Building an acceptance of ADHD.
There are a multitude of challenges in Aotearoa New Zealand for adults with ADHD. It can be difficult, slow and expensive to get a diagnosis; getting access to medication is a minefield of complex and badly-designed processes; and you can end up in the hands of an unsympathetic GP who makes life far more difficult than it should be.
None of these problems need to exist. All of them can be easily rectified with some clearer thinking about what’s in the best interests of our people and their whānau and the country. But right now, ADHD people and our good ideas are invisible to the policy makers who have put these broken processes in place, who refuse to update the archaic controls in out-of-date legislation, and who insist on treating ADHD like a disorder instead of simply the way 5%-7% of the population thinks.
It’s time for a change. Aroreretini – mind on many things, in Te Reo – is committed to making these changes. So here’s our manifesto for how things should work for adults with ADHD in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st Century.
Firstly, ADHD should be seen as a difference rather than a disorder. In the words of Jonathan Mooney, you can’t change who you are and you shouldn’t be asked to. ADHD should be treated as no more significant than a difference in skin colour or hair colour.
And getting diagnosed for ADHD should be straightforward as a result. GPs should be able to recognise ADHD with the same dexterity they apply to diagnosing anxiety and depression today, and access to professional diagnosis should be easy and timely and fully funded.
For those people who want and need medication, getting the right drugs should be no harder or more complex than being prescribed antidepressants – and there should be exactly no stigma or obstacles to getting the right medication at the right time.
These aren’t complex problems to solve – or at least, they shouldn’t be. So let’s get started.