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Difficulty getting to work. Not sure how to deal with ADHD choice paralysis. Like trying to get things to work

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Move into a place that will motivate you to do work

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Move into a place that will motivate you to do work

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Rewards! Break down tasks into 15-30 minutes.

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Rewards! Break down tasks into 15-30 minutes.

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When you're done with this small goal, the you get a small treat like getting a walk, to motivate yourself to get it done

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- overwhelm
- depression

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- family member
- videos online
- ADHD alien

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You do still need some form of motivation

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You do still need some form of motivation

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Pomodoro and getting in the Zone - helps with things that you don't want to do

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Pomodoro and getting in the Zone - helps with things that you don't want to do

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How would you know if it is the best one for you

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How would you know if it is the best one for you

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Something to test out with your psychiatrist, start out with the lowest dose, and then check with your psychiatrist, and then slowly increase the dosage.
Be honest with yourself and the psych.
The are 4, 8 and 12h ones.

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- polyclinic - referral to a hospital for diagnosis - explain why you think you have ADHD. Prepare ahead of time so you are able to list your symptoms and give examples of how you experience this (DSM-5 criteria as a guide)
- polyclinic doctor referred to Alexandra Hospital (2-3 months). Relatively quick. Some people wait longer
- at Alexandra Hospital - more in depth questions - doctor will go through treatment option

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- already in hospital system for depression and anxiety - internally referred
- referred to psychologist - thought cannot have ADHD because of good grades
- had to go to private clinic - went to ADDitude website and did ADHD screener test, brought report card, lots of examples in her notes, showed doctor How to ADHD videos
- long interview - doctor concluded inattentivity

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Take them in some class and not in others.
- Like in lesson prep
- see it as a little helper.
- Take it when we need it, but in summer break or winter break does not.
- if its a particularly hard day and need focus
- will know yourself after a while and know when certain tasks are too much for you

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- some people were turned away by doctor because they had good grades
- even if worried about what doctor may say, just give it a try - still worth it - a lot more options
- OK to get a second opinion

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- There is the during and the after
- Side effects during medication - loss of appetite, nauseous. If it is ritalin, can time it between meals as it lasts for 4h. Could give you headaches.

The after:
- can give the crash, especially for Ritalin.

*It is different for everyone. Can for instance be tired or exhausted.

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- Have to ask your parents to answer questions about your past. But this can be challenging, as parents can be a source of stress in one's life as well.
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- for some people, if they did not fit the typical stereotype of ADHD, there was a worry that they would be turned away
- so private clinic was most direct route - faster

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Going to NUS CHPC — set an appointment, they have an intake session, and will design specific questions.

The cost of assessment — $300, and then $45 for an hour of the intake session. So less than $500. Run by interns that are taking a masters in psych.

Other places are James Cook University and NIE

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- symptoms in girls are different from boys
- anxiety
- covid makes things worse
- looking for ways to manage

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Getting referral to IMH. Told that had to bring a parent along even though was more than 21. But was not reluctant to get involved. But instead brought a friend along.

The process time: 2-3 months. (though online they say that there is a full assessment lasting more than a hour). But one experience was that it was just half an hour. The doctor mentioned that if the medication works it is likely ADHD.

Doctor seemed quite chill about whether it seemed like it worked

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- severe ADHD symptoms - medication helps to get started in the day
- ADHD runs in families - if a child has it, a parent may have it too - recognize the traits
- polyclinic to hospital route may be a little traumatic for some people
- private route was faster (but more costly)
- for those who are able to cope/perform in school or work, there are different challenges to getting an ADHD diagnosis
- last minute work / working under pressure - built up over time - there is a high price to pay - accumulated stress over the years - affected health - blood pressure, heart (adrenalin dependent) - natural stimulant - adrenalin in high levels in your body will damage your body
- 6 months post diagnosis - still fine tuning dosage levels, different types of meds
- learning a lot through this process about the type of ADHD you have - sometimes 100% level, sometimes bring it down much lower.
- depends on context, adjusting dosage helps with different aspects of work life
- trying to see how to deal with long work days for long and slow release medication - needs a lot of patience and understanding of what works for you

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Above 18
Approached the university's counselling centre to say that its affecting sleep and studies, is there someone you can speak to. Thereafter he might suggest that you might have ADHD.

CHPC only gives out assessment reports and take it from there. If your school offers counselling services you can go from there.

CHAT can also direct you to make referrals to local hospitals

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Go to centre at the top floor, go to psychaitrist and could refer you to a hospital for further treatment or counselling.
Also could take note on whether you are interested in paying. So referred to a place where didn't need to pay for counselling

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- still trying to figure out what works
- not everything that people share about will work in your particular situation eg timers, alarms, etc.
- body doubling works for her - get friends to help with studying or homework - bribe if need to !!
- video calls at night - even if virtually - it helps!! knowing that someone is there, being accountable - two way thing
- combined medication plus body doubling
- hear from other people who have ADHD - "How to ADHD" by Jessica McCabe on YouTube is a great resource!!
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Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a support network

studystream helps a lot as a Discord server for body doubling. Have may todolists, such as Notion, or arranging things according to what to do in a day even down to the hour, or being kind to yourself.

