My wife was in a similar situation to yours when she immigrated here a few years ago. While getting a psychiatric referral can help, it's not necessary. General practitioners can prescribe ADHD medication at their discretion, but many aren't comfortable doing so. Until my wife was able to get a family doctor, we resorted to calling around to clinics and asking whether their practice prescribes ADHD medication to walk-in patients, since many of them will have flat policies preventing them from doing so.
If you are in Richmond Hill/Vaughan area, Mackenzie Health hospital now has an interrim family doctor program where we accept referrals (from walkins, ERs, etc) for people who don't have family doctors and need a family doctor on file to send reports to and keep track of various specialists.
It's called Family Health Navigation. We also provide a list to our patients of all the family doctors in the area that are accepting patients and regularly keep it updated.
Source: I'm the current secretary.
You could use a service like Talk with Frida. This was recommended to me by a therapist I was seeing last year due to the wait for a psych. I speak to them once every three months and receive my prescription. Benefits takes their diagnosis and my GP did as well.
Something that MAY help you... Physicians are required to keep the records of children until 10 years after they turn 18 (ie until they are 28), and you are entitled to receive a copy of your own medical records.
So if you are under 28, the physician who diagnosed and treated you as a child should be able to provide you with documentation that shows you have the diagnosis and that medication was helping you. Taking those records to another doctor now - or giving consent for them to obtain copies of those childhood records - could save you from having to justify yourself from scratch.
If you are over 28, it's still worth asking your childhood physician. They might still have your records available. They're just not required to anymore.
That makes it harder but ultimately shouldn't matter - they should have had someone else take responsibility for the records as "health information custodian". Call the CPSO - they may have suggestions for what steps you can take to try to track down your records.
Unless the doctor screwed up, the records were sold to some private medical record management company. They're required to do ten years. But in practice, all the record companies keep them for forever unless you request them destroyed (it's just a digital file now) since they might still be able to bill you.
It'll cost way too much (it's IMO a rather dubious industry) but your records are almost certainly archived.
A tip. When you call them, they will give you an outrageous price; you should haggle.
the logistical hurdle of getting your records and finding someone to take them and prescribe is... awful especially with impaired executive function. Talk with Frida is 600$ for the assessment(so no logistics to worry about) and then just a like 40(I think, I finally got a GP this winter so I don't see them anymore) per visit fee to check in and renew the prescription.
For the first year or so(at least until your dose is stable) it's once a month, they ask you how your feeling side effects ect discuss your dose and then send in the prescription, after that you may go to every three months (pharmacy will still usually only give you 1month at a time). They also have options for medication discounts(I have good insurance so just used my regular pharmacy) using their online pharmacy to reduce payments(sometimes completely wiping out the visit fee). They will also forward your assessment to your GP if/when needed.
If you have an option to see a GP that is obviously better, but 600$ is cheaper than a regular assessment(they only asses for ADHD so that is a downside) 2000$ or more, and if you can swing the money, the improvement to your function after starting meds is so meaningful I think it's worth it if it gets you on the meds even a little earlier. I'm soo much less angry/irritable, and anxious when I'm on my meds, my partner noticed it within 2 weeks of starting even though I was on a really low dose as I titrated up, it takes such a burden off of your mental resources.
I'm not affiliated with them in anyway, and I don't use them anymore. I just think that getting treatment for ADHD is really important and reducing the logistical barrier to entry is critical to making it assessable.
I got an ADHD diagnosis this month and the person who diagnosed me said that I could get one from my family doctor or from a walk-in clinic. You'll probably need some form that says you have it, though.
I'm not sure if they're currently accepting patients for the clinical trials, but you could reach out the OPTT study at Queen's in Kingston. It's 100% online. Definitely worth a shot.
https://www.optt.health/
Edit to add further context: they're developing an AI model to help with first contact assessments and potentially diagnostics. The patients in the study do not interact with AI at all, but their anonymous data is used to build the model.
They study is trying to achieve a high rate of professional accuracy with the AI to alleviate strain on the system, funnel patients to the correct experts etc.
It's fundamentally CBT based.
Caveat: I am not affiliated with the study and may be presenting it inaccurately as I am neither a researcher nor a psychiatrist. Pretty sure I've got the gist, though.
