Really glad this series is happening, the "someone would have told me" belief is one of the most common things I see in newly diagnosed adults, and you've articulated why it persists beautifully. The bit about friends not diagnosing friends is exactly right, and it's worth saying plainly because people genuinely don't understand why they weren't flagged earlier.
One thing I'd gently push back on, though: the line about assessments being "mostly behavioural questions" and other tests having "questionable efficacy" undersells what a good assessment actually involves. Behavioural screening is the entry point, but a thorough assessment includes ruling out differential diagnoses — depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, trauma — which changes the clinical picture significantly. This matters especially for adults diagnosed late, as those conditions frequently co-occur. The assessment isn't just about getting the label; it's about getting the right label and understanding what else might be going on. Worth flagging for your readers who are about to start that process.
Looking forward to the medication episode, especially. That's where the gap between "having the diagnosis" and "actually understanding what's happening in your brain" tends to widen most.
Thanks Dr KB. I agree with your push back on the assessment and thank you for the callout. My intention was to state that the standard I experience was behavioral screening and lean away from the other tests in my experience.
I have other friends that have experienced computer games and brain scans which I found to have questionable scientific efficacy in reviewing some of the literature.
Having not experience these myself nor being a medical provider, I can't really comment on them further. I am planning a co-authored piece with a medical provider in the future to talk more about the subject in detail.
Really glad this series is happening, the "someone would have told me" belief is one of the most common things I see in newly diagnosed adults, and you've articulated why it persists beautifully. The bit about friends not diagnosing friends is exactly right, and it's worth saying plainly because people genuinely don't understand why they weren't flagged earlier.
One thing I'd gently push back on, though: the line about assessments being "mostly behavioural questions" and other tests having "questionable efficacy" undersells what a good assessment actually involves. Behavioural screening is the entry point, but a thorough assessment includes ruling out differential diagnoses — depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, trauma — which changes the clinical picture significantly. This matters especially for adults diagnosed late, as those conditions frequently co-occur. The assessment isn't just about getting the label; it's about getting the right label and understanding what else might be going on. Worth flagging for your readers who are about to start that process.
Looking forward to the medication episode, especially. That's where the gap between "having the diagnosis" and "actually understanding what's happening in your brain" tends to widen most.
Thanks Dr KB. I agree with your push back on the assessment and thank you for the callout. My intention was to state that the standard I experience was behavioral screening and lean away from the other tests in my experience.
I have other friends that have experienced computer games and brain scans which I found to have questionable scientific efficacy in reviewing some of the literature.
Having not experience these myself nor being a medical provider, I can't really comment on them further. I am planning a co-authored piece with a medical provider in the future to talk more about the subject in detail.
Love the discussion. thanks!