“I can’t have ADHD. I can sit still for a very long time.”
Literally my parents. And teachers. I was “such a quiet kid” who did well in school. Never mind the fact that I would chatter to my parents and brother to the point where they’d actually get rather upset with me interrupting everything.
Turns out I excelled on tests solely because it was quiet. The doodling and daydreaming I did managed to keep just enough information flowing into my brain that when it came to tests, I just worked through them like puzzles.
I remember classes after I started taking Ritalin in highschool. Holy crap. I actually remembered learning. It was incredible. I didn’t have to figure out things on my own. Tests were even easier because I had the answers beforehand.
Meanwhile I’m trying to get diagnosed as an adult but because I got good grades as a kid and didn’t actively commit crimes all the time I’m being told that it’s impossible that I have ADHD
It’s so frustrating
An ADHD diagnosis as an adult is hard. If it’s impacting work (which if you have ADHD I don’t see how it couldn’t), your best bet is starting off with a licensed therapist. They can at least help you get things started, and help get you a recommendation to a psychiatrist. If the current clamp down on ADHD meds is any indication, it probably will have to be a specialized psychiatrist to get you diagnosed.
One of the things about ADHD is that the symptoms are life long, so there would be some indication that you had it as a kid. Your parents and siblings or close cousins are your best bet on that. You don’t want to fish for the information, but get a general idea of what they know. It will help in your diagnosis, or at least get you into testing.
