BBC News or Health Reporter
BBCA woman from Armagh who was diagnosed in private with ADHD, said that the first time she played medications, it was “that life changed.”
Jennifer Cousins said it was “unfair” that there are no commissioned services for Hyperactivity disorder of the attention deficit (ADHD) In Northern Ireland.
A condition that affects people’s behavior, the 42 -year -old woman said she always tried new things, she never felt established and was impulsive.
“I was marking all these boxes of things I had fought for so long, and I could finally see why these things were having an impact on my life,” he said.
The Department of Health (DOH) said that “the demand for evaluation of ADHD exceeds capacity, which results in long waiting times of several years.”
Mrs. Cousins said that “it is not surprising that there are adults out there that they have fought with this condition in their entire life and that there are no funds or service in charge of the diagnosis.”
The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but often extends in families.
Mrs. Cousins said that after her family’s children were diagnosed with the condition, she realized that she had similar features and discovered that she had combined ADHD.
“It was emotionally a difficult time to diagnose because, like anyone, you don’t want to be different,” he said.
“But at the same time it made sense totally.”
‘The chaos of my brain’
The mother of one said that daily tasks before medication were quite “stressful and excessive.”
“There is this saying that I think it is quite fun and that it is quite true that the brain of ADHD is like an internet browser.
“There are 17 open eyelashes, there are three frozen and you don’t know where music comes from. So that’s a bit like me,” he said.
Mrs. Cousins said that preparing in the morning that she is floating between tasks.
“Suddenly, maybe there are four or five tasks around me.
“Unfortunately, sometimes I could cut myelf or break a dish or burner, so obviously my brain’s chaos is shown through daily tasks.”
Mrs. Cousins said that while phone reminders to do things have been “my lifeguard,” he found ADHD exhaustion Difficult.
“It is something that happens when you are so mentally, emotionally and physically energetic every day.
“Having to concentrate very hard to try to do things was really quite challenging, quite weakening,” he said.
Mrs. Cousins said medications helped improve their approach and control their energy levels.
She has a Shared Attention Agreement Which allows “shared attention and decision making without problems” between it, its private specialist consultant and its header “in relation to the use of medicines.”
“I was able to handle all the things I need every day, how to pick up the school from the school, cook a dinner, order, take care of the garden, pass the dog.
“It made such a difference that I finally felt like me.”
Mrs. Cousins said she loves the fact that she has ADHD because she said that many people are creative as a result.
She writes songs and poetry, and has recently written a book about her childhood, educating about the signs, symptoms and behaviors of ADHD.
ADHD was first recognized in adults in 2008Eight years after children’s ADHD was formally recognized through the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Care (NICE) in most of the United Kingdom NHS (England, Wales and Ni).
The Doh said that while there is an available provision level, it is aware that “this has also led to unconstry among trusts.”
Sarah Salters, CEO or ADD-NIHe said the beneficial organization receives a lot of weekly references for ADHD support programs.
Since January they have had 165 references, with almost half of those found to adults.
She said that the lack of services within adult health service is “diabolical”, leaving adults “very frustrated” with “anywhere to turn.”
Mrs. Salters said that many people are “obliged” to be private for a diagnosis and also have difficulty obtaining medications, since not all head doctors honor the shared care protocol.
“About 4% of our adult population has ADHD, that is approximately 70,000 people in Northern Ireland and possibly there is a very high number of people who are not diagnosed,” he said.
“Where you get proper support, the appropriate strategies established, people with ADHD begin to see that they can do things that are damaging” t capable of doing before. “
The DOH has commissioned a “needs assessment” in order to present recommendations to inform a commissioning ADHD service, which is expected to be completed at the end of June 2025.
He said that any decision “will be based on an evaluation of the level of demand for services and the context of the future availability of the budget.”
Mrs. Salters does not trust that the services will be commissioned, since she does not believe that ADHD is seen as a “priority.”
