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Choosing Your ADHD Doctor: ADHD Friendly Version
1. ADHD is a lifelong, neurological, physiological condition.
2. Seeing a new doctor can be an unsettling experience.
3. There are many reasons one doctor may be better for you than another.
4. You need to take the time to find the best doctor for you.
5. Get doctor recommendations from family & friends.
6. Picking some doctors out of the phone book, based on proximity to your home.
7. Search Google: Adult ADHD psychiatrist, YOUR TOWN & STATE
8. Choose two or three doctors who “look good on paper.”
9. Ask around to find people who have real life experience with the doctors on your list.
10. Go to CHADD meetings and listen to what the attendees say about their doctors.
11. If you know of someone who has ADHD in their family, ask that person the following questions:
- How do they like their doctor?
- Does their doctor listen to them?
- Does their doctor rush them through appointments?
- Does their doctor respect them?
- On average, how long do patients wait, after signing in, before they see the doctor?
- Is there a long wait for appointments or can you get appointments quickly?
- Is the office ADHD friendly?
- Do they think their doctor is the best doctor for them or did they settle due to limited options, distance, etc.?
12. The foundation of a good doctor/patient relationship is trust.
13. A doctor/patient relationship, based on mutual respect, leads to comprehensive care and successful treatment of ADHD. ADHD is for life.
14. If you do not find the best doctor for your situation from the start, you may bounce between doctors, resulting in sub-par treatment, unnecessarily wasting months, or even years, of your life.
15. You will have to advocate for yourself, or your child, to make sure you are getting the best, and most comprehensive, medical care available so your doctor should be someone who is not threatened, or bothered in any way, by your input into your own treatment.
16. While it may not be in your control, do your best to choose a doctor whose office is in close proximity to your home, or workplace.
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