Taryn
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
A psychologist and a psychiatrist treated Taryn’s anxiety for about 10 years without much success.
They told her she had generalised anxiety disorder, even though she didn’t have some of the symptoms.
‘Neither of them explored any other options,’ she told the Royal Commission. ‘My anxiety never really went away.’
Taryn suspected their diagnosis was wrong. She read about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults.
‘The more I learned about women with ADHD, the more it seemed to apply to me.’
She told her psychologist, who said she couldn’t have ADHD because she didn’t remember being hyperactive in primary school.
Her psychiatrist changed her anxiety medication. It made little difference.
‘I just wanted an accurate diagnosis so that I can have the correct treatment … I was absolutely devastated. By this point I was depressed as well.’
Increasingly convinced she has adult ADHD, Taryn went online to find a specialist.
‘It feels covert … but the reality is that most people won't get an accurate diagnosis from just any psychiatrist.’
Taryn’s general practitioner agreed, and referred her to a psychiatrist who specialised in adult ADHD.
‘[They] subsequently did diagnose me with ADHD. Now that I am actually being treated, my life is a lot better. I'm doing well at work and in my home life, too. My anxiety is more manageable than it's ever been.’
Taryn said adult ADHD was under diagnosed because most doctors associated the disorder with children, especially boys.
‘It's common for people, mostly women, with inattentive type [ADHD] to not get diagnosed because we're not disruptive and not bouncing off the walls. Unless a doctor is up to date with more recent research, they don't know what to look for.’
Taryn said doctors also seemed reluctant to prescribe to adults the stimulants used to treat ADHD.
‘I understand there's restrictions because of the potential for abuse, but I'm already tired of being treated like a drug addict for medication that adds 13 years to my average life expectancy.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.