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I am creating this petition, as a person that has undergone a late diagnosis of ADHD combined type at a max score, woo! 

This process was so difficult that it felt as if I had to climb Everest just to get the help necessary to begin the journey of the aim to somewhat function as Neurotypical! 

So my journey began when I was born as ADHD isn't just something you can 'catch' for lack of a better word. 

Life has been pretty difficult and now I have some answers as to why, with my diagnosis taking place 26yrs and 10m into My existence.  

But I really started to notice about 18m ago when signing up for a university course and simultaneously (stat) redundancy& then the pandemic! Which would suck for anybody in a state of overwhelm, let alone in a person who's brain doesn't get enough dopamine along with the latter. 

Things just became too much and I would panic and cry consistently: which was semi normal for me, until found out about RSD, a commonly Comorbity of ADHD itself and brief overview of this is; 'though researchers are still unsure why, it seems that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more susceptible to RSD. RSD is a condition in which a person feels extreme emotional sensitivity and pain due to perceived or actual rejection, teasing, or criticism' ref -medicalnewstoday.com. IT SUCKS! 

I was misdiagnosed and overlooked (my brother was diagnosed as a small child - he's 11m younger than me, typically men display differently. But he was diagnosed with ADHD, eventually autism - which can be more. Prominent when ADHD has been treated. Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and learning difdiculties) Eventually being diagnosed with Generalised anxiety disorder, depression & sent on my way with SSRI's, in which the dosages continued to rise with little affect & self reffered on advice of my gp to a brilliant service called healthy minds for therapy, although this happened 8m later it was a blessing and It did somewhat help temporarily. 12 weeks turned into 8m and I was lucky enough to be reffered by my CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) therapist to my local ADHD services. It then took from nov- March to get a letter to say a refferal had been made and they aimed to be in touch in 8 weeks. They got in touch late July, 4/5 weeks after this and told me it's a further 9m wait. So in the time I could create and birth life and have several appts in between, it's going to take them to help me! 

But during this lengthy process It was brought to light in some ADHD groups I'd joined that there was a NHS service called right to choose, this gives the patient the option to choose who provides their care, without prior CCG (clinical Commissioning group or as us peasants know it, the postcode lottery, woo!) 

So I contacted my GP to tell them I wanted to enforce my right to choose and be reffered to a service of my choice; they kept needlessly waiting and demanded that prior to referal,  they NEEDED to contact the CCG first. 

So I got in contact with the service I wanted, to send an email to my GP, with their very real NHS email address' to explain how the service worked and prove it was legitimate and all that was needed was the paperwork I'd already completed and emailed to my GP, with their consent to go ahead on it. 

Even after then my GP was continually rude and dismissed my healthcare needs and after what was going to be my 2nd misdiagnosis with my current GP. After scouring for help and eventually using other services to CONFIRM I needed referrals - prior to them listening to what I'd told them all along And after they'd got their unnecessary CCG approval,  they put my Referral in and by luck - 5m later and a fast tracked tritation(medication monitored over time, which should have been a 20 week wait)  to help me, I have been diagnosed with, as I statated at the top with combined type Attention Deficiant Hyperactivity Disorder. That has without a doubt continually affected my life. 

Had my doctors been aware of this service and non hesitant in their approach of what I believe were and ARE my healthcare needs... AGAIN, I'd have been diagnosed a lot sooner and who knows the person that I could be now.

Because I never will. 

Or if there were an option for direct family members to be fast tracked and tested for these life althering, incurable conditions, then quality of life could be vastly improved for a huge portion of people that are much more likely to take their life, due to a misunderstood and often misdiagnosed condition; The mortality rate per 10,000 person-years was 5·85 among individuals with ADHD compared with 2·21 in those without. Ref PubMed. Gov 
Preferably both! 

I don't believe autism is on a RTC scheme, but it should be, as it's more expensive/ a longer waiting time for the diagnosis and unfortunately there are no meds for a easy fix, but there are services out there that can and will help manage the condition with the right referal. 

If you've made it this far I applaud you & myself for getting this far too! 

Please sign and allow more people to get the help they might need a lot easier, faster, clearer and in non judgemental way.

Thank you :)