Hello all. Curious to hear if others have experienced this in some capacity. And if so, what have your done or how have you dealt with it.
My partner has ADHD, diagnosed about 6 years ago whilst in his 40s. We have our ups and downs, but on the whole are still doing okay after 10+ years.
Our difficulty doesn't stem from the forgot/was late/taking responsibility/sharing the load (some we have worked out, some just are). Rather our difficulty stems from medication running out.
A little back story - We were lucky in that he was diagnosed and initially treated in the UK. We had moved to France from the UK, but due to the language barrier at the time when he had his Ah-ha moment we sought diagnosis and treatment in the UK. It was a very long, stressful saga taking 2 years to get the diagnosis and treatment started. Mainly due to costs being EXTREMELY high but also of course the distance. Still we got there in the end, for awhile. Then Brexit and a pandemic ensued and any follow-up in the UK became more mind boggling difficult.
So as brexit loomed, we looked to the French health system. France has only recently recognised that ADHD is not a psychiatric issue solely. It has also only very very recently recognised ADHD in adults. Only since September of 2021 has medication for adults been able to be prescribed by a local doctor/GP, after a psychiatric evaluation (before that it was hospitals only). And there is only one medication available for adults with ADHD, Ritalin, which is limited in type and quantity and requires a doctors visit each month to check the blood pressure before renewing.
Because of the limitations, the dosage is not quite right. But because of the legal limitations, we can't change anything. There is no next step, that I can find, in France. So he runs out between 3 and 7 days prior to his next like clock-work appointment. So each month we both have the 'joy' (not) of his coming down off his meds going into a depression, getting angry and frustrated as he loses days/a week of being able to work. (He is an author in the midst of his 2nd book.)
As you can probably tell simply from my writing my first post here, we are in the non-medication available week. This up and down, with without, is taking its toll on both of us. I am trying to figure out an additional solution, but in the meantime have to contend with the silence, the anger, the stress and sheer frustration on both sides.
Has any else experienced issues with getting medications regularly and/or on time? And how did/do you deal with the side effects?
