I think I have ADHD — where do I actually start?

You’re here because it hit something

You read a testimony, watched a video, heard someone describe their experience — and it stuck. You wonder if you might have ADHD. You don’t know where to start. You’re scared of being wrong. Or scared of being dismissed as someone who “wants to be ill”.

This page is for you. No gurus, no miracle self-test. One guiding principle: the road to an adult ADHD diagnosis is long, non-linear, and it’s OK not to master it on the first try. The detailed steps below use the French system as a worked example — the underlying logic (understand → GP → specialist → structured assessment → treatment plan) applies in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and most systems.

Step 0 — Understand before you run

Before hunting for a psychiatrist, give yourself 1-2 weeks to read and observe.

Read

• What ADHD actually is
• If you think you’re AuDHD
• Foundational books: Driven to Distraction by Hallowell & Ratey, Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Barkley, ADHD 2.0 by Hallowell & Ratey.
• Podcasts: ADHD Experts (Additude), Translating ADHD, I Have ADHD Podcast, ADHD for Smart Ass Women.

Observe

For 1-2 weeks, note:

• The moments you get stuck on a simple task.
• The emotional crises that feel out of proportion (RSD).
• Situations where you remember having always been this way (school, adolescence).
• The concrete impacts in your current life (lateness, conflicts, forgetting, stress).

These notes are gold for your first consultation. They head off the classic blank — “I can’t remember anything once I’m sitting in front of the psychiatrist”.

Online self-tests

• ASRS v1.1 (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, WHO): the most serious screening tool. A “possible ADHD” result ≠ diagnosis. It’s a starting point.
• DIVA-5: a more complete questionnaire, used by some clinicians. You can fill it in as preparation.
• TikTok-viral “commercial” tests: usually non-validated. Ignore them.

Step 1 — Talk to your GP

In most public systems (France’s parcours de soins coordonné, the UK’s NHS referral pathway, Australia’s Medicare), the GP is your entry point ^[4] .

What you can say

“Hi Doctor, for some time / months / years, I’ve noticed difficulties with attention, organisation, and sometimes emotions that have always weighed on me but that I’d attributed to something else. I’d like to explore an ADHD angle. Could you refer me to a psychiatrist trained in adult ADHD?”

Bring your observation notes. It saves time.

What can (and does) go wrong

• A GP who says “you’re fine” / “ADHD only exists in kids”. Possible, especially with clinicians trained before 2000. Push back, or change GP.
• Referral to a non-specialist psychiatrist → low-value consultation. Ask specifically for someone trained in adult ADHD.

Why the detour helps

• In France, the GP letter unlocks full reimbursement (coordinated care pathway) for subsequent consultations. Similar rules exist in the UK (NHS referrals) and elsewhere.
• The GP sees your global health (comorbidities, medications, history).
• They can refer to a specialist centre if needed.

Step 2 — Find a psychiatrist trained in adult ADHD

The most critical point of the whole pathway. A wrong pick here = 6-12 months lost.

Three routes

Route A — Private specialist

A psychiatrist in private practice, specifically trained in adult ADHD. The fastest (3-12 months’ wait depending on region), the most expensive (€60-120 / £100-250 / $200-500 per session, partially reimbursed in public-insurance systems, not at all in private-only setups).

How to find one:

• Patient-association directories (e.g. HyperSupers in France ^[2] , ADHD UK, CHADD, ADDA, CADDAC in Canada).
• Doctolib / Zocdoc / Psychology Today → filter “psychiatrist — adult ADHD”.
• Word of mouth (Facebook groups, communities).
• An explicit phone call: “Do you evaluate adults for ADHD?”

Route B — Specialist centre (university hospital, NHS ADHD service, academic clinic)

Wait 6-24 months but you get a structured assessment, a multidisciplinary team, fully covered by public insurance.

Examples in France: CHU Sainte-Anne (Paris), Pitié-Salpêtrière ADHD consultation (Paris), Nantes ADHD unit, Le Vinatier (Lyon), CHU Montpellier, CHU Bordeaux.

Examples in the UK: Maudsley Adult ADHD Service, Cambridge ADHD clinic, regional NHS adult ADHD services (waits 1-5 years — Right to Choose can cut this).

Examples in the US/Canada: academic medical centres (Johns Hopkins, Mass General, Toronto CAMH, UBC) typically take insurance but wait lists are long.

Not exhaustive. Your local patient association usually maintains a more complete list.

Route C — Private neuropsychologist

Some private neuropsychologists offer a full adult ADHD assessment, typically €350-800 / £400-1200 / $800-2000 across 2-3 sessions, rarely reimbursed by public insurance (sometimes partially by private health cover). Useful as a complement to a psychiatrist, not a replacement (the formal medical diagnosis remains a medical act).

Questions to ask on first contact

• “Do you evaluate adults for ADHD?”
• “Do you use standardised tools (DIVA-5, ASRS, CAARS)?”
• “How many sessions to reach a diagnosis?”
• “Do you take my insurance / what is your fee?”
• (If AuDHD suspected) “Do you also assess adult autism?”