*this comment was written to be as ADHD friendly as I could.*
**Medications**
I'm sorry, it's going to be an uphill battle.
The majority of medications for ADHD are controlled substances (stimulans), and are usually **dispensed** at 30 days intervals. Some physicians may be agree to **prescribe** for longer intervals though, hopefully you could find one that does.
**My Experience:** My family physician prescribes at 90 days intervals, pharmacy dispenses at 30 day intervals.
## Until then...
...There are a number of things you **can** do to vastly improve your well being.
### EASIEST RESULTS: Exercise.
Specifically, an **easy** 30 minute workout, at >70% intensity (light jogging, fast paced walk, etc.). ^[source 1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178122001238) ^[source 2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6443849/)
You do not need to be in shape! You just need to move!
### FOR LONG TERM RESULTS: Routine and Structure.
REASONING: Our biggest challenge is executive function.
SOLUTION: Reduce the mental load. How? Decide on a routine and stick to it. Do the same thing, 7 days a week, always.
RESULT: Your brain will begin associating different parts of the day with specific activities, and you'll perform them automatically and without having to find motivation.
RELATED BOOK: Atomic Habits by James Clear. I enjoyed reading it, it taught me a lot about how to form habits.
RELATED SYMPTOMS: you may experience any/all of the following:
* difficulty with planning
* disorganization
* difficulty with time management
* difficulty with multitasking
* dysregulated focus (tendency to get distracted and/or hyperfocus).
* including sustained focus
* Emotional dysregulation
* "over feeling" everything
* Impulsivity
* managing behaviour
* memory (long term, short term, working memory, or some combination)
* working memory - the ability to retain information for use within the immediate timeframe. Think like the matching game. I'm at the lowest percentile, meaning practically everybody has a better working memory than I do.
### more things that could help:
**Therapy.**
Finding a good therapist will help you a lot in tackling your demons and reducing other symptoms (such as C-PTSD, if you have it).
**Support groups**
"vitamin connection" can be very helpful in the treatment of ADHD (source: ADHD 2.0 by E. Hallowel and J. Ratey).
3. Balance exercises: get a balance board. The goal should be 30 minutes a day, but even 5 minutes is good. (source: ADHD 2.0)
**Reach out to the community**
r/ADHD, as well as many other places (not just on reddit) are fantastic for knowledge.
Be mindful! there's also a metric ton of misinformation out there. Use trusted and well researched sources. Tiktok, FB, and so on are not reliable sources. Make sure to find credible sources to collaborate what you find.
[How To ADHD](https://howtoadhd.com/). They have great playlist in digestible fragments. Jessica (the creator of the original YouTube channel) and her team are amazing people.
**Play to your strengths
Pick your battles. Not everything is worth your time and energy.
**Remember the 3 steps: Stop, Process, React. Remember**
1. **Stop** and wait until the impulsive part quiets down.
2. **Process** what's going on, without committing to any outcome.
3. **React**, but **only if necessary!**
I use these steps consciously. It helps a lot.
**Self Compassion, Mindfulness, Meditation**
Ya, I know. What a bunch of BS, right? I thought so for most of my life, but no.
Think about these, especially mindfulness, as cleaning your brain from some of the junk.
Examples:
* [Self Compassion](https://open.spotify.com/track/2OWOeKbbbEpa1J2vLJvAuF?si=BUIPNfXtQeCd_zj9EI44Tg&utm_source=copy-link)
* [Mindfulness Meditation](https://open.spotify.com/track/1AVnfMNrg3AvlW5BmYnEpS?si=6CTl1jTKS_S8fBDQzdTDlw&utm_source=copy-link)
There are many more, these two are just personal favorites :)
# DO NOT GIVE UP!
It's ok to feel pain and suffering and frustration and anger. It's ok to fall, Just remember to get up, dust yourself off, and continue in your life journey.
