Georgia's Story: From Misdiagnosis to Managing ADHD

Can you tell us about your ADHD diagnosis, and it affects your day-to-day life?

Definitely! So, I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 20 years old, but the symptoms I struggle most with are anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and I have some issues with sleep too.

I'm 27 now, and I've been receiving treatment for anxiety and depression since I was 14. That was what the doctors originally thought was causing my symptoms. I was on antidepressants for a while, SSRIs, beta blockers - you name it, I've tried it.

But around the time of my 19th birthday, my dad came to me and said, "I don't know if your diagnosis is actually correct” and that got me thinking. He pushed me to try and see a specialist because, up until this point, I had just been seeing my GP. I wasn't going for a specific diagnosis, but I just wanted more clarity and to speak to an actual psychiatrist rather than a GP because they can only do so much in terms of mental health.

I remember going to the assessment thinking the worst. I would have days when I was so down, but the next day I would be on top of the world. It was all quite confusing, really. You know, you do a Google search, and all these things come up, and you just self-diagnose.

But the psychiatrist was great, he really did a thorough assessment - he went through my childhood history and my history in school, all the symptoms I was experiencing at the time and how long it had been going on for, and at the end of it, he said, "Yeah, you've got ADHD, and your anxiety, depression and sleep issues are all a result of that."

He explained that ADHD is often misdiagnosed or overlooked in girls, and how the symptoms that I was experiencing were quite common in girls with ADHD. It was like a light bulb moment for me. I was really like, "Oh my god, that all makes so much sense."

I was then prescribed medication for ADHD, but I didn't have a good experience with it, so I decided then to stop with that medication but still continue with the anxiety medication to just help manage that side of things. I was on beta blockers for a few years. I'm now on SSRIs, and I have tried to get back onto a waiting list to be assessed again for ADHD medication, but as most people know, the waiting lists are really, really long.

I realised that I might need to consider other treatment options, so I started looking into the private healthcare system.

And how did you come across Releaf?

It was my friend who suggested that I have a look at medicinal cannabis. He is autistic and has been a medical cannabis patient for a while now. He was telling me about how much it had helped him with his anxiety and focus, and how the online appointments and the prescriptions work.

That evening, I mentioned the chat to my partner, and we discussed it. Being the angel he is, he took the lead and reached out to Releaf a few days later on my behalf. I think he just knew I'd never get around to doing it myself because, you know, ADHD and all.

So yeah, my boyfriend helped me sign up and book my initial consultation, and then I contacted my GP surgery for my medical records. I just had to go pick them up and scan them in on my phone. I literally just took pictures on my phone, and then I just uploaded them to the portal.

The whole process was really easy and straightforward. A few days later, I had my first appointment with a Releaf doctor, which went really well!

Can you tell us more about your first consultation?

The doctor asked me about the previous medications that I've been on, the different sort of side effects and benefits of those medications, and then we had a really in-depth discussion about what my potential goals were with medicinal cannabis. 

For me, the main ones were reducing my anxiety, being able to have a clear headspace to concentrate, and being able to sleep.

I was also really hoping that medical cannabis might be able to give me a 'baseline' to work from. With my ADHD, I have either so much energy that people around me are like, "Oh my God, does she ever stop!" - or I'm so drained that I can't do anything, and I get really fatigued.

The doctor explained the various options available to me, and we settled on two different medical cannabis cultivars and a medical cannabis oil, which arrived at my door a few days later.

How did it feel to receive your first prescription?

Honestly, it felt a bit surreal! I’d never had anything like that arrive in the post, so it felt almost…naughty, like, "Is this actually allowed?!". But that feeling passed as soon as I saw how professionally packaged it was with my prescription label clearly printed and everything.

My prescribed Releaf medical cannabis flower options both come packaged in tins, which I really like. They are more environmentally friendly and a bit more secure than plastic zip-lock bags, and again, they just look so professional and legitimate.

How have you found your treatment with medical cannabis so far?

I started with the oil, but it didn’t really work for me - I just didn't feel the effects I was expecting or hoping to be honest. But the flower options I have been prescribed have been absolutely amazing.

One of my struggles with ADHD is remembering to take medication on a regular basis, but with this, I don't just have a box full of meds to sort through. There’s a whole process involved which makes it feel almost more like a 'ritual', if that makes sense, rather than just popping a pill in my mouth. That works for me for some reason. 

I have been using a vaporiser for my prescribed flower options - and the grinding it up, getting my vaporiser ready, and taking the time to vape has been almost like a mindfulness activity for me. It forces me to slow down and take a break.

I have one option for daytime use and one for the evenings, with the daytime one being much less potent as it's for a different purpose, but both are working great for me.

And what day-to-day differences have you noticed?

I've always had trouble with sleep, even before I had my diagnosis of ADHD. Medical cannabis has enabled me to get myself into a routine, instead of procrastinating about bed every night. Now I'm actually going to bed at around 9 pm most nights because I'm actually tired, rather than just forcing myself to go to bed because I know I should.

It feels like my body is actually telling me, "You're tired. It's time for bed" . So, in terms of my routine, that's helped massively, which has meant that I'm sleeping better, I'm getting up earlier in the morning, and I've been coming to work on time, or even early. I'm then more productive in the day because I'm having more quality sleep.

With my ADHD, it's really difficult to explain, but if I'm working on my laptop, it feels like everything around me is shouting at me - like every little thing is a massive distraction. My daytime flower option makes me feel like I'm in the zone, and it almost makes there's just like a black sheet around me, and there's nothing else going on - which, for someone with ADHD, is so weird because that is just not my life. That is not my norm.

It is almost like tunnel vision to my laptop, and that's all I can think of. I've been able to get things done. Before starting treatment with Releaf, sometimes I would have to spend days and days working on a project in little sections, but this just enabled me to get things done.

Over the past six months, it's improved my routine, my work-life balance, and my productivity.

Finally, what advice would you give to someone considering medical cannabis?

Well, I think the first thing I would say is, the doctors are there to support you. You can always have the initial consultation and speak through your problems, and maybe you decide it's not for you, but they are there to advise you on that. It doesn't have to be a forever thing. You could try it for a couple of months and be like, "It's not for me", but there's no harm in trying it.

I've tried SSRIs in the past, and I've been on it for a few weeks and gone, "Absolutely not. I cannot take that any longer."

The doctors are so great and so supportive. You can ask those questions, you know - "Can I try a different flower? Can I try a different strength? Can I try a different oil?". You're not just going to be stuck with one type of medication. You can ask to change.

At the end of the day, it's your journey. You know how your body or your head is going to react to it. So just go into it with an open mind. That's the best way forward.