drowsy and lethargic most days but that doesn't really coincide with ADD does it? People with ADD are supposed to be hyperactive and energetic. Should I even mention this daytime drowsiness to him? Would that work against me in getting a diagnosis and prescription?

Sounds more like you have depression than ADD. Good luck.

Don't pay him unless you get what you need. Tell him you want (are entitled) to a second opinion first.

I'm usually happy though so I doubt its depression. The last thing I want are shitty anti depressants. Xanax and valium hardly do anything to me.

Issue do you have any experience in dealing with psychiatrists? Can I actually not pay him unless he offers me a solution such as prescribing me meds? I suppose I can try that as a last resort if he doesn't want to prescribe me anything but could that work against me?

Well, make sure you point out as you said the paying attention problems and short term memory. Tell him about a lot of times you've forgotten to do things, or forgotten things b/c of bad short term memory, and no concentration. Now, if you can't afford the cost of visiting, that can be a problem, most doctors will start you out on a small dose, and move you up towards the higher doses, so that your body can get used to the new drug. So, be prepared for follow up visits. He may or may not start you on Ritalin, this is where the Doctor's preference and history with patients and ADD drugs will come in. He'll start you on whatever he think works best. Personally when I started my ADD treatment I was started on Concerta, and now am on Adderall, b/c after a time Concerta had no effect on me, but it worked for 3 years. Oh, and if you can get on Adderall, it feels amazing!

It's very likely he'll prescribe you something. In a country where over prescription of drugs is a problem, he'll more likely give you drugs, than try to help you sort out the cause of the problems. Or finding a natural alternative.

Cool. I know what meth feels like and I'd love to be on it all the time but my main concern is this concentration problem so I'll be happy with ritalin or concerta. It would be cool getting adderall though. How does concerta feel? Does it make you interesting in everything making studying 10 times easier like meth does?

You're a fucking idiot, son.

Care to explain?

wrong

I mean I'd love to have the effects of it all the time. If it didn't have any side effects I probably would be on it all time.

The last thing I want are shitty anti depressants. Xanax and valium hardly do anything to me.

BLASPHEMY!!!

AD(H)D is such a bullshit illness or whatever it is. How hard is it to concentrate for just 1 hour or so and do the work. It isn't.

During your visit, don't let your eyes rest anywhere; twitching your body isn't necessary (and is ridiculous) but just casually let your eyes wander the room as the two of you talk. I do this without realizing it when I don't take Adderall, and my doctor was the one to point it out to me; shit, that's how I got on Adderall. Wasn't even trying to get it, he just brought it up over a fuckin' wandering eye.

Do you drive? If so, tell him that you find yourself getting easily distracted by things on the road sometimes and that you tend to get uneasy when driving in thick traffic. For people old enough to drive who do so, claiming something is affecting your driving in a negative way is a great way to persuade them to help you out. It's a fairly common aspect of Adult ADD, anyways.

Vyvanse is real big now; Shire whores it out like there's no tomorrow since they're losing their patent for Adderall XR sometime next year. Thing is, it's fucking pricey....no generics for that shit, obviously. If he tries to give you Vyvanse, he'll probably offer you a card that allows the first month free; if not ask for it, he'll have it.

Go get it filled, and about a week before it's due to be out, call him up or come back telling him how well it seems to be working but that you checked with your pharmacy/insurance and that it isn't covered/is expensive/has no generics etc. . Ask if there's anything similar that has generics available and you got a good chance at getting Adderall IR. Could shoot yourself in the foot and get Ritalin from a dumb doc but if you stress how well the Vyvanse worked they'll likely stick to the amps and that leaves you Adderall IR and Dexedrine....take your pick.

Tell him how you drink coffee to help you concentrate because it makes you feel calm.

I'll shut up now....

troll