Step 3 — The assessment

What happens

Broadly ^{[5] [6]} :

1. 1st consultation (45-90 min): clinical history, reason for referral, standardised questionnaires (ASRS, DIVA-5).
2. 2nd consultation: deeper dive — childhood, school, work life, relationships, comorbidities.
3. Supporting documents: your notes, school reports if available, testimonies from close people (partner, parents) about how you function.
4. 3rd-4th consultation: feedback, formal diagnosis or not, discussion of treatment.

What helps the assessment

• School reports (primary, secondary). Even partial. Teachers have often written: “daydreamer”, “distracted”, “chatty”, “potential not reached”.
• Testimonies from close people (an email to your psychiatrist, or presence at the session if you’re OK with it). A partner, a parent.
• Your recent observation notes.
• List of previous diagnoses (depression, anxiety, burnout — these often masked an ADHD).

Step 4 — The formal diagnosis

The formal diagnosis follows DSM-5-TR criteria ^[3] . Three possible outcomes:

Case 1 — Confirmed ADHD

• Presentation specified: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, or combined.
• Severity (mild, moderate, severe).
• Identified comorbidities (anxiety, depression, ASD, addictions, sleep disorders…).
• Treatment conversation: medication, psychotherapy, coaching, accommodations.

Case 2 — Not ADHD but something else

Sometimes symptoms are explained by something else: an anxiety disorder, chronic depression, extended burnout, a sleep disorder, etc. Differential diagnosis is the psychiatrist’s job.

Case 3 — Further assessment needed

Neuropsychological testing (WAIS, TAP, etc.) for precision. Sometimes a joint ASD evaluation if AuDHD is suspected. Add 2-4 months.

Step 5 — After the diagnosis

Useful next steps

• Disability registration / workplace accommodations: France (MDPH/RQTH), UK (Access to Work, Equality Act reasonable adjustments), US (ADA accommodations), Australia (Disability Employment Services).
• Employer: personal choice. Disclose or not, depending on context.
• Medication if prescribed: methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine. (In France, initial prescription must be hospital-based; similar rules in some other systems.)
• Therapy: ADHD-focused CBT, DBT, coaching. Many clinicians have trained up since 2020.
• Community: join peer spaces. Don’t sit alone with the diagnosis.

The first emotional weeks

Post-diagnosis grief is common: rereading your entire life through this lens, realising how much was missed for lack of recognition. It’s legitimate. Often worked through with a trained therapist.

For 3 months after the diagnosis, I alternated between huge relief and black rage. Relief at understanding. Rage at everyone who told me “just try harder” for 30 years. Apparently it’s normal. It passes.

Costs and reimbursements (indicative, varies by system)

Item	Indicative cost	Reimbursement
GP (France)	€26.50	70% public + top-up
GP (UK NHS)	£0	Fully covered
Psychiatrist (France, sector 1)	€58-70	70% public + top-up
Psychiatrist (France, sector 2/3)	€80-250	Partial; large variation
Psychiatrist (UK private)	£200-400	Private insurance varies
Psychiatrist (US private)	$300-600	Insurance varies
Private neuropsych assessment	€350-800 / £400-1200 / $800-2000	Public rarely; private sometimes
Specialist hospital clinic	€0 / £0 / varies	Fully public in France, UK NHS
ADHD medication	€15-40 / month in France	Reimbursed (hospital-initiated prescription in France)

France-specific: the initial prescription of ADHD stimulants (methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine) must be done by a hospital-based psychiatrist, then renewable by your community psychiatrist. That rule alone can stretch the timeline.

Signs the clinician isn’t the right one

• Doesn’t ask about your school history / childhood.
• Pronounces a diagnosis in one consultation with no structured assessment.
• Dismisses AuDHD even when the signs point there.
• Prescribes a stimulant without checking cardiac and psychiatric comorbidities.
• Over-sells an “exclusive” method (unvalidated neurofeedback, miracle supplements, “symptoms gone in 3 weeks”).

If you hit any of these: don’t push. Change clinician. You haven’t lost the game.

The takeaways

• The pathway is long: 6-18 months on average. Patience is strategic.
• The GP is a mandatory entry point for reimbursement in most public systems.
• Choosing the psychiatrist is the single most critical step: adult-ADHD trained, not a generalist.
• The diagnosis rests on life history + standardised tools + functional impact, not a single test.
• After the diagnosis, expect an emotional phase — that’s normal, and crossing it is part of the road.

Moi aussi — raconter ça

Respiration guidée

Inspire 4s, retiens 7s, expire 8s. Calme le système nerveux. Utile en cas de tempête émotionnelle ou RSD.

4-7-8Box breathing (4-4-4-4)Cohérence cardiaque (5-5)

Inspire par le nez

4

Commencer0 cycles complétés

Go further

• What ADHD actually is
• AuDHD — when ADHD and autism coexist
• Preparing your first consultation
• If you can’t access a specialist