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there are a lot of mental health issues that are co-existing with ADHD
- keep finding out more and keep fighting to get a diagnosis
- youtube resources
- free ADHD workbooks online

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- learn strategies
- get therapy to address issues
- medication is not the ONLY way to address ADHD (but certainly evidence based to be effective for about 70%)
- pills dont teach skills

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Get a series of tests that you can choose to administer.

Psychiatrist is to sit down to chat and ask where you're at.

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- sometimes we mask the symptoms - so may not be evident in ALL facets of life
- medication does not need to be long term - there is something called a medication trial - to test how you react to the medication, if you are diagnosed with ADHD
- it is important to find out what your strengths are
- what makes you "weird" to others, may be your strengths and what makes you unique :)
- medication helps with certain types of tasks but not with others
- you have to know what you want to get done - medication / coaching, etc.

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Trying to shift the mindset to if I don't I don't, then it is just something I should work towards

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Did fantastic at a clicker test and did well in primary school, and said that did not have ADHD.

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If it's not its okay :) Its about finding ways to make life more smooth sailing

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If it's not its okay :) Its about finding ways to make life more smooth sailing

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- should people go to a doctor who is familiar with ADHD but very far away from home location, or is it better to just see someone close by but not as familiar with ADHD?
- it also depends on how much you trust that psychiatrist
- different mental health professionals have different approaches to ADHD
- private clinics tend to be more accepting of atypical presentations vs government hospitals
- usually a monthly appt
- TELE-therapy may be an option for some people where there is no qualified mental health professional in one's geographical area, e.g therapists, psychologists in malaysia, singapore, USA, australia, are also doing this via zoom, etc

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- Can still seek a diagnosis to find out methods to deal with it
https://www.unlockingadhd.com/mild-symptoms-need-assessment/

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Waited until getting the report. Just dropped it. Family is always harder to break it to, friends was just easier.

Family took it with uncertainty, had some fears with medication. Thought that mom might be a little cold, but later realised that she was just sad that didn't realise sooner

Easing them into it, just two sentences even, over a few days. Small things like offering to help collect the medication. And now talk about simple things like getting accomodations in school.

With friends just told them. Difficulty keeping in mind conversation threads, and just being understanding on punctuality, or call on have you done your work for a day.

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Wouldnt say that medication aren't a must
But therapy is about getting tools to cope, medication is just one of them. They're subsidised, so they are also an option. A diagnosis helps, especially if you get a report.

Accomodations in school — a separate time to do your exams, or extra time in exams.

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- coping mechanisms failed
- went to see psychiatrist and got diagnosed
- tried medication
- there are things we can do to help the psychiatrist to make a more informed diagnosis
- we need to be familiar with the symptoms of ADHD - eg cannot sit still to watch tv, YouTube - cannot sustain attention even if interested in these things, hyperactive physically
- note behaviours, keywords
- if non specific, it is hard to get a clear diagnosis
- eg if you say you are anxious - reflect on what caused it - eg change in behaviour/habits - eg drinking coffee as a form of self medication when work stress become too much
- have an event/timeline
- most doctors have an idea about ADHD but in public healthcare, there is a more conservative approach, e.g. you need to be familiar with your primary school history (because one of the symptoms in Adult ADHD is that the symptoms have to be seen BEFORE age 12)
- everyone is different

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A lot of it stems from understanding or lack thereof. It is not our responsibility to educate anyone.

But if there are people in your life willing to listen more and learn more about it, then you may share.

Or communicating what you need, like needing to check out for meetings

A lot of it is how you present yourself

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- we also have to play our part in being informed and gathering facts / supporting information to show evidence of the symptoms in our lives
- preparation is important - mental preparation plus specific examples from childhood to show these symptoms
- doctor only seeing us for a few minutes and will base judgement on this limited time
- so we have a responsibility to SELF-ADVOCATE
- we may think some details are not that important, or too small a detail but it is critical to bring these symptoms up and how they affect your daily functioning
- be very precise - the mental health professionals do want to help people - they want to get as much details from us
- they do not want to misdiagnose

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Ask the Prof after class for a chat on what ADHD works for you. For instance, if you need to go out of class for a bit.

And if you need extra time for assessments.

Examinations — extra room, extra time, do have note takers (though up to you to choose)

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- self advocacy is so important
- take the time to read up and learn all you can about ADHD
- this would be very helpful to get clarity on your symptoms and get a diagnosis