Comments on the service you have received from Victoria: (For example; Process, approach, communication, professionalism, knowledge base, informative)
I have always had mental health issues (depression and social anxiety) and in my late 30s I began to tackle this with CBT / counselling. Lifting the lid on the problem led to a string suspicions that I may have some form of attention deficit disorder. However, over the years I have gathered several useful techniques to manage this at home and work. Until I started a very challenging job and froze completely. Unable to start anything and generally procrastinating, I fell into a blind panic and sank into a deep depression.
In fear of losing my job, I booked a doctor’s appointment and was referred onto a very long waiting list. It was a Friday and in true ADHD fashion; I trawled every resource available to me until I found Vicki who could assess that Sunday – bonus!
Vicki is very professional, as well as a warm approachable person which made me feel immediately at ease. Before the assessment, she took the time to run me through the process of the assessment and approach to care following the assessment.
The assessment was a recognised Adult ADHD Assessment following the NICE guidelines, which meant following the initial treatment phase (2 months in my case) it could be handed over to my GP to issue the medication.
The NICE guidelines recommended that somebody who knew you as a child attended the session, so brought my older brother. Both my brother and I found the session extremely informative and very enlightening. Vicki is very knowledgeable in ADHD and other areas of mental health, which gave us full confidence in the assessment.
During the assessment Vicki was patient and attentive, as I regaled my life stories and experiences. She carefully collated all the relevant information and completed the assessment as well as compiling a detailed report.
I would recommend Vicki in an instant. Her calm professional approach really helped put me at ease and I felt comfortable relaying the more difficult stories from my childhood.
Comments on how the service/intervention you have received has impacted you personally (or professionally):
The intervention that I have received has totally changed my life in all areas including personal and professional.
Personal Life
I no longer spend my free time procrastinating and feel depressed about not achieving anything. The intervention started 2 months ago, and I have not had a single bout of social anxiety. There are mild side effects, but these are very mild and more than manageable. One of which is dry mouth, that means I drink more water, which is good for you! I have found that without all the procrastinating I get things done; around the home; the garden; annoying admin; general household tasks. My whole life is far more organised and now I feel that I can truly relax. I know where everything is, and everything now has a place. I’ve learned that if I live my life more efficiently, I am so much happier. I have internalised hyperactivity which means my mind is a washing machine of unfinished or unsolved problems, that are so overwhelming that nothing gets done. Now I wake up in the morning, have a small breakfast, take my tablet and wait for the noise to stop. Before I capture all the things in my to do list. And, then the rest of the day is calmer and organised.
Professional Life
Once the intervention kicked in, I was a changed person. The focus allowed me to get my arms around all the problems, without panicking or procrastinating. The job is still challenging, but I know I’m doing my best and more confident in myself. I am able to produce detailed documents and converse with challenging people with confidence.
ADHD for me
In my opinion ADHD is not an issue, but more of a superpower. My brain does not work like other people’s, it knows what it wants and doesn’t like doing things that are not congruent with me. However, if you are doing a task that you enjoy, it is incredibly powerful and amazingly resourceful. The intervention has taught me how to operate with the poor individuals that don’t have my superpower. 😊
Thank you Vicki – it’s taken me years to get here. I hope this helps others expedite their journey.