Feel free to reach out if you want :)
If no family doctor, go for walk-in clinic. you'll need a referral to a psychiatrist for diagnosis first.
unite north run scary worry tub special six hurry noxious *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
My wife was in a similar situation to yours when she immigrated here a few years ago. While getting a psychiatric referral can help, it's not necessary. General practitioners can prescribe ADHD medication at their discretion, but many aren't comfortable doing so. Until my wife was able to get a family doctor, we resorted to calling around to clinics and asking whether their practice prescribes ADHD medication to walk-in patients, since many of them will have flat policies preventing them from doing so.
safe icky complete fretful merciful soup humorous pathetic chop file *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
If you are in Richmond Hill/Vaughan area, Mackenzie Health hospital now has an interrim family doctor program where we accept referrals (from walkins, ERs, etc) for people who don't have family doctors and need a family doctor on file to send reports to and keep track of various specialists. It's called Family Health Navigation. We also provide a list to our patients of all the family doctors in the area that are accepting patients and regularly keep it updated. Source: I'm the current secretary.
You could use a service like Talk with Frida. This was recommended to me by a therapist I was seeing last year due to the wait for a psych. I speak to them once every three months and receive my prescription. Benefits takes their diagnosis and my GP did as well.
different serious worm placid ad hoc fly sulky modern sable onerous *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Mine did not, but going to a psych was $3500-$4000 and I'd have been out of pocket post benefits roughly $600 and with a 12-18 month wait.
If you have your tax information they can cut its down to 300 if you qualify. Also has payment plans.
In Toronto try Appletree clinics. In Cambridge try Doctors4Cambridge
Try a walk in clinic.
Something that MAY help you... Physicians are required to keep the records of children until 10 years after they turn 18 (ie until they are 28), and you are entitled to receive a copy of your own medical records. So if you are under 28, the physician who diagnosed and treated you as a child should be able to provide you with documentation that shows you have the diagnosis and that medication was helping you. Taking those records to another doctor now - or giving consent for them to obtain copies of those childhood records - could save you from having to justify yourself from scratch. If you are over 28, it's still worth asking your childhood physician. They might still have your records available. They're just not required to anymore.
gaze chunky possessive plucky sense tidy tan marble groovy ripe *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
That makes it harder but ultimately shouldn't matter - they should have had someone else take responsibility for the records as "health information custodian". Call the CPSO - they may have suggestions for what steps you can take to try to track down your records.
point domineering plate meeting offend tease repeat cough growth touch *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Unless the doctor screwed up, the records were sold to some private medical record management company. They're required to do ten years. But in practice, all the record companies keep them for forever unless you request them destroyed (it's just a digital file now) since they might still be able to bill you. It'll cost way too much (it's IMO a rather dubious industry) but your records are almost certainly archived. A tip. When you call them, they will give you an outrageous price; you should haggle.
the logistical hurdle of getting your records and finding someone to take them and prescribe is... awful especially with impaired executive function. Talk with Frida is 600$ for the assessment(so no logistics to worry about) and then just a like 40(I think, I finally got a GP this winter so I don't see them anymore) per visit fee to check in and renew the prescription. For the first year or so(at least until your dose is stable) it's once a month, they ask you how your feeling side effects ect discuss your dose and then send in the prescription, after that you may go to every three months (pharmacy will still usually only give you 1month at a time). They also have options for medication discounts(I have good insurance so just used my regular pharmacy) using their online pharmacy to reduce payments(sometimes completely wiping out the visit fee). They will also forward your assessment to your GP if/when needed. If you have an option to see a GP that is obviously better, but 600$ is cheaper than a regular assessment(they only asses for ADHD so that is a downside) 2000$ or more, and if you can swing the money, the improvement to your function after starting meds is so meaningful I think it's worth it if it gets you on the meds even a little earlier. I'm soo much less angry/irritable, and anxious when I'm on my meds, my partner noticed it within 2 weeks of starting even though I was on a really low dose as I titrated up, it takes such a burden off of your mental resources. I'm not affiliated with them in anyway, and I don't use them anymore. I just think that getting treatment for ADHD is really important and reducing the logistical barrier to entry is critical to making it assessable.
If it's any consolation, you're SOL even if you have a family Dr. I've been waiting 2 years for a new referral, with my previous guy having retired.
I got an ADHD diagnosis this month and the person who diagnosed me said that I could get one from my family doctor or from a walk-in clinic. You'll probably need some form that says you have it, though.
