https://www.aroreretini.nz/home daily 1.0 2021-08-14 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/611729f7be426615cfeb0e65/t/61175b74d02da44ccd5c0869/1628920714514/6177-PCL-005.png Home - Better primary health outcomes Too often, adults with ADHD aren’t treated with respect and compassion by primary health professionals. Far too many adults with ADHD have stories of being told ADHD isn’t a diagnosable condition by GPs, or being told they are merely drug seekers, or that they need to wean themselves off the medication prescribed by their psychiatrist. The health profession should know better and needs to start doing better. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/611729f7be426615cfeb0e65/t/61175a55c81a8279f4412ba7/1628920433056/6177-PCL-004.png Home - Reform of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 Getting access to standard ADHD medication such as methylphenidate is a complex nightmare of a process, thanks to its inclusion in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 – an antiquated piece of legislation that’s no longer fit for purpose. We’re advocating strongly for a major reform of the Act to move methylphenidate and other front-line ADHD medications out of the Schedules, based on an objective assessment of their risk rather than restricting them because of a drug panic from the 1970s. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/611729f7be426615cfeb0e65/t/611759a3b486e616e1627240/1628920621272/6177-PCL-003.png Home - Better access to diagnosis By most estimates, between 5% and 7% of the population is likely to have ADHD – and a great many adults don’t realise their struggles in life are due to undiagnosed ADHD, because it’s very under-diagnosed, particularly in women. We aim to improve access to professional psychiatric diagnosis through better policy development and advocating for more funding. https://www.aroreretini.nz/better-access-to-diagnosis daily 0.75 2021-08-14 https://www.aroreretini.nz/reform-of-the-act daily 0.75 2021-08-14 https://www.aroreretini.nz/better-primary-health-outcomes daily 0.75 2021-08-14 https://www.aroreretini.nz/our-organisation daily 0.75 2021-08-14 https://www.aroreretini.nz/our-vision daily 0.75 2021-08-14 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/611729f7be426615cfeb0e65/t/6117569d5a1f3a3884a2f362/1628919466818/_DSC3292.png Our Vision - 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.