ADHDAF Episode 17: ADHD NHS Shared Care DENIED: Nicole Nadler
Imagine getting a private diagnosis after hearing the lengthy wait for an NHS ADHD assessment, only to then have said diagnosis denied by the NHS!
That’s exactly what happened to our next guest earlier this year… New Yorker, Nicole followed her heart to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she lives with her Scottish husband and works as a writer. She’s currently reviewing acts performing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
ADHD Shared Care, in a nutshell: is where a specialist (ie a private Psychiatrist) shares responsibilities with a General Practitioner (GP) in the treatment of the patient. Including: management of prescription, monitoring progress, tests - such as ECG, communication of dose changes during titration, etc.
Despite many ADHDers in desperate need of treatment being advised by the NHS to go private if they can afford to due to the wait; Nicole was told that her shared care was rejected BECAUSE she wasn’t diagnosed by the NHS!
Nicole is a UK resident who has a brain disorder that is considered a disability in the UK.
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!
Despite sharing her story with BBC Scotland, Nicole’s case has not been reviewed.
Like many, Nicole has to pay for her medication, and feels so dismissed by the NHS, that she doesn’t have the energy to keep fighting to be heard to access the treatment she needs and is entitled to. Fortunately, Nicole is privileged enough to be able to pay for her medication, unlike many already struggling to survive the cost of living crisis(!) forced to choose between medication that enables them to function and basic living costs.
Despite her diagnosis ordeal, Nicole’s tale is a positive one…
‘Having ADHD is the worst thing that ever happened to me. Getting an ADHD diagnosis is the best thing that ever happened to me!’ - Nicole Nadler
After a lifetime of self loathing, battling depression, feelings of ineptitude and despair, Nicole has found acceptance, is thriving and making up for lost time! GO ON NICOLE!
We LOVE this proper blether of an episode! There’s so much to take away from it, from validation to inspiration… ENJOY!
*Trigger Warning* This episode contains strong language, and sensitive topics which some may find distressing. Including; grief, severe mental health struggles and suicide