"CBT to help deal with recently diagnosed adult ADHD"

I have recently completed a 12 week CBT course with Inclusion Thurrock and I wanted to share my story for the life changing experience that I have received.

My journey with Inclusion started a couple of years ago. I had been off of work with stress, depression and anxiety and my symptoms were not getting any better. After lots of frustrated calls with my GP I contacted inclusion to see if they could help. I ended up getting put through to the clinical lead and actually broke down on the phone to them. They were the first person I felt actually listened to me and wanted to help. I had convinced myself that I had developed a personality disorder or had Bi-Polar, and they didn't dismiss this, they listened to me and then arranged for an assessment by the local mental health team. The result of which was a diagnosis of ADHD in December of last year at 40 years of age.

I enquired about therapy with both my GP and Psychiatrist and didn't get anywhere with either of them, my psychiatrist actually doubted the benefits of non ADHD targeted CBT. I decided to come back to Inclusion with the diagnosis and see if CBT would be able to assist the medication, when it started. After quite a wait and a couple of group sessions I was assigned a therapist and arranged our first appointment. There was a large amount of scepticism, partly due to previous experiences and also due to my psychiatrist sowing a seed of doubt with someone not considered a specialist performing ADHD CBT. This all disappeared after my first meeting with the therapist arranged by Inclusion!

I will struggle to put into words just how much my life has changed in the hands of them, but I feel I need to get this out there! I was a complete mess a little over 13 weeks ago. Depressed, anxious and feeling worthless. No job, arguing with my wife all the time and just flat out miserable and done with life. I had waited and waited for my assessment, diagnosis and finally my medication but without therapy nothing was changing. I had the tools but lacked the knowledge to use them.

The therapy I received completely changed everything. It felt targeted, personal and actually changed my life week by week, to the point where I think I'm actually in the best place I've ever been, in my head. I gained confidence in myself and my abilities and was able to get back to work. Not just to any job either, back to a job that I had basically sworn to never go back to. I have only been back 2 months and have already received employee of the month and got a promotion. My relationship with my partner is so much better along with my relationship with my children. All of this wouldn't have been possible without the help I received from CBT with Inclusion Thurrock.

Each week my therapist would listen as I rambled through what had been going on with me. All the while he was carefully listening and guiding me to where I needed to be, and it felt so natural too. My ADHD can make me put off things or try to get out of them but this never happened during my sessions with Inclusion. Each week I looked forward to our meetings and I didn't miss any that I could have attended, but didn't, which is quite a big thing for me.

The work done at Inclusion Thurrock really does change lives, I have experienced it and it is honestly incredible. I'll never forget this experience and what it did for me, I can't thank my therapist enough for everything he's done for me and my family! Is it weird that I miss our meetings now they are over?