Plenty of adults reach their thirties or forties before ADHD ever comes up. They have spent years being called scattered, or lazy, or full of potential if only they would apply themselves. Somewhere along the way, they decided the fault was theirs. Most of the time it isn't. ADHD is a difference in how the brain handles attention, impulse and energy. It is also one of the more treatable reasons a capable person feels like they are pushing uphill all day.
This trips people up, so it is worth saying plainly. A psychologist can sit down with you and work out whether ADHD explains what you are experiencing. They can also build the practical strategies that change your week. What they cannot do is write a script. In Australia, ADHD medication is started by a psychiatrist or paediatrician. The exception worth watching is New South Wales. There, GPs with extra training have started taking over prescriptions for stable patients, and some may soon be able to diagnose too. Other states are watching that rather than copying it. If you are unsure where yours stands, your GP will know in about thirty seconds.
It is more than a checklist. A good assessment goes back through your history, because ADHD does not switch on in adulthood. Then it looks at how things play out now: the job, the bills, the relationships, the drawer of half-finished projects. Plan for a couple of sessions rather than one. What you walk away with is something concrete. Usually that means a clear picture, a written report, and a plan you can take to a GP or specialist.
Cost is what everyone really wants to know. Once your GP writes a Mental Health Treatment Plan, therapy sessions are rebated by Medicare. That is roughly $98.97 back each session on the current schedule, for up to ten sessions a year. A full diagnostic assessment usually sits outside that and is billed on its own. So get the price in writing first. The rebate figure is reviewed every July, so check it is still current when you book.
If you do go on medication, it helps with the chemistry. It will not teach you how to run your life. That is the gap psychology fills, and the work is usually unglamorous and practical. It means getting your memory out of your head and into systems that survive a bad week. It means setting up your space so the right thing is also the easy thing. And it means untangling the self-criticism that years of missed deadlines tend to leave behind. For a lot of people, that last part matters as much as the focus.
If it is your child you are thinking about, the process runs a little differently and involves their school. We have covered that in ADHD in children: a parent's guide. And if cost is the main barrier, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, there are extra rebates worth knowing about in our guide to Medicare-funded mental health support.
If today is hard: ADHD often travels with anxiety or low mood, and some days are heavier than others. Lifeline 13 11 14 and Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 are there any time. In an emergency, call 000.
Yes. A psychologist can run a full assessment and make the diagnosis. The one thing they cannot do is prescribe medication. That part needs a psychiatrist, paediatrician or eligible GP.
No. Some people do well with strategies and therapy alone. If medication is worth considering, a prescriber will talk it through with you. The decision stays yours.
Therapy sessions are rebated under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, around $98.97 back per session at the moment. A diagnostic assessment is usually a separate, larger fee, so ask for a quote up front.
For most adults, yes. Assessment and ongoing support work well by video. It also makes the whole thing far easier to fit around work.
Important: This is general information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice. ADHD is assessed and treated individually by a registered practitioner. If you are in crisis, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or 000 in an emergency.
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