I assume you live in the US? The coutry you live in is a massive factor in your question

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD (combined).

I am a US resident & citizen. I am covered under Blue Cross Blue Shield. If these details do not apply in your case, what I went through may differ from what you’ll need to go through.

About a month ago, I had a regularly scheduled annual physical with my primary care doc, who is part of a regional physician group. I inquired about what would be needed for exam & possible diagnosis for ADHD. He said I’d need to see a psychiatrist, which their physician group does not have in house, but that I wouldn’t need a formal referral, just find one in-network.

I used the BCBS website to find an in-network provider near me, which happened to be part of a different regional physician group. Called their office to verify they take my insurance. They did, and were able to schedule me for an intake+assessment last week.

I showed up, filled out paperwork, and met with my psychiatrist for a bit over an hour. She had extensive questionnaires to go through with me. On conclusion, she diagnosed me with ADHD combined & offered me my choice of a stimulant or non-stimulant treatment. After discussing my situation in further detail, she prescribed atomoxetine (aka Strattera). I’ve been on it for less than a week. She said it takes time to build up in my system and that it may be a month before I notice any differences. I have a followup scheduled for a month from now, and will presumably have regular followups indefinitely.

My copay for the office visit was $25, and my copay for the prescription itself was around $10-$15. I have very good insurance, so YMMV.

I wish you nothing but good luck on this.

I just want to follow along and see what everyone says.

I am 95% sure that I have it BAD, but is it worth going through the system?

When I did it I just found a shrink and went to him. I took a short survey, he diagnosed me, I got adderall. Had to go back every couple months for a check up to keep my script, but it wasn’t a huge deal.

Five years later I did the REAL battery of tests. It took six fairly grueling hours, cost me a grand, but I got a full on report on my adhd. I had switched to vyvanse before that but it was nice having a report.

Also came with an iq test as part of it!

I talked to my primary care provider and got referred to a social worker who gave me referrals

The diagnosing took 3 sessions. An initial meeting, the testing, and then going over the results. I had to fill out paperwork, and also had my wife and parents fill out forms about me as well

Got diagnosed with adhd-pi at 35 yo

I’m in the US, I found a local psychologist’s office that does adult evaluations. It was a virtual intake, a bunch of questionaries for me and my wife, about an hour of in person testing, then a virtual feedback appointment to go over my diagnosis, answer questions, and discuss options. I actually never got a bill for this but have followed up since I’m pretty sure that was an error. I expect it to be about $1500 with insurance coverage for the three appointments. The whole process took about two weeks, from my first appointment, but they book three to six months out usually.

I then had to find a psychiatrist to ask about meds. I use talkiatry which is an online practice and have been happy with my doctor so far. Each appointment is about $200 under my high deductible health plan. It took about a month to get an appointment.

I am on 60mg atomoxetine right now. The sticker price is around $330 a month but with GoodRX it’s about $25. I need a prior authorization through my insurance to get it covered which I’m fighting through now but the price is a few bucks less through them (and more consistent, GoodRX prices can swing a lot month to month). Unlike stimulates, atomoxetine takes about a month to start really taking effect, and I’ve stepped up my dosage once so far with maybe one more in 4ish weeks.

Even at $300-$400 a month with appointments and medications it is life changing worth it. I have moderate combined type and have generally been successful but knowing now this is how I could have been for years is frustrating to a degree but now is better than later for sure.

Timeline wise I made my first appointment for a diagnosis evaluation in early august and got a prescription the day before thanksgiving. From my understanding that’s on the quicker side of things.

it's really hard to say. for some people it's quick, for others it can take months, especially if your symptoms overlap with other disorders like depression or autism or anything else. really just depends on your specific case and probably also your doctor.

I got my diagnosis through Cerebral then canceled my subscription and got scrips refilled with a local FQHC.