The commercialisation of neurodiversity.

Does anybody else feel that over the last ten years or so, neurodiversity has become 'big business' and has lost its focus? 

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  • To add to the posts recently added. My experience was as follows. After waiting four and a half years on the NHS waiting list for ADHD. In the end, I got a private diagnosis:

    Diagnosis = £1600

    Monthly appointments = £150 (medication was dependent on your attending the monthly appointment)

    Monthly medication = £130

    Each monthly appointment consisted of 30 minutes of aggressive sales tactics regarding their services, which ranged from group to electroconvulsive therapy. There were also 5 minutes of chat and then the writing of a prescription. The offer of shared care was raised, and if it hadn't been for my research, it would never have been made. 

    When I finally got to be assessed by NHS (which had to be done, or they would no longer pay for my medication). I had to start the whole process from scratch despite the diagnosis coming from a certified psychiatrist. 

    Make of that what you will. 

  • I had to start the whole process from scratch despite the diagnosis coming from a certified psychiatrist. 

    Were you prescribed different meds or different strengths of the meds as a result of the re-evaluation?

    It may be that the NHS consultant thought you had been oversold the treatment and meds so they wanted to get you onto a programme that they thought was correct.

    The meds do seem expensive. The psychiatrist should have been able to write a prescription to be filled at the chemist the same as an NHS doctors prescription if my understanding of prescriptions is correct.

    The whole setup smells off to me - more than a little unethical.

  • My GP practice will not write an NHS prescription for ADHD meds if diagnosis and private prescription is from a non NHS clinic. I think this is happening in other parts of the UK as I recall reading bits about the problem.

  • I wonder if part of the problems with having a private diagnosis that the NHS dosen't want to recognise, is that there seem to be so many cowboys out there?

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