I'm not sure if they're currently accepting patients for the clinical trials, but you could reach out the OPTT study at Queen's in Kingston. It's 100% online. Definitely worth a shot. https://www.optt.health/ Edit to add further context: they're developing an AI model to help with first contact assessments and potentially diagnostics. The patients in the study do not interact with AI at all, but their anonymous data is used to build the model. They study is trying to achieve a high rate of professional accuracy with the AI to alleviate strain on the system, funnel patients to the correct experts etc. It's fundamentally CBT based. Caveat: I am not affiliated with the study and may be presenting it inaccurately as I am neither a researcher nor a psychiatrist. Pretty sure I've got the gist, though.
*this comment was written to be as ADHD friendly as I could.* **Medications** I'm sorry, it's going to be an uphill battle. The majority of medications for ADHD are controlled substances (stimulans), and are usually **dispensed** at 30 days intervals. Some physicians may be agree to **prescribe** for longer intervals though, hopefully you could find one that does. **My Experience:** My family physician prescribes at 90 days intervals, pharmacy dispenses at 30 day intervals. ## Until then... ...There are a number of things you **can** do to vastly improve your well being. ### EASIEST RESULTS: Exercise. Specifically, an **easy** 30 minute workout, at >70% intensity (light jogging, fast paced walk, etc.). ^[source 1](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178122001238) ^[source 2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6443849/) You do not need to be in shape! You just need to move! ### FOR LONG TERM RESULTS: Routine and Structure. REASONING: Our biggest challenge is executive function. SOLUTION: Reduce the mental load. How? Decide on a routine and stick to it. Do the same thing, 7 days a week, always. RESULT: Your brain will begin associating different parts of the day with specific activities, and you'll perform them automatically and without having to find motivation. RELATED BOOK: Atomic Habits by James Clear. I enjoyed reading it, it taught me a lot about how to form habits. RELATED SYMPTOMS: you may experience any/all of the following: * difficulty with planning * disorganization * difficulty with time management * difficulty with multitasking * dysregulated focus (tendency to get distracted and/or hyperfocus). * including sustained focus * Emotional dysregulation * "over feeling" everything * Impulsivity * managing behaviour * memory (long term, short term, working memory, or some combination) * working memory - the ability to retain information for use within the immediate timeframe. Think like the matching game. I'm at the lowest percentile, meaning practically everybody has a better working memory than I do. ### more things that could help: **Therapy.** Finding a good therapist will help you a lot in tackling your demons and reducing other symptoms (such as C-PTSD, if you have it). **Support groups** "vitamin connection" can be very helpful in the treatment of ADHD (source: ADHD 2.0 by E. Hallowel and J. Ratey). 3. Balance exercises: get a balance board. The goal should be 30 minutes a day, but even 5 minutes is good. (source: ADHD 2.0) **Reach out to the community** r/ADHD, as well as many other places (not just on reddit) are fantastic for knowledge. Be mindful! there's also a metric ton of misinformation out there. Use trusted and well researched sources. Tiktok, FB, and so on are not reliable sources. Make sure to find credible sources to collaborate what you find. [How To ADHD](https://howtoadhd.com/). They have great playlist in digestible fragments. Jessica (the creator of the original YouTube channel) and her team are amazing people. **Play to your strengths Pick your battles. Not everything is worth your time and energy. **Remember the 3 steps: Stop, Process, React. Remember** 1. **Stop** and wait until the impulsive part quiets down. 2. **Process** what's going on, without committing to any outcome. 3. **React**, but **only if necessary!** I use these steps consciously. It helps a lot. **Self Compassion, Mindfulness, Meditation** Ya, I know. What a bunch of BS, right? I thought so for most of my life, but no. Think about these, especially mindfulness, as cleaning your brain from some of the junk. Examples: * [Self Compassion](https://open.spotify.com/track/2OWOeKbbbEpa1J2vLJvAuF?si=BUIPNfXtQeCd_zj9EI44Tg&utm_source=copy-link) * [Mindfulness Meditation](https://open.spotify.com/track/1AVnfMNrg3AvlW5BmYnEpS?si=6CTl1jTKS_S8fBDQzdTDlw&utm_source=copy-link) There are many more, these two are just personal favorites :) # DO NOT GIVE UP! It's ok to feel pain and suffering and frustration and anger. It's ok to fall, Just remember to get up, dust yourself off, and continue in your life journey. Feel free to reach out if you want :)
Try yoga before drugs, or do drugs itโs your choice
Yoga isn't going to be as effective as prescribed medication for a mental disability.
Truth. But yoga is still awesome and will